Not if they are properly isolated. On my truck I can physically remove the starting battery, put it on the curb, and still start and drive the truck on the house batteries. If the main battery takes a dump, I can just disconnect it and keep driving.Also keep in mind that with a dual battery setup, if one battery dies it will take the other with it.
The reason I didn't move the winch with my current configuration is because I could potentially melt the cables. 4/0 cable triple the cost. The back battery probably won't feel the peak load but the cables will. I plan on upgrading the alternator and ground cables to 2/0, I have the cable and terminations, just need to find the time.DamageWagon wrote:His is my point. Your second battery isn't ever feeling a 600amp load. In fact, at that distance, I don't even think you have enough wire gauge at that distance to get enough wattage anyways. Let's be clear that your primary battery is feeling the load of the winch. Your secondary battery is feeling less than half of that load.
Let me also throw out there that before anyone starts throwing a bunch of money at buying big-amp equipment, you should first cut off those dinky battery terminals and put some legitimate mil-spec style connectors on there, with real battery life on the wire. This gives you the benefit of it being super easy to add additional wires off the battery in the future.
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I have always had a parasitic drain on my truck since it was new. Dealer could not find it. When I had my aftermarket stereo put in my truck, they said i had a ground issue & I had to fix it before they would install. So, i took off all the factory grounds, wire wheeled the contact points till they were shiny, ground through the paint & primer, reattached them & sprayed with Fluid Film. Then, I added a bunch more. 2 Ga welding cable, soldered my own ends on. Battery to fender, battery to frame, L fender to frame, R fender to frame, bed to frame-both sides, cab to bed, cab to frame-both sides. I think it is now the most grounded truck in the history of trucks.DamageWagon wrote:Also, what are you referring to when you say adding ground cables? Do you mean from the battery to the frame, or from equipment to the frame? Or from equipment to the battery?
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Yes. See TwinStick's post above.Also, what are you referring to when you say adding ground cables? Do you mean from the battery to the frame, or from equipment to the frame? Or from equipment to the battery?
My '05 is fully grounded and isolated, yada yada yada. Has all the symptoms of parasitic drain, i.e., primary battery drops OCV like tossing rocks in a pond. I have tested the drain and have had professionals test the drain, and it always comes in between 35 and 55 ma. Dealer Service Manager says that's right where my truck should be. The only theory anyone has come up with is that the aftermarket alarm system is pinging the body module intermittently and that is draining the battery. Maybe so, but I installed the alarm for a reason and I don't want to disconnect it. Alarm manufacturer says that's impossible. I dunno.Still have the parasitic drain.
Right. I asked before he answered the question... lolDucky's Dad wrote:Yes. See TwinStick's post above.Also, what are you referring to when you say adding ground cables? Do you mean from the battery to the frame, or from equipment to the frame? Or from equipment to the battery?
People screw up when they start wiring in things like lights, radios, speakers, etc. and they run a ground to the frame. Then they end up with 7 different powered grounds to the frame. This is a big cause of static in your radio. One of our fire engines had the Code 3 system wired to the frame, and every time we turned the lights on we couldn't hear the radio anymore hahaha. Guess how fast that got fixed...
Ugh, I'll check for the 220 then on my build sheet! Wouldn't be the first thing I'd learned and I'd be pretty comfortable with that I think.olyelr wrote:The '16s come with the 220 amp alternator as base, with the option of dual alternators for a total of 380.
I think the 220 amp is probably plenty adequate for most peoples usage. With a lot of aftermarket electrical upgrades along with winching often, the dual upgrade would most likely be worthwhile. I believe it is pushing $700-$1000 to add it after the fact, though. Ticks me off, cause it is like a $300 option when ordering.
I almost didnt buy my truck because of the lack of dual alternators. Almost ordered one instead, which would have been the same as the truck as I have now (except with the dual alternators). Then the 8-10 week wait started going through my mind, and the fact that I really probably dont NEED the two alternators in the first place, I just wanted them cause it was an option. So I succumbed and bought the one I found a few states away. Still glad I did!TankerZak wrote: Ugh, I'll check for the 220 then on my build sheet! Wouldn't be the first thing I'd learned and I'd be pretty comfortable with that I think.
Thats exactly what happened to me except I would of had to order a truck that hadn't been fully released yet (2017). I didn't get the second alternator and i ended up with a few things i didn't want. Cargo camera, power adjustable pedals, cargo camera, keyless start n go, etc. But with ordering to get stuff i didn't want it would have cost me more money. Seemed silly and some stuff I've grown to like.olyelr wrote:I almost didnt buy my truck because of the lack of dual alternators. Almost ordered one instead, which would have been the same as the truck as I have now (except with the dual alternators). Then the 8-10 week wait started going through my mind, and the fact that I really probably dont NEED the two alternators in the first place, I just wanted them cause it was an option. So I succumbed and bought the one I found a few states away. Still glad I did!TankerZak wrote: Ugh, I'll check for the 220 then on my build sheet! Wouldn't be the first thing I'd learned and I'd be pretty comfortable with that I think.
