2011 Sierra 1500

wavery · November 19, 2011

Congrats...... wise choice. I'm sure that truck will service you well for many years with no regrets. I think, had you gone with the 4.8, you may have regretted it from time to time.

yamahas · November 19, 2011

Thanks!

The only complaints I have is I miss throwing stuff in the back seat but on the othher hand this way the truck can't get messy!

Also ( may be related to no back seat anymore) there is a huge blind spot on this truck? Even if I look over my sholder I still can't see.

Going to get the D.I.C. Next week.

Also one question, is it easy to install another battery for running a winch at the back?

wavery · November 20, 2011

Thanks!

The only complaints I have is I miss throwing stuff in the back seat but on the othher hand this way the truck can't get messy!

Also ( may be related to no back seat anymore) there is a huge blind spot on this truck? Even if I look over my sholder I still can't see.

Going to get the D.I.C. Next week.

Also one question, is it easy to install another battery for running a winch at the back?

"Easy" is a relative word.

There are lots of "youtube" videos on setting up a dual battery system. Basically, you'll need a good size battery, a battery hold down, a good battery isolator, a length of battery cable to hook the 2 batteries together and a length of battery cable to go to the winch. Don't scrimp on the size cable going to the winch because you will suffer voltage loss that will effect the power and longevity of the winch motor.

If you mount the battery closer to the winch, you can save a lot on cable. If you mount the battery in the engine compartment, it's a cleaner job but it will cost a lot more and you will have to do your homework on exact cable sizes.

It isn't rocket science and if the isolator is wired correctly, it should have no effect on the truck's electrical system.

yamahas · November 20, 2011

Thanks, the salesman said something about half of system was already in the truck or something to do with fuses. Do you know anything about that?

wavery · November 20, 2011

Thanks, the salesman said something about half of system was already in the truck or something to do with fuses. Do you know anything about that?

He may be referring to the towing harness .

I believe that there is a wire under the brake booster that needs to be hooked up and a 40A fuse (I think) that needs to be installed to activate the charging pin in the trailer harness receptacle at the rr bumper. Check me on that but it should be mentioned in your owners manual.

That would be good if you install the battery in the rear of the truck (like a camper battery would be) but you would need to install an "ON/OFF" switch of some sort if you are going to leave the battery in there all of the time. If you don't, you could damage both batteries over time and/or end up with a dead starting battery after the truck sits for awhile.