HI im newish to the forum so be kind please I have searched for threads about running a second battery and found none!
so im just wondering whos running two?
whats your set up, battery type, tray set up, location of second battery?
also any ideas are welcome. I have an idea of how i want to do it but if some one else has a good system why reinvent the wheel right?

thanks

 

what about like a battery switch for a boat? a make before break type system

 

yeah the marine switch route is what i am planning on doing. My biggest problem is that there is no room under the hood! compared to my old f150, i could fit under the hood! and no one makes dual trays for our trucks, im a pretty good welder so fabbing up some brackets would not be hard at all but like i said if there is a tray already why reinvent the wheel

 

You want an isolator. Don't mess with a switch, not worth the anguish. The isolator let's both batteries charge, and will drain one without draining the other like a switch will. You can get them for about $25 at just about any autoparts store. The wiring for the second battery will kill ya though!

If you are good at fabricating, I've seen 4 batteries under the rear seat for a stereo setup. They cut the floor, fabbed a tray in there, and wired it all up slick like.

What are you trying to accomplish though? big stereo? winch? welder?

A good optima battery might be a better investment, and will fit a little better.

 

well i dont like isolators because i had a solenoid one that malfunctioned in my old f250 and left me high and dry about 12 hours from the nearest town when i was working north of calgary (it was some cold!)so im distrustful of stuff that is automatic. the only time a switch will discharge both is if you are forgetful! I grew up on the gulf coast and fished off shore ALOT so im pretty used to personally managing batteries. Yeah i run a welder but really if your doing any sort of sizable welding you need too big of a battery bank to do it so i carry a small generator. its mostly because i have a lot of lights to light up my work area i run off the truck and i sleep back there when im in the field so i would be running work lights, and small stuff like my laptop, and i like the security of a second battery. and my generator is too small for the lights and the welder! I like that seat idea but i dont know how i feel about cutting my truck up haha

 

I knew a lot is demanded from car batteries but welding?

 

yup. standard practice in the offroad world. it's not necessarily "good" for the batteries, but if you gotta fix a broken mount, it'll do.

basically take 2 to 4 batteries and run them in parallel, pair of jumper cables and a welding stick and voila - trail welder.

 

Sage - do you have a truck box by chance? (sounds like you use your truck for work...)

you can put batteries in there. Or, even fab up something small in the bed for the extra batteries, but there again you're looking at a ton of heavy gauge wire to run.

although.....what about using a jetski or motorcycle battery as the secondary? there's enough room for one of those in the engine compartment....and all you need it for is a boost to start....