SIMPLE DUAL BATTERY SETUP | ( Auxiliary / House Battery Camper Van Overlanding)
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2023
- Dual battery systems have come a long way. I've used a middle of the road setup that cost 6-700 dollars in my Subaru, an expensive set up that cost close to $1,500 and now I'll show you one of the cheaper options that cost around $400.
I put this house battery setup in my buddies Chevy Express van, 'cause it gets used as a part time camper van on occasion and he wanted extra power to charge electronics and run a 12v.
The core of the system is a simple VSR ( Voltage Sensing Relay ) or smart isolator. This device automatically links your main battery and your auxiliary battery so that both are charged by the vehicles alternator when the engine is running. When you shut the engine off the relay disconnects and your starting battery is safe from being drained by your accessories. It's simple and effective and very useful for a camper, van or overland build.
*Shopping list:
Smart Isolator: amzn.to/3ROmUdc
Circuit Breaker x2: amzn.to/3xezUiU
Fuse Block: amzn.to/3IeICnD
USB Outlets: amzn.to/3YJ47SG
My favorite brand wire for accessories (NOT BATTERY CABLES NOT FOR ISOLATOR): amzn.to/3xfGsxA
Fork Connectors (Nice for Fuse Block Connections): amzn.to/3G9LZIF
Awesome HeatShrink Tubing: amzn.to/3dg43nL
For Your battery cables you will want good heavy gauge wire. Probably no smaller than 4ga. I used 2ga welding cable that I had sitting in the garage.
Jumper cables can be a more affordable way to buy heavy gauge wire.
I used these ones for the fuse block connection to the auxiliary battery: amzn.to/3YJcqhl
*affiliate links support the channel at no added cost to you!
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This one is the more affordable systems I've put together coming in under $400
🔵 Shopping list *
Smart Isolator: amzn.to/3ROmUdc
Circuit Breaker x2: amzn.to/3xezUiU
Fuse Block: amzn.to/3IeICnD
USB Outlets: amzn.to/3YJ47SG
My favorite brand wire for accessories (NOT BATTERY CABLES NOT FOR ISOLATOR): amzn.to/3xfGsxA
Fork Connectors (Nice for Fuse Block Connections): amzn.to/3G9LZIF
Awesome HeatShrink Tubing: amzn.to/3dg43nL
For Your battery cables you will want good heavy gauge wire. Probably no smaller than 4ga. I used 2ga welding cable that I had sitting in the garage.
Jumper cables can be a more affordable way to buy heavy gauge wire.
I used these ones for the fuse block connection to the auxiliary battery: amzn.to/3YJcqhl
*affiliate links support the channel at no added cost to you!
Social Media Links
www.donniedispersed.com
IG: instagram.com/donnie_dispersed/
TikTok www.tiktok.com/@donniedispersed
DonnieDispersed ? it would be best to use a fuse under the hood and circuit breaker inside the vehicle, because circuit breakers under a hot hood trip when it gets hot enough.
@@FUNKBOOGIE1 I’ve never had that issue in any of the 3 vehicles I’ve installed circuit breakers in. But if it was a problem, sure you could use a fuse.
How do you determine the breaker size?
I currently have a solar panel on the van roof. Both positive and neg wires go to a solar controller. From that a positive and negative wire goes to a house battery from the house battery a positive and negative wire go to my invertor. Nothing from that system is connected to the chassis.
Now I want to connect the house battery to the vehicle battery as you have done because sometimes you just need to recharge from the alternator.
How would you suggest?
@@yougeo depends on the house battery you have. AGM or lithium I would replace the Voltage Sensing Relay (VSR) I used in this system with a DC-DC charger. However you can otherwise set it up exactly like this, just add the leads from the solar controller to the house battery as well. I have since added a solar panel to this van exactly like that.
Finally a video that explains it step-by-step! Thank you! No long intro or video of your cat taking a nap. Simple and straightforward
Finally the video that simply explains all the steps. Thank you.
Exactly! I second that 😃🙌🏼🙌🏼
I don't know anything about this stuff and this video is actually perfect and I've watched so many! Thank you!
This is exactly what I was looking for. Very well done, thanks!
Thanks for taking the time to make this great video, it simplified my second battery installation!!
Add a starter box. It's what all the roadside assistance people use now. I've had 4. The latest and best is made by "Tac Life". If your starting battery fails, it'll usually start your engine. But you don't want to depend on it. It's backup.
