Hooking up two batteries together on my 73 c10?????

[cr34t3d_by_d4rkd3n]

Originally Posted by lilpoindexter

Has anyone rigged up a setup where one battery works when the car is shut off...so that even if you run that one down when the engine is off, you can still start the car with the other battery?

i hate this idea. whats the point of having a seperate battery? u want more consistant voltage and more amperage? run 2 batterys in parallel and call it good. if not ur just drGging abound 70lbs for what?? " if u need it??" an alternator loves 2 batterys. its not harder on it.. its eaiser. less draw=less to recharge.

[rcbildr]

[QUOTE=cr34t3d_by_d4rkd3n;4887806]i hate this idea. whats the point of having a seperate battery? u want more consistant voltage and more amperage? run 2 batterys in parallel and call it good. if not ur just drGging abound 70lbs for what?? " if u need it??" an alternator loves 2 batterys. its not harder on it.. its eaiser. less draw=less to recharge.[/QUOTE

It comes in handy on trucks with campers. You can run the camper off one battery and still be able to start the truck on the other one. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I think usually the 2nd battery (the one that runs the camper) is a deep cycle battery and the other is just whatever you need to for the vehicle...it can be done that way because of the isolater. I have a camper on my C30 that I want to set up this way when time an money allows.

On my diesel burb I need 2 batteries to start the truck and they are wired in parrallell..although in reality I can get away with just one battery...gotta luv the optima red tops.

[thrtsxchambers]

With the isolator setup the main battery is not being used so if it goes dead it does not kill the main battery to still be able to start the truck. the isolator separates the batteries until the isolator has power. I have always used this setup for high power add ons to vehicles like a stereo system or airrride. both ways will work but the isolator helps keep the main battery for starting the vehicle.
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[tucsonjwt]

Isolators work as described but the ones I had (diode type) always failed after about one year of use. More expensive ($100+) isolators are supposed to last longer.

[jimbonice]

Originally Posted by cr34t3d_by_d4rkd3n

i hate this idea. whats the point of having a seperate battery? u want more consistant voltage and more amperage? run 2 batterys in parallel and call it good. if not ur just drGging abound 70lbs for what?? " if u need it??" an alternator loves 2 batterys. its not harder on it.. its eaiser. less draw=less to recharge.

When you're parked in the bush a 100 miles away from civilization, it can come in kind of handy if you want to start your truck after a week of camping. It's a long walk home trying not to become grizzly snacks.