Dual Battery Question...

[Brock Samson]

I'm looking at a dual battery setup from Off Grid 4x4 and they recommend the Full Throttle Group 35 or "any other high quality group 35 AGM battery". I had to buy a new battery from Advance Auto a few weeks ago since mine died and wanted to see if anyone knew if I could use just another one of those? I believe it's a Die Hard with the gel inside?...I will confirm, but if I can just buy an additiona battery and not 2 more new batteries, that'd be ideal.

 

[KonzaLander]

It looks like that kit uses a Blue Sea ML-ACR to handle the battery connection. It is not a proprietary unit.

ML-ACR Automatic Charging Relay with Manual Control - 12V DC 500A - Blue Sea Systems

500 Amp magnetic latching (bi-stable) relay automatically combines batteries during charging and isolates batteries when discharging and when starting engine.

www.bluesea.com

If the battery you bought is an AGM, I would not hesitate to purchase another to round out your dual battery setup.

 

[Sparksalot]

It looks like that kit uses a Blue Sea ML-ACR to handle the battery connection. It is not a proprietary unit.

ML-ACR Automatic Charging Relay with Manual Control - 12V DC 500A - Blue Sea Systems

500 Amp magnetic latching (bi-stable) relay automatically combines batteries during charging and isolates batteries when discharging and when starting engine.

www.bluesea.com

If the battery you bought is an AGM, I would not hesitate to purchase another to round out your dual battery setup.

Concur.

 

[Mad Garden Gnome]

I've seen two identical batteries on a shelf have 9 months difference in born on dates. Check to see if your existing battery still has its sticker and then see what's on the shelf. I bought two AGM's about 8 months apart, the second to make a dual battery setup. The system is four years old now with zero issues.

 

[Sparksalot]

If there is an isolation relay, I’d be much less worried about the born on date.

 

[Brock Samson]

Great info all, thanks!

 

[MarioT'sCJResto]

I'm looking at a dual battery setup from Off Grid 4x4 and they recommend the Full Throttle Group 35 or "any other high quality group 35 AGM battery". I had to buy a new battery from Advance Auto a few weeks ago since mine died and wanted to see if anyone knew if I could use just another one of those? I believe it's a Die Hard with the gel inside?...I will confirm, but if I can just buy an additiona battery and not 2 more new batteries, that'd be ideal.

This looks like a great kit, I actually went with Painless Performance Dual Battery Kits, upgraded my Alternator on both the Jeep and Ram. I use to run two Yellow Tops on my Jeep, but I had some issues and I recently replaced them with sears group 34 AGMs on the Jeep, for the Ram my Painless Performance Kit is sitting in a box waiting to be installed. My primary starter is also a 990CCA Die Hard AGM, and I plan on using the same - mounted in the truck bed. Now I do have on my short list to add to both rigs - the Redarc 25A DC charger.

 

[Brock Samson]

Yeah I can do a lot of things myself, but wiring has been a little 'eh' for me. I'd rather have a kit that's essentially plug and play.

In other news, I catch fire! More at 11...

 

[MarioT'sCJResto]

Yeah I can do a lot of things myself, but wiring has been a little 'eh' for me. I'd rather have a kit that's essentially plug and play.

In other news, I catch fire! More at 11...

Same here, now I will say that my dual battery setup on the Jeep, and soon to be installed on the Ram are just 1/2 of my power options. For the Jeep I'm running the Bestek Inverter in the center counsel, but I also have a Jackery 1000, 2 100W Saga Solar Panels, and for a back up a Yahima SC2300i. I actually feel cheated with Jackery's new E1500 and E2000 being released just two months after I picked up the E1000. For ER I also carry a Type S Lithium Jump Starter. Keep us posted on the add-on, and post some pics please.