[Snoworks]

I am thinking of putting a dual battery set-up in my Wrangler. I am also going to be putting in a 130-200amp alternator.

I have front and rear plows on this truck that draws the battery and alt. on heavy load for 6 to 8 hour stretches. After running through single batteries year after year, typically failing at the worst possible time, I am thingking aobut upgrading.

I would think i would like to use one for the regular vehical equipment and the other for optional equipment. I would like to keep these working in-tandam(together), because the load is almost constant when plowing. How should I wire the dual battery set-up? Simple jumper wiring from the main battery to the 2nd battery for both the power and grounds or should I be doing something more elaborate?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Chuck B.

 

[Ratrod]

Dual Battery Trays - Quadratec

Painless Wiring 40102 - Painless Performance 250 AMP Dual Battery Control System - Quadratec

 

[Snoworks]

I bought the same battery tray, but the wiring harness has an isolator that I do not want with my application.

I am running a front plow, rear plow, lighting, rear spot lights, radio, heater, etc. and I need the best altenator and the capacity of both batteries together for heavy loads for 8 to 10 hour stretches.

 

[Bruck]

A "rear" plow? I don't think I've ever seen that before. Do you have a picture?

 

[Snoworks]

Here you go, its not attached but you get the picture.

 

[Peepers]

Just hook the two positive terminals together and the two negative terminals together and leave the stock harness alone.

If you get new batterys the easiest way would be to find ones with the top posts and those screw in posts on the side. which ever your jeep doesnt use as the primary connection you can connect the second battery to.

 

[Snoworks]

I ordered the optima yellow tops. I have read that the side post terminals are not made to carry large capacity items, maybe i was mistaken. So I do not want to connect the possitive to possitive and negitive to negitive on the same lugs as Jeeps original primary connection. So use one of the batteries top lugs for the original primary connection and on the same battery use the side lugs to connect to the other battery, in parallel.

 

[rrich]

If you connect the posts in parallel like that = pos to pos, neg to neg, the slight difference in the batteries will cause them to discharge each other over a period of time.

Put a switch between them to keep them isolated, if you need both at the same time. close the switch.

 

[Peepers]

Diesels have the two batteries hooked up positive to positive all the time and I've never had a problem with it.

Another option I've heard of is two 6v batteries in series, although its been awhile since I read up on that.

 

[jkaufman_95]

My '00 tj has dual battery trays on each side of the block, it looks stock but the PO had a snowplow on it that wa installed by a company in NY I only run one battery so I don't know how they connected them

 

[rrich]

No 2 batteries are exactly alike. Try comparing 10 fully charged batteries and note how the voltage is different slightly on each one. Especially if the batteries are not the same or the same age.

Wiring them so they are in parallel all the time - the weaker battery drains the power from the stronger one. Ending up with neither are fully charged.
Keeping a battery less than fully charged shortens the life of it considerably.
As they get older, the difference become greater, they drain each other more and more, both facing premature death - at the same time!.

Use an isolator solenoid to keep them separate when not in use. Wire it to the ignition switch so when the ignition switch is on, they connect together.
It separates the batteries but connects them together when running, allowing the alternator to charge them both.

A good place to get that solenoid is at a camper or motorhome supplier, like Camping World. Not expensive. They do it all the time.


http://www.ehow.com/way_5791353_dual-battery-wiring-guide.html
Do an internet search - look up battery isolators to see how they are wired, and why.