Best dual battery setup

[TankerZak]

Not even any of the CAI options? I already did a Dryflow drop-in air filter but that's not a big deal to rip out and replace.

[olyelr]

Nope.

[TwinStick]

The thing is this: most people do not use their winch for 30 minutes or more at a time, including me. I have only done it twice. But, that being said, it was night and day difference with the dual battery set up. That was before i put the 270 amp alt in too. With one stock battery, I could hear the motor straining every time i used it, even if it was a light duty job, like pulling shrubs. With the dual batteries, there is no more straining or change of pitch/sound of the motor. Even when I was pulling the truck up a hill that both lockers wouldn't get me up. No strain, sounded like it wanted to work, like it was laughing at the job at hand.

Hands down I would get the dual alt option. It is a no-brainer. What good is the whole set up if it only works most of the time but not all the time ? Especially when you need it most, like when you did something you shouldn't have done & are all by yourself, at night, it the pitch black, like I did. It happens when you least expect it. I was just using the lockers on the way home from work, like I always do/did. But that time the snow was frozen & hard enough that i was able to drive about 10-15' before it broke through & went straight down, resting on the undercarriage, tires were about 8" from touching the ground. It happens.

Your results may vary.

[TankerZak]

The thing is this: most people do not use their winch for 30 minutes or more at a time, including me. I have only done it twice. But, that being said, it was night and day difference with the dual battery set up. That was before i put the 270 amp alt in too. With one stock battery, I could hear the motor straining every time i used it, even if it was a light duty job, like pulling shrubs. With the dual batteries, there is no more straining or change of pitch/sound of the motor. Even when I was pulling the truck up a hill that both lockers wouldn't get me up. No strain, sounded like it wanted to work, like it was laughing at the job at hand.

Hands down I would get the dual alt option. It is a no-brainer. What good is the whole set up if it only works most of the time but not all the time ? Especially when you need it most, like when you did something you shouldn't have done & are all by yourself, at night, it the pitch black, like I did. It happens when you least expect it. I was just using the lockers on the way home from work, like I always do/did. But that time the snow was frozen & hard enough that i was able to drive about 10-15' before it broke through & went straight down, resting on the undercarriage, tires were about 8" from touching the ground. It happens.

Your results may vary.

That really wants to make me get dual alternators. Don't see the reason with my use case for batteries but I'd think dual alts is good. I mean you're sitting on a generator. And i can't think of a reason I'd need to store power (aka dual batteries) with my setup (travel trailer not camper).

[TankerZak]

The thing is this: most people do not use their winch for 30 minutes or more at a time, including me. I have only done it twice. But, that being said, it was night and day difference with the dual battery set up. That was before i put the 270 amp alt in too. With one stock battery, I could hear the motor straining every time i used it, even if it was a light duty job, like pulling shrubs. With the dual batteries, there is no more straining or change of pitch/sound of the motor. Even when I was pulling the truck up a hill that both lockers wouldn't get me up. No strain, sounded like it wanted to work, like it was laughing at the job at hand.

Hands down I would get the dual alt option. It is a no-brainer. What good is the whole set up if it only works most of the time but not all the time ? Especially when you need it most, like when you did something you shouldn't have done & are all by yourself, at night, it the pitch black, like I did. It happens when you least expect it. I was just using the lockers on the way home from work, like I always do/did. But that time the snow was frozen & hard enough that i was able to drive about 10-15' before it broke through & went straight down, resting on the undercarriage, tires were about 8" from touching the ground. It happens.

Your results may vary.

That really wants to make me get dual alternators. Don't see the reason with my use case for batteries but I'd think dual alts is good. I mean you're sitting on a generator. And i can't think of a reason I'd need to store power (aka dual batteries) with my setup (travel trailer not camper).

[olyelr]

I have been considering dual batteries for our travel trailer. When we are not connected to shore power, our battery can get completely drained within the night if the furnace is coming on/off. I think with two batteries it would make it through the night. Then i wouldnt have to get up in the middle of the night and go outside in my skivvies and start the dang genny

[TankerZak]

I have been considering dual batteries for our travel trailer. When we are not connected to shore power, our battery can get completely drained within the night if the furnace is coming on/off. I think with two batteries it would make it through the night. Then i wouldnt have to get up in the middle of the night and go outside in my skivvies and start the dang genny

This i can help with. Don't run a single 23 series. Get two 6v deep cycle golf cart batteries. Run them in series (the volts add together and the amps stay the same). Provides for a 12v system with major deep amp hours. 12v 23 series batteries have cranking amps not deep cycle amps. They don't repeatedly discharge as well either. Never take your batteries below 50% amp hours. Get a solar panel for mid day trickle. Get a remote start generator. Get a trickle charger to plug into that generator to double charge your batteries whole the generator is running. #profit. Use the zamp website to select the right wattage panels for your use case.

[olyelr]

I have been considering dual batteries for our travel trailer. When we are not connected to shore power, our battery can get completely drained within the night if the furnace is coming on/off. I think with two batteries it would make it through the night. Then i wouldnt have to get up in the middle of the night and go outside in my skivvies and start the dang genny

This i can help with. Don't run a single 23 series. Get two 6v deep cycle golf cart batteries. Run them in series (the volts add together and the amps stay the same). Provides for a 12v system with major deep amp hours. 12v 23 series batteries have cranking amps not deep cycle amps. They don't repeatedly discharge as well either. Never take your batteries below 50% amp hours. Get a solar panel for mid day trickle. Get a remote start generator. Get a trickle charger to plug into that generator to double charge your batteries whole the generator is running. #profit. Use the zamp website to select the right wattage panels for your use case.

Thanks for the info, i will look into it.

[TwinStick]

When I checked into bigger/better batteries for our travel trailer, the guy there also recommended 2, 6V batteries over 2, 12v batteries. He said he tried both set ups & 2, 6V set up gave him about twice the run time of 2, 12V batteries. I have not dove into that yet but will be soon enough.

NOTE: He was comparing 2, Gp 24 12v batteries, to 2, big ass 6v batteries. They were much taller than the Gp 24 12v.

[TankerZak]

When I checked into bigger/better batteries for our travel trailer, the guy there also recommended 2, 6V batteries over 2, 12v batteries. He said he tried both set ups & 2, 6V set up gave him about twice the run time of 2, 12V batteries. I have not dove into that yet but will be soon enough.

NOTE: He was comparing 2, Gp 24 12v batteries, to 2, big ass 6v batteries. They were much taller than the Gp 24 12v.

I tried two series 27 batteries in parallel vs two 6 volts in series as well. 27s didn't fit in the footprint i needed. Its also hard to get deep cycle batteries in general in 12v. It all comes down to total amp hours, deep cycle (can they be discharged without damage), and the footprint you have available to work with. With two 12v batteries if one dies, your amp hours get cut in half but the system still runs. With two 6v batteries in series, if one dies your volts get cut in half and the whole 12v system stops working. That being said the two 6v solution is usually considered better. Keep in mind, doesn't matter if its 12v in parallel or 6v in series, batteries should be replaced together or the weak battery ruins the good battery.