Jump to content

Extra Battery

Judboy
 Share

Recommended Posts

Judboy Enthusiast

Judboy

Posted
Posted (edited)

Why would you need an extra battery? My truck has a place for one...should I get one? Will it help performance or is it just a novelty? Thanks

Edited by Judboy
  • Like 1
  • Replies 41
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Popular Posts

Judboy
Judboy

Why would you need an extra battery? My truck has a place for one...should I get one? Will it help performance or is it just a novelty? Thanks

8.1HD/ALLISON
8.1HD/ALLISON

You need to match your batteries at the same size(cca) so that they charge / discharge evenly. If you put different sizes in it can possibly cause problems.

Spurshot
Spurshot

Henry I was thinking along those lines myself. Not so much the winch, but maybe. But power sockets in the bed for portable refrigerator, compressor, and any other stuff like that.   Painless ha

Texas Husker Senior Enthusiast

Texas Husker

Posted
Posted

Complete guess, but I think the engine compartment will be/is the same for the 2015 2500/3500 trucks and they have 2 batteries (diesel), cost savings. same engine bay, no extra battery on 1500's. As far as adding a second one, a waste, unless you are adding a ton of lights, subs, tv's and aftermarket accessories. and then you'd still need a bigger/extra alternator to charge it. Or, spare battery for worst case, battery dies in middle of nowhere. Not really any reason IMHO.

Last C5 Enthusiast

Last C5

Posted
Posted

If you were running a winch, boat trailer winch, small camper, or something similar the second battery is good to have.

Texas Husker Senior Enthusiast

Texas Husker

Posted
Posted

If you were running a winch, boat trailer winch, small camper, or something similar the second battery is good to have.

 

Didn't think of those. Never had a winch, but that, or camper would seem to validate it. I'm not sure of the capacity of the factory alternator though. Would the current system allow two batteries? Or upgraded alternator required?

Ventilator Senior Enthusiast

Ventilator

Posted
Posted

Mine will carry a spare battery for remote hunting trips. This will allow you to jump start your primary battery, or swap it out if need be. It will just be a place to carry a spare, in my case.

 

Just a little added piece of mind.

Texas Husker Senior Enthusiast

Texas Husker

Posted
Posted

All the people that have thus far towed, hauled and used their trucks as trucks have all left out the parts of the stories where they constantly needed jumped or had to recharge their batteries mid trip. All to keep up the theory that these trucks aren't just glorified station wagons. I guess GM is in on it too. They did put a secret spot for more power capability.... man this Kool aid is good.

Last C5 Enthusiast

Last C5

Posted
Posted (edited)

 

Didn't think of those. Never had a winch, but that, or camper would seem to validate it. I'm not sure of the capacity of the factory alternator though. Would the current system allow two batteries? Or upgraded alternator required?

No, the standard alternator would charge both. Most people would run and isolator or solenoid on the second battery so it could be drained separately from the main starting battery.

 

 

 

Edited by Last C5
bdbake01 Senior Enthusiast

bdbake01

Posted
Posted

Mine will carry a spare battery for remote hunting trips. This will allow you to jump start your primary battery, or swap it out if need be. It will just be a place to carry a spare, in my case.

 

Just a little added piece of mind.

Don't forget to charge it in some manner regularly.

Ventilator Senior Enthusiast

Ventilator

Posted
Posted

Don't forget to charge it in some manner regularly.

It will only be there on trips and remote hunts, and it will be well charged with a battery tender hook-up.

  • 6 months later...
GC741969 Enthusiast

GC741969

Posted
Posted (edited)

I cant imagine why you would need a bigger alternator to trickle charge a second battery while driving the truck, it would be no different than towing something with lots of lights and its own battery to charge. And why bother with battery isolation unless your not using the vehicle for long periods of time?? You'd want to wire it in parallel to double the current not the voltage, right? And would that extend the endurance of your trucks power systems when its not running while your parked someplace with the radio and internal lights and bed light running for long periods of time??

Edited by GC741969
frenchsquared Enthusiast

frenchsquared

Posted
Posted

red to red, black to black

 

It would charge both if that is what you wanted.

 

Yes you could run your gadgets longer with the engine off.

That is why people do it. If you had an isolator and you tied your stereo system to one battery and

the truck to the other you could run the stereo till it shut off and the truck would still start.

 

The diesels take more cold cranking amps and often see harsher climates.

