Jump to content

170 Amp alternator replacement

Hardstart

By Hardstart
in Modifications & Accessories

 Share

Recommended Posts

Hardstart New Member

Hardstart

Posted
Posted

I have a 2023 2500 HD, SLT gas engine with 170 amp alternator.  Truck is primarily used as tow vehicle for a travel trailer.   There is solar on the trailer but I want to add a DC-DC battery charger to be able to charge trailer battery while on the road.   I am looking at a 30 amp DC-DC charger that I understand may/could draw 45 amps at peak when feeding the trailer battery. 

 

My questions are, how oversized are the 170 amp alternators and would replacing it with a OEM 220 amp alternator be plug-n-play or would other components need to be upgraded?

newdude Senior Enthusiast

newdude

Posted
Posted
27 minutes ago, Hardstart said:

I have a 2023 2500 HD, SLT gas engine with 170 amp alternator.  Truck is primarily used as tow vehicle for a travel trailer.   There is solar on the trailer but I want to add a DC-DC battery charger to be able to charge trailer battery while on the road.   I am looking at a 30 amp DC-DC charger that I understand may/could draw 45 amps at peak when feeding the trailer battery. 

 

My questions are, how oversized are the 170 amp alternators and would replacing it with a OEM 220 amp alternator be plug-n-play or would other components need to be upgraded?

 

 

Should be plug and play.  Uses the same belt too.  13552630 for the 220amp.

  • Like 1
  • 2 weeks later...
LowOnCash Enthusiast

LowOnCash

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 1/18/2024 at 4:38 PM, newdude said:

 

 

Should be plug and play.  Uses the same belt too.  13552630 for the 220amp.

 

On 1/18/2024 at 4:09 PM, Hardstart said:

I have a 2023 2500 HD, SLT gas engine with 170 amp alternator.  Truck is primarily used as tow vehicle for a travel trailer.   There is solar on the trailer but I want to add a DC-DC battery charger to be able to charge trailer battery while on the road.   I am looking at a 30 amp DC-DC charger that I understand may/could draw 45 amps at peak when feeding the trailer battery. 

 

My questions are, how oversized are the 170 amp alternators and would replacing it with a OEM 220 amp alternator be plug-n-play or would other components need to be upgraded?

 

 

Why do you feel its necessary to change out the alternator. Just use a Victron DC to DC 30 amp module and use your stock alternator. It can easily power the module. I've installed hundreds of these modules on rigs.

 

I assume you have lithium in the RV how big is your battery sets?

 

Mike

Edited by LowOnCash
Another JR Senior Enthusiast

Another JR

Posted
Posted (edited)
15 hours ago, LowOnCash said:

 

 

 

Why do you feel its necessary to change out the alternator. Just use a Victron DC to DC 30 amp module and use your stock alternator. It can easily power the module. I've installed hundreds of these modules on rigs.

 

I assume you have lithium in the RV how big is your battery sets?

 

Mike

I second what Mike wrote. The maximum a 30 amp (output) dc to dc charger like the Victron Orion 12/12-30 will draw from the truck is about 35 amps. Your 170 amp alternator has quite a bit of excess capacity and should handle that with no problem as long as that is the only power connection to your trailer other than running lights.  If I was going to pull 50 or 60 amps I’d be thinking of installing the 220 amp alternator but it’s not needed for 35 amps. 
 

I have a Victron dc to dc charger for my lithium camper battery and really like the ability to customize the charging parameters and control charging from an app on your phone. 

C771E21B-518F-482F-8563-0E1CF2DCDD91.jpeg

Edited by Another JR
Typo correction

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

    • Chuck FB
      Tire psi

      By Chuck FB · Posted

      I will admit I haven't experimented much with pressure drops beyond the numbers I put in and part of that is that the numbers I used are fairly low and then found out it would trigger regardless at that 35 psi. Having said that I had tried before had changed the placard pressures and being that I have a 1 ton set to 80 on the placard for the rear I believe it triggered close to 60, the front I don't recall now for sure but thought maybe it could get close to 45 from that factory 60 placard pressure. So I never did figure out if it was a number of psi from placard pressure to the alarm or a percentage of the total placard number as some figured it was like a 25% drop from placard pressure would trigger it. So as to try and answer your question, I believe I set the placard pressure on the front to 47 or so and while I run the front tires at 40, they have dipped below that some if its colder and I haven't put "winter air" in yet and never once have had the front alarm go off. I would say that the answer your looking for is no, that if you set your placard pressure to 45, you have a certain amount of room to drop below that pressure before the alarm will go off.    The pressures you decide to run in your truck, that ends up being what makes sense to you based on what your carrying in your truck or if towing, then have to bump them back up to something that will carry the load in the rear and the fronts typically left at the same pressure. It all comes down to that chart I put the link to and using an accurate roadside scale to be your guide, both unloaded and then loaded to know your minimum safe pressures.    I just wish GM would allow a person to change the readings for the tire pressures to the English system of pounds as I have to look at that goofy metric reading that will never ever jive in my head and will go over and change it just to figure out what they are if need be and then change it back. 
    • TrueBlue
      No Software Updates - Old Build

      By TrueBlue · Posted

      That part I understand, that the dealer can do it. But I'm not understanding why updates that were available to the truck since it left the factory, or the dealership originally, would not still be available to it without dealer intervention.   I'm thinking along the lines of recalls. They stay available until they are completed. Why not updates as well, especially since some of those can be safety related also?
    • jgaudet99
      Tire psi

      By jgaudet99 · Posted

      That's good to know, but I don't think I'll even be running them under 45 in the rear  unless it's on the sand or something but will only be for a short distance anyways!    I didn't read all the instructions in the booklet yet, but do you know let's say I set the rear psi on the placard to 45, will the warning light come on soon as it drops under 45 or is there a percentage it has to drop from the set value before the warning light is triggered?
    • newdude
      Would this CV Shaft be bad?

      By newdude · Posted

      That's bad.  Like, its probably destroying the stub axle the CV slides into.   Do you have a proper lift installed with differential lowering brackets?  Did you install AT4/Trail Boss factory CV axles?  
    • PunchT37
      Would this CV Shaft be bad?

      By PunchT37 · Posted

      Hot? New Jersey? Today? I was working on my old 2000 Silverado 1500 today. Believe me, it was boiling hot today. As it has been.

  • GM-Trucks.com Clubs

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...