Great video and a very well-explained simple 12 lead acid leisure battery solution with diagrams to make a very straightforward & low-cost, safe working system anyone can install in their vehicle. The biggest cost with this system is probably the additional Lead Acid or Gel type of battery. This system is probably 70% as efficient as the much more complicated and expensive BCDC + Lithium Battery systems but at less than half the cost.
Thanks , never thought about isolators, you saved me some heart ache.
Thanks for making this video mate, exactly what I was looking for. Cheers from Australia.
People with beanies always got the good stuff
Great vid. The diagram was very helpful
Great video, and well illustrated... Like to add that many people go cheap on the wiring... So whatever breaker size is used, it should be rated below the ampacity of the cables used....Plenty of charts that explain what cable size is needed based on maximum loads.
Great video! Exactly what I needed to know.
That was really good mate thank you.
Great explanation with diagrams!!!
Such a great video! Cheers
Really solid info, thanks man 🤙
Excellent video!!!!
Wow what a champ thanks 👍
Great video. Thank you so much!
good job bud,now i know how to do my van...new sub here too,greetings from NC..
great explanation
That is a goddamned PERFECT video. Informative, clear, brief. Thank you!
Can you tell me the The Almighty damned this video? It looked innocent enough.
@@whenmullet2674 That's a small g. So, the connotation is of a non-Almighty god. There's always another one coming along to damn or bless something or other.
great job!
Very clear
Subbed
Thank you
Keep it up
Well explained video thks for sharing
THANK YOU
Thks
Hey would you do a video on adding a extra battery to a diesel truck F-250
How so you charge a drill battery within this setup?
Do you need a power inverter connected to the Aux battery > circut breaker?
Why dont you have a DCDC Charger in this setup?
Thanks for the concise video.
Would this setup work if I wanted to add two auxiliary batteries? I’m trying to get my 2016 F150 XLT 4x4 truck set up for
Overlanding. I want to be able to power my Dometic fridge, charge my phones, run auxiliary off-road lights.
Thanks for this video. I'm assuming all of this is blind as to what kind of alternator the vehicle has (like a smart alternator?)
Do you set up auxiliary batteries for others? I have an SUV I need set up.
When you start changing the battery, how do you know if is charged or not ?!
If my second battery will be running 1000 watts for extended periods of time, does that effect the gauge wire I should have between the starter battery and the auxiliary battery? Does that draw from the inverter/auxiliary battery work its way up to the other battery? i was going to just run an inverter from the starter battery, but seems like a high draw for such a long cable (10 feet), so I thought adding another battery might buffer this system. Am I correct in my thinking? I was going to have 00 gauge wire for 1 battery inverter setup 10 foot away, but with the extra battery I could get away with 4 gauge instead(running from battery to battery)? And then just have a couple of feet of 00 gauge from the aux battery to the inverter. Hope I explained this question well.
How do you charge the deep cycle battery?
My diesel truck has two onboard batteries. How to connect the Isolator?
Hey would this work for a sound system, and train horn.
Hello thank you very much for share. Can you send link for your device in Amazon? About price or name what you trust brand
EXCELLENT! Doing a 4x4 Sub build now. Will this play well with the PWM solar controller and AGMs? Seems like it will. Thank you for your focus on safety and correct fusing! Passing this on, and subbed. Mark in Oregon.
Ideally an AGM would use a DC-DC charger not a VSR like this. But this should work fine with another solar controller. The relay will connect the two batteries if either one is being charged.
Finally..a solid answer and not someone trying to sell a particular product like its the only way. Thank you.
I do have a question.....the second battery...can I add a 3rd and 4th battery to this setup? And probably a shore supply plug for charging?
Yes, look up how to connect batteries in parallel.
My old van had a shore power charging set up made with a NOCO port plug, and a NOCO on board 10 amp battery charger. You can find a video of that vans setup on my channel.
@DonnieDispersed awesome thank you. Was looking in this as I realized you answered my question. Thanks again. Gonna go check that vid now
I have a 2008 E250 gas with a second batery under the cutaway box, I do not know why ????? It is not diesel and the batterie does not give ower to enything?????
Hi, nice video! What about wires size that you used to connect the primary battery with the auxiliary battery?
I mean, is there a way to calculate the wire diameter in order to not get the wires melted while the alternator is charghing both batteries?
Thank you for your response!
There’s charts online that will tell you what gauge wire to use based on amperage and length of wire. The wire I used was 2ga welding cable cause I had a lot of it on hand.