I figure if I ever get to the point where I am really regretting not having the two alternators, then I will just spend the bucks and install the second one.
How sure on we on the 220 AMP alternator and how could i check? My VIN decoder and build sheet all say 180 AMP...olyelr wrote:The '16s come with the 220 amp alternator as base, with the option of dual alternators for a total of 380.
I think the 220 amp is probably plenty adequate for most peoples usage. With a lot of aftermarket electrical upgrades along with winching often, the dual upgrade would most likely be worthwhile. I believe it is pushing $700-$1000 to add it after the fact, though. Ticks me off, cause it is like a $300 option when ordering.
TankerZak wrote:How sure on we on the 220 AMP alternator and how could i check? My VIN decoder and build sheet all say 180 AMP...olyelr wrote:The '16s come with the 220 amp alternator as base, with the option of dual alternators for a total of 380.
I think the 220 amp is probably plenty adequate for most peoples usage. With a lot of aftermarket electrical upgrades along with winching often, the dual upgrade would most likely be worthwhile. I believe it is pushing $700-$1000 to add it after the fact, though. Ticks me off, cause it is like a $300 option when ordering.
Doh..olyelr wrote:TankerZak wrote:How sure on we on the 220 AMP alternator and how could i check? My VIN decoder and build sheet all say 180 AMP...olyelr wrote:The '16s come with the 220 amp alternator as base, with the option of dual alternators for a total of 380.
I think the 220 amp is probably plenty adequate for most peoples usage. With a lot of aftermarket electrical upgrades along with winching often, the dual upgrade would most likely be worthwhile. I believe it is pushing $700-$1000 to add it after the fact, though. Ticks me off, cause it is like a $300 option when ordering.
Tanker, sorry but i may have given you a line bull crap! I think the standard on the pw is 180 amp, with the option for the 220 or duals for 380. If you dont see the 220 upgrade on your build sheet, then you probably dont have it
These came with a bad battery? I think at 180 I'm comfortable until it presents an issue. 220 would have been better. I wonder how they get to the 380 AMP max. Is it a 180+ something? Might be cheaper to go to dual than rip and replace.DamageWagon wrote:I wouldn't stress about things like that until you kill your battery doing something you do often. If you use your winch 30 times a year, then worry about it. If you've never used your winch, or use it rarely, or don't have 3 radios in your cab.... Don't worry about power until it realistically becomes a problem. Buying a good battery is the best measure to start with
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Hmmmm, winch draws 440 amps.......dual 220 amp alt's = 440 amps.........seems like a no-brainer to me ! But what do I know, I just have a HSchool diploma. 
I am sure Ram has a reason to have inferior electrical systems on the 3rd Gens, & the 4th Gens. I am sure they didn't want to spend $10 more & just make it like the diesel, 440 amps total.Yeah, that's what i was trying to figure it out. Is the stock 180 AMP a logical step with a bolt on for duals later in the 6.4 Power Wagon. Or am i ripping out the 180 for whatever makes up the dual alt solution for a lot more cash.TwinStick wrote:So, then, the 180 amp is standard, there is a 220 amp option, and there is the dual 380 amp total which drops one down to 160 amp from 180 amp ? That just sounds wrong, so I am sure that's what RAM did ! LOL
Just like my old employer then. What ever made sense & was the right thing to do, they would do the exact opposite !
http://www.ramtrucks.com/hostc/bmo/CUT2 ... powertrain
Problem is they dont have new air boxes out for the new trucks yet.TankerZak wrote:Yeah, that's what i was trying to figure it out. Is the stock 180 AMP a logical step with a bolt on for duals later in the 6.4 Power Wagon. Or am i ripping out the 180 for whatever makes up the dual alt solution for a lot more cash.TwinStick wrote:So, then, the 180 amp is standard, there is a 220 amp option, and there is the dual 380 amp total which drops one down to 160 amp from 180 amp ? That just sounds wrong, so I am sure that's what RAM did ! LOL
Just like my old employer then. What ever made sense & was the right thing to do, they would do the exact opposite !
http://www.ramtrucks.com/hostc/bmo/CUT2 ... powertrain
I mean that story really got to me. If i have a winch i better be able to use it. And if that takes dual alternators, or dual alternators, and dual batteries, and a new air box to make it all fit than so be it.
