Dual Battery necessary?

[gravelguy]

A question for the expo elite.....I am planning on running a month long trip around the great American West in Oct/Nov. I want to go as light as possible and trying NOT to go dual batteries.

My needs are simple....I will run a waeco cf-35 round the clock and have a dome light in my maggiolina for reading at night. The rest of my battery needs (gps, charging iphone, etc) will take place while driving which I plan to do everyday. My power outlets are hot all the time.

My vehicle is a 2007 Tacoma TRD offroad (more on that later...) with the stock battery and HD alternator that came with the TRD package. So far in testing I have been able to run the waeco for 6 days with minimal driving and never had the low voltage cutoff come into play.

Any input is appreciated!

[cruiseroutfit]

Really it depends on your driving/idling patterns with the vehicle. If your driving the vehicle on a daily basis or even every other day, you should have no issues. If having the vehicle parked stagnant for days on end is in your trip plans, the reassurance of a backup battery should be investigated. At a minimum I would recommend a dual battery monitor and possibly a low voltage shut-off device if your fridge for example doesn't have one built in.

[LandCruiserPhil]

I would give strong consideration to solar. It would eliminate the needs for a second battery if you are traveling and give you the needed power if you find yourself in one place for a couple days.

[JIMBO]

:sombrero:Going SOLAR is RIGHTON

Using a 60 watt Sunpower panel has served my camp/trailer for almost three years, using one lead acid battery for my Engel cooler (even started with a Koolatron cooler)

Using an Engel type cooler-Solar is the way !!

:costumed-smiley-007:safari-rig::safari-rig: JIMBO

[soonenough]

I'm far from an expert on the subject, but I'd give some thought to the relative level of "need" for dual batteries in relation to the areas you will be traveling in. For instance, if you're never more than 30 minutes from a city/town of reasonable size, maybe it's not worth the investment, since the worst case would be calling a tow truck to come out and give you a jump.

But, if you're planning on being truly in the middle of nowhere (as in, a dead battery will mean a very expensive visit from a tow truck, or even worse a possible rescue scenario if there happened to be a medical issue while the battery was dead), then a dual battery setup might be cheap insurance and offer some peace of mind.

If nothing else, you could look into one of those little battery jumper boxes that you charge at home and take with you. Then, every time you come into a town to make a stop, try to 'borrow' a wall outlet to top off the jumper box if necessary. That would definitely be way cheaper than a dual battery setup. One of my previous cars had a weak battery, and I carried one of those with me everywhere I went. I was far from diligent about making sure it was always topped off, but it worked perfectly the 4 or 5 times I needed it (and it wasn't an expensive one either).

[Superu]

My vehicle is a 2007 Tacoma TRD offroad (more on that later...) with the stock battery

Is the stock battery a dual purpose or will you be draining your standard starting battery every night? At the very least, I would suggest upgrading to an AGM Dual Purpose battery if you're not going to run duals.

[FrenchieXJ]

I agree with "soonenough" (Ryan) and get I would get a small battery pack, jumper, light air compressor and 12 volt outlet boxes all in one. For what you sound like you are doing I would not over kill.

[Corey]

Solar, here is my setup.
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28712

I do run two batteries, but I never had to flip over for the second battery.
The solar setup worked great on my trip.
Here are some field pics of it in use.
http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=30867

Pricey, yes.
Worth the piece of mind, yes.

I ran the ARB fridge and I too ran the 12v light in the Maggiolina.
The solar setup will out last your batteries.

[spikemd]

I agree with the portable power pack. They have ones that will charge being plugged into the 12v while driving. The units are a lot cheaper than a dual battery set-up.

I would also consider upgrading your 'stock' battery to a larger deep cycle or AGM battery if/when it dies on you.

http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ.htm

Today, I bought a Powerstation from Costco $65 with 18Ah battery to 400amp boost, 1000amp peak and measly air compressor/dc outlet.

I also saw the Duracell/Xantrex 600 unit that has dc outlets/ac outlets/jumper cables and 28ah AGM battery for $140 on Amazon. I may get that one instead and return the Powerstation.

I want it for backup and/or running a fridge at night.

I was also thinking that a powerstation can be mobile and taken into the tent to run a fridge, therefore not tethered to the truck.

[Mr. Leary]

I carry a jumper pack with an air compressor. Its slow, but it gets the job done. It serves as a good backup for on board air and dual battery setup, and doesn't weigh very much. Generally, I beleive in mutually supporting systems with built in redundancies. Strategy has never let me down so far. I would wager that the fact that you even asked the question means that you should buy it, cuz if you don't, you WILL worry about it on the trip.

[Cabrito]

I just recently got a used ARB / Engle MT35. I ran it 24/7 last week while in Yosemite. It never drained my battery overnight. I also carry a battery pack to jump start if needed. By the way, I ran the fridge off the battery pack for 14 hours as a test and it still had plenty of juice left. The battery pack I got at harbor freight and has a 24ah battery in it. It's beefy.

[OldSven]

Not sure if it was disscused or not but weather plays a factor. On our camping trip over the weekend I had the Norcold cranked up like normal but it was about 30 degrees at night and the red top actually sounded pretty weak when trying to start it in the morning. It is always nice knowing that you can just kick on the second one and off you go:)

[Switch]

A question for the expo elite.....I am planning on running a month long trip around the great American West in Oct/Nov. I want to go as light as possible and trying NOT to go dual batteries.

My needs are simple....I will run a waeco cf-35 round the clock and have a dome light in my maggiolina for reading at night. The rest of my battery needs (gps, charging iphone, etc) will take place while driving which I plan to do everyday. My power outlets are hot all the time.

My vehicle is a 2007 Tacoma TRD offroad (more on that later...) with the stock battery and HD alternator that came with the TRD package. So far in testing I have been able to run the waeco for 6 days with minimal driving and never had the low voltage cutoff come into play.

Any input is appreciated!

If you going to be in areas so remote that you cannot get a jump start, then it makes sense to have some kind of backup. A built in dual battery is only one option and spendy at that. For just one trip, it does not seem worth it to me.

[TACODOC]

Carry a jumper pack at a minimum, they are well worth having. For bigger trips over many days dual batteries with solar is the hot ticket.

Or, 'wheel with a buddy ;)

[neverestablished]

Drive a stick and always park at the top of a hill:D
I was thinking of one of those little jumper/compressors also, just for peace of mind

[RHINO]

tacomas have a battery fail safe built in and wont let the batt drop below 10.7v or something like that, even if you leave the door open and radio on it will shut everything off before the battery gets too low to start the truck.

you have to put some faith in it,,, but it works on mine as tested in the garage.

solar doesnt have a downside per se, but, w/o charge at night you do need to make sure you can store enough power for everything you need.

[ryguy]

Ive got a back up battery, its just not wired in:D. I do agree that a dual setup is necessary if you venture far from civilization.

[Remote]

If you go with the back up pack, here are a few ideas. I picked one up from Horror Fright. It came with a 24AH gel cell, the larger of the two they sell, on sale for $59. That is about what a similar battery alone costs from somewhere like Batteries Plus. With the pack you get 4g cables, volt meter, ac charger, dc charger, cig outlet, and a disco switch. I was able to condense the package down to fit within just the "battery cover" by relocating the components. It all fits perfectly in one of the Army surplus "tool bags". AC charge cable in one side pouch and DC in the other. Roughly half the volume of the original. I have so many of those tool bags that I refer to them as "Matching Expo Luggage".
No issues with corrosive fumes or heat from charging for the last two years.

Here is a shot of the battery bag.
http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh237/yo5co/BAT4.jpg

Here is a "matched set" with my hot rodded compressor.
http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh237/yo5co/BAT5.jpg

[Cabrito]

If you go with the back up pack, here are a few ideas. I picked one up from Horror Fright. It came with a 24AH gel cell, the larger of the two they sell, on sale for $59. That is about what a similar battery alone costs from somewhere like Batteries Plus. With the pack you get 4g cables, volt meter, ac charger, dc charger, cig outlet, and a disco switch. I was able to condense the package down to fit within just the "battery cover" by relocating the components. It all fits perfectly in one of the Army surplus "tool bags". AC charge cable in one side pouch and DC in the other. Roughly half the volume of the original. I have so many of those tool bags that I refer to them as "Matching Expo Luggage".
No issues with corrosive fumes or heat from charging for the last two years.

Here is a shot of the battery bag.
http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh237/yo5co/BAT4.jpg

Here is a "matched set" with my hot rodded compressor.
http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh237/yo5co/BAT5.jpg


That is the battery pack I use and like I mentioned in an earlier post - it ran my ARB MT35 for 14 hours and still had 75% showing on the meter of the battery pack.
Nice unit.

[RHINO]

It all fits perfectly in one of the Army surplus "tool bags". I have so many of those tool bags that I refer to them as "Matching Expo Luggage".

Here is a "matched set" with my hot rodded compressor.



i like your style, simple and "drab", i also like hot rodded stuff, what'd ya do?

[KG6BWS]

Ive got a back up battery, its just not wired in:D. I do agree that a dual setup is necessary if you venture far from civilization.

me too. i just keep a spare battery in the tool box for now. one of these days ill get around to a dual setup.

[RHINO]

you guys should go to radio shack or frys electronics and get a one way resistor thing and just run a little wire to the extra battery to trickle charge while the rig is on.

[Remote]

i also like hot rodded stuff, what'd ya do?