Best video and I've watched a lot in preparation for my GMC Savana conversion. Question, where did you get the battery tray and where did you mount it underneath?
eBay, “used Chevy express diesel battery tray”
I used Riv-nuts in the holes on the frame rail, then bolted it up.
With the distribution block you showed.. If I were just to use 3A fuses all around - could I just use a motorcycle battery (such as the NOCO Lithium NLP9 400A) in order to conserve space?
I wouldn’t recommend using a starting battery to power your accessories. You want battery that was made to deep cycle.
My plan is to have my interstate group 24 starting battery and then a 100ah deep cycle AGM secondary battery for my sound system, PA system, CB radio.
Will the battery isolator you linked work for my setup? Also is the DC-DC charger a separate piece I need as well as battery isolator?
Do I need the dc-dc charger?
Ideally if you are using an AGM, you should use a DC-DC charger rather than the isolator I used in this video. AGM's have specific charging profiles that are needed to properly charge and maintain them. DC-DC charger will be able charge via that profile.
So if i follow the links you provided and just hit add to cart ill have all the components necessary and their compatible with each other?
The amp ratings on the circuit breakers might be different for you depending on how many amps your vehicle’s alternator puts out, and what accessories you want to run off the second battery. But generally yes this should be everything you need minus the cables that connect the batteries and VSR. For those I would recommend 4 gauge or heavier. All copper jumper cables can be a more affordable way to get heavy gauge wire.
Quick question, I want to mount the 2nd battery in a small trailer. Am I able to put the Isolator in the trailer?
It should be close to the vehicles starting battery.
going into my Subaru... how about adding a solar panel/controller to the second battery?
@@codyheisinger2190 simple enough, you can check out the solar panel and mppt charge controller install I did on this van. The video is on my channel.
Awesome video exactly what i was looking for, but, how would you stick a charger along that line? Id like to have charger installed also to keep the aux battery topped up while operating vehicle
@@kevensmith5703 the alternator will charge both batteries when the engine is running with this setup.
@DonnieDispersed yrs I continued reading and seen you reply to a previous similar question...thanks mate, appreciate the video
do you know any LED lights (like fairy lights) that would connect to the fuse box, I'm looking but I only see ones with USB?
I’ve used some led strip lights that have direct DC wiring.
Great video, Thank you for this! Question, is it possible to use a Lithium battery instead of a lead-acid as the secondary battery or they both need to be the same type? Thanks again! :)
With this setup they need to be the same. To use a lithium or AGM you would want to use a DC-DC charger instead of the relay in this system.
@@DonnieDispersed Thanks Donnie! Greatly appreciated. Keep on doing great videos!
So it charges while the trucks running right? Cuz your main battery charges so with it connected to the aux battery that makes the aux battery stay charged up?
Correct
Can we just use a small Denso relay instead of Smart Isolator to connect/disconnect the second battery? It is much more cheaper I think. At least in my area there is a price difference of almost 3000%.
I doubt it could handle the amps the alternator can put out.
what about those who have no knowledge or experience in doing this plus no tools. I like the additional batter vs a portable battery
Will the house battery charge via the alternator when the car is on with this setup?
Yes 👍
What if your car does water crossing? Wouldn't that short the battery mounted undercarriage?
The mounting location of the second battery is very much dependent on the vehicle and use case. For this van, the battery was mounted there for simplicity sake, and because it was an option from the factory it made sense.
If water crossings were an obstacle I may have chosen a different location. However the van doesn’t see more than a rough forest road so water crossing isn’t of much concern.
How do we set it up to use the second battery as a backup battery to start the vehicle in an emergency?
Some VSR’s have a button to override the disconnect so you can join them together.
@@DonnieDispersed I see, thanks. I don’t think mine has that. I guess I’ll have to look for a different one.
Quick question - if you wanted an inverter, would you just run it straight from the aux battery? (add fuses I assume too lol) Need anything else between Inverter and aux battery? Also, is there a benefit to install a separate charger for the aux battery instead (like if on city power, etc). Thanks again
Yes, inverter is connected directly to the aux battery. I believe some inverters might require an additional fuse, but some shave them built in. As for the charger, that’s how I had mine set up in my camper van is with a NOCO 10 amp on board charger, that was powered through a NOCO ac port plug. That kept the auxiliary battery charged if I plug the van in with an extension cord.
On Board Charger: amzn.to/46ThLI6
NOCO port plug: amzn.to/3XKnHyQ
@@DonnieDispