dual battery set up

[mattvlmarshall]

hey yall!!!
i have a slight problem. trying to put a dual battery setup in my 2011 Sierra, there is already another tray for a second battery. how should i go about connecting the second battery up? i will be eventually using to power a winch, should i put a isolator on it or connect the two battery directly in parallel or cross them? any ideas?

 

[Molson02536]

hey yall!!!
i have a slight problem. trying to put a dual battery setup in my 2011 Sierra, there is already another tray for a second battery. how should i go about connecting the second battery up? i will be eventually using to power a winch, should i put a isolator on it or connect the two battery directly in parallel or cross them? any ideas?

Use a battery isolator, this will keep your alternator from working to hard and if one of your batteries go bad. It will not drain the other one so you'll not have two dead batteries.

Keep up posted and be safe
Molson02536

 

[mattvlmarshall]

what type of isolator should i use? there is the sylinoid type and the other bar one. whch one is the best setup?

 

[Molson02536]

what type of isolator should i use? there is the sylinoid type and the other bar one. whch one is the best setup?

Solenoid is best, cause it will monitor both batteries and will disconnect the batteries from one another if the main battery is dropping a preset voltage like 11.5-12.5V so your maine battery will always have enough power to start the car.

The bar switch is like a heavy duty relay that can handle lots of amps for high currents from two batteries. With that being said, your going to have to turn on the Bar switch to charge the second battery when your engine is running and off so if the second battery has started to go bad of there is a load that is draining the secondary battery. It will not kill the main battery from starting up your engine.

This is a class 101 simple form of explaining battery isolators.
Molson02536