In a nutshell. bigger wire, ported valves, lightweight precision reed, re-engineered brush holder, "blueprinted" geometry, pressure switch, air filter, manifolding, some bling and controlled testing. Oh, and a motor swap.
Yes, I'm a tad nuts.
Want to see a write up?

[CYi5]

In a nutshell. bigger wire, ported valves, lightweight precision reed, re-engineered brush holder, "blueprinted" geometry, pressure switch, air filter, manifolding, some bling and controlled testing. Oh, and a motor swap.
Yes, I'm a tad nuts.
Want to see a write up?

I think it's time to put a kit together :) Or you can be like ZUK, instead of sending you gears we'll send you our stock compressors.

[ryguy]

In a nutshell. bigger wire, ported valves, lightweight precision reed, re-engineered brush holder, "blueprinted" geometry, pressure switch, air filter, manifolding, some bling and controlled testing. Oh, and a motor swap.
Yes, I'm a tad nuts.
Want to see a write up?

please

[SOAZ]

You can always use a Battery Brain to keep the battery from running too low to start the truck. I use that and put in a Group 31 battery.
I run my Dometic/Waeco CF-50 24/7 daily driving.

Cyi5,
Zuk is awesome, just plain awesome.


A question for the expo elite.....I am planning on running a month long trip around the great American West in Oct/Nov. I want to go as light as possible and trying NOT to go dual batteries.

My needs are simple....I will run a waeco cf-35 round the clock and have a dome light in my maggiolina for reading at night. The rest of my battery needs (gps, charging iphone, etc) will take place while driving which I plan to do everyday. My power outlets are hot all the time.

My vehicle is a 2007 Tacoma TRD offroad (more on that later...) with the stock battery and HD alternator that came with the TRD package. So far in testing I have been able to run the waeco for 6 days with minimal driving and never had the low voltage cutoff come into play.

Any input is appreciated!

[Remote]

I'll put it in "Recovery Equipment and Tools" as Hot Rodded Compressor.

[RHINO]

Want to see a write up?


uhh yeah !!!

[ryguy]

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96157
Just ordered on of these today as a possible replacement for my duracell 600 Ill post a review once I abuse it a little.

[CYi5]

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=96157
Just ordered on of these today as a possible replacement for my duracell 600 Ill post a review once I abuse it a little.

That thing is beast, I like the rubber case. Keep us posted.

[ryguy]

That thing is beast, I like the rubber case. Keep us posted.
UPDATE:
I took the box on a trip this past weekend and I'm happy with my purchase. My wife plugged in her laptop in it as well as my daughters ds while driving up
to the trail(about 2hrs). I aired down to about 26 psi and when we left it took about 7-8 minutes total time to get me up to 38psi again for all four tires. On the trip home the girls were playing cards in the back using the box's work light feat. and my wife was charging her laptop also. After unloading the truck this morning I checked the charge on the box and it was slightly under 100% :Wow1: The only thing I don't like is the quality of the rubber plugs that cover the charging port and the outlets and the air hose, but I can't expect it to be perfect for the price. Initially I love this thing and I hope it continues to meet my expectations.

[gravelguy]

Ok, my big trip is just around the corner and I had to do something, so I picked up one of these at HD. http://www.blackanddecker.com/ProductGuide/CategoryOverview.aspx?cPath=4033.4034

Someone I work for uses one of these and gave it a thumbs up. Normally that wouldn't be enough for me, but he is notorious for wearing stuff out prematurely and this unit has been a fixture for a while now.

Thanks for all the responses.....Look for a trip report soon.....

[LandCruiserPhil]

Ok, my big trip is just around the corner and I had to do something, so I picked up one of these at HD. http://www.blackanddecker.com/ProductGuide/CategoryOverview.aspx?cPath=4033.4034

Someone I work for uses one of these and gave it a thumbs up. Normally that wouldn't be enough for me, but he is notorious for wearing stuff out prematurely and this unit has been a fixture for a while now.

Thanks for all the responses.....Look for a trip report soon.....

19AH battery should serve you well

[austintaco]

Great thread! I was just debating the expense of dual batteries. My issue is that I have two trucks, an 03 Tacoma and an 84 4runner, both are being built with expedition travels in mind, though the 84 has had some rock crawling experience :)

I am trying to buy stuff that I can use on either vehicle, to save cost and weight, not in use.

I want to buy something like this, and it looks like a hell of a deal:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190339136333&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

and it seemed like exactly what I would need for my trip(going to Big Bend National and Big Bend Ranch). I will just run one battery, but if I need a jump, I can use the generator. I will be carrying gas, so fuel won't be an issue, and I can use it for other stuff around the camp.

At least, that's my plan. Just looking for opinions and passing on a possibly good deal? I might just buy it now...cross my fingers.

[rambrush]

A honda gen set will be much more reliable and is also true sine wave to run sensitive electronics.I am running dual batteries but also have 2 Honda 2000's