Dual batteries in an Expy?

[gakman]

Has anyone installed a second/backup battery in an Expy?

I work out of my truck a lot (while parked), the other day I had my laptop charger plugged in, 2-way radio, etc. and over a few hours the battery went dead on me and I could not start the truck.

Yes, I know I can go start it every hour to recharge it but that is kind of a PITA. So having a backup battery is really not a bad idea.

Since I used to be a boater, I know about the dual batteries setup on a boat with a "#1/#2/both" switch so I am thinking about doing that. But I cannot find a logical spot for the second battery... To start the truck, the cable needs to be pretty hefty and it does not want to be a long run.

Anyone has any idea / insight about this?

 

[ELVATO]

Maybe you could switch out to an Optima battery. I forget which one, but I think there is one that is specifically made for long discharges.

As for 2 batteries, as you said, I'm not sure where you'd stick the other battery?

 

[Indy]

Just throw a portable jump starter in the truck with you.

 

[gakman]

Portable jump starters - do they really work?

 

[Doug1762]

Be very careful with those... Our fire Chief had one installed and it damaged the Computer ...... I would not put a switch on the battery you can install a 2nd battery with an isolator... It will pull from the other battery when it gets low....

The issue our chief had was a voltage spike from the jump. We put an Isolator and installed a 2nd Battery and it works great ... He tends to run his Fire command from the truck and forgets the radios pull alot ...

 

[ROCKSBITE]

Originally posted by Doug1762
Be very careful with those... Our fire Chief had one installed and it damaged the Computer ...... I would not put a switch on the battery you can install a 2nd battery with an isolator... It will pull from the other battery when it gets low....

The issue our chief had was a voltage spike from the jump. We put an Isolator and installed a 2nd Battery and it works great ... He tends to run his Fire command from the truck and forgets the radios pull alot ...

what did he have installed? and what computer blew?

if it was a laptop it was installed wrong. if it was the ecu for the truck it was jumped wrong

 

[Doug1762]

It was the ECU.... It was installed correct... The Factory said it happens sometimes .... So we have a fuse block for it so it wont spike it again.. Now it works fine.. But since the Dual battery install it has not been needed....

 

[Indy]

Originally posted by gakman
Portable jump starters - do they really work?

Depends on how dead your battery is. Got mine for my boat because I was sick of having to take the battery out of the boat and charge it up every time we got several days of rain. If the battery is really dead, I have to unhook the battery, start it off the portable and then hook the battery back up because the dead battery pulls down the voltage to much. If I got a bigger jump starter it would probably work better since that is what the marina uses.

I am cranking over a high compression Indmar Ford 351, so quite a bit of engine and it does the trick on that.

 

[expy916]

What year is the expedition?

 

[gakman]

My Expy is 2004