Two batters also extends the life of the battery and makes a better chance your truck will start when its -25 degrees.

 

99% of the people have no need.

 

You do not need a bigger alternator to charge them.

The alternator effects load when running.

Your not increasing the load.

GC741969 Enthusiast

GC741969

Posted
Posted

When you say isolator, are you talking about a manual switch or a diode type of system so current will only flow from one battery if desired??

SMiller Senior Enthusiast

SMiller

Posted
Posted

Stock alt. and battery are both plentiful on the half ton.

 

I ordered my 3500 with the big alt. and extra battery as I pull and push with it and that is brutal on the charging system.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Latest Articles

  • Posts

    • StingerZ16
      Roll up bed cover experiences

      By StingerZ16 · Posted

      I started with a folding cover by BAK PAC on my 2500. It went bad after close to 5 years. Bent and vinyl coming loose. Contacted BAK and they gave me a very good discount on a Revolver. Had it a number of years. Mostly outdoor storage. Some garage storage. Vinyl started to come loose. Still under warranty so they replaced to cover. Sold the 2500, bought the 1500 and got another revolver for it. Had it a couple years now and no issues. I store it indoors. Got a bit of discount when buying it as well. If you are seeing problems, contact BAK or real truck and let them know. Customer service was pretty good. But I think they changed their warranty.
    • Chuck FB
      Towing In Loose Gravel

      By Chuck FB · Posted

      I agree, there is no one answer fits all as every rig is different, one may be pulling some little aluminum fishing boat while another is towing a monstrosity that weighs a lot and hopefully the owner if the rig has some prior experience to know what drive mode they should choose.    It also struck me and this is from watching a few of those boat ramp escapades videos in the past, Ford being one of the vehicles that has the auto front axle hubs and sure enough its found out that one hub has crapped out and won't engage and may not have manual hubs to even select on both sides so they are on the boat ramp stuck with no four wheel drive and spinning .... they flat out need a tow to get up the ramp and deal with the vehicles new found issues. That can happen to all brands of pickup, finding out either four wheel drive or 4 low isn't working right at the time its needed it to work as some electronic crap has failed. 
    • Chuck FB
      Towing In Loose Gravel

      By Chuck FB · Posted

      Its possible you never had the joy of the crappy boat launches we tend to have around here or really some of them are just grades down to the river if its a river scenario and the conditions change all the time with the river levels and silt deposits. Some of the lakes we went to years ago, there was no such thing as a cement pad that went down into the water that the trailer stayed on, it was gravel maybe up to the water line and then duck crap much beyond that so sinking the boat tires into mud. Of course some of the more established lakes had a cement bar type boat ramp but sometimes it was covered in green slime closer and certainly within the water and a two wheel drive had all sorts of fun if one had to touch that slime with the rear tires.    A neighbor of mine had made a comment years back with his chev truck that was probably about the same year as yours but a half ton extended cab 4x4 and he a a fiberglass boat with an inboard so it wasn't a feather weight and he had gone out to one of the large popular lakes in the area and don't ask me how this happened but he was in two wheel drive as he figured he didn't require four wheel drive for that boat ramp and somehow upon pulling the boat out he twisted one of his drive axles. I suspect it must have spun and then grabbed on the cement ramp and shocked it to the degree of twisting it. He would have had the standard 8.5 or whatever it was axle housing as the 9.5 ring gear like my truck has also has larger drive axles as far as I know. Anyway he was feeling a vibration driving home and had it checked out and a shop found that the tire/hub was wobbling because of the axle had twisted so in went a new drive axle. After that bad experience he said he made sure to put it into four wheel drive to lower the stress on the rear axle. Of course that is where an HD truck can handle a lot more stress and no doubt these newer half tons with their larger ring gears probably have larger drive axles as well to match vs back in the day. 
    • asilverblazer
      2027 GMC Sierra: Official Discussion

      By asilverblazer · Posted

      Desirable - as in does someone WANT one, aspire to have one. Could reasonably buy any car they want and CHOOSE these instead.    I didn't watch the video, why did they win?
    • Atlas
      Towing In Loose Gravel

      By Atlas · Posted

      The use of absolutes like "always" to describe gear selection, and giving free advice at a boat ramp sounds like a recipe for disaster. It's a boat ramp, not a farm, for starters.   IMO gear selection should depend on the obstacle. If low range is working and this is a slower speed, controlled ordeal, I'd keep using that.

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...