[JackE]

Finally getting around to adding the second battery to Sanity. I have done this in the past on other burbs, but am thinking differently this time around. I don't necessarily need to connect the batteries in parallel, one does just fine running all the gadgets it has now. So my question is, do I need to connect them parallel, or can I just connect the second battery to ground and use it to connect all the new stuff I'm planning on, with a charge wire to it like the original battery. I'll be adding lots of LED lights, inverter, amp, eventually one of those plugin jumper cable things on each end of the rig, and most likely running a winch off that set up too. I guess the more I think about it, running parallel with a winch is better anyway. What are the general thoughts on this?

 

[xPosTech]

Why not duplicate the factory setup? Don't you have two battery trays? It's a common mod on the GMT900s. Even if you don't do factory I would use an isolater so you always have a charged backup battery. The instructions are here on the site I think.

Ted

 

[blackburb]

When I was doing big-ass car stereo, I always used an isolater. The risk of running parallel is killing both and being stranded. If you kill an isolated battery, there's no problem starting the truck.

 

[JackE]

I do have two battery trays. Actually have been carrying around the second battery in there for a few months now, just haven't had time to hook it up. I have never used an isolator. I'll have to research into that.

 

[Flyinfool]

I have done it using an isolator and also using a contactor that would disconnect when the engine was not running. There are pros and cons to both methods. You will want the second battery to be either a Marine or a deep cycle battery.

 

[JackE]

So a continuous duty 150 amp relay activated by key in run position is what I’m gathering will work. That’s way easier than I thought it would be. I can add a push button to the relay to allow the second battery to join the first in a dead battery condition, or if I want more cranking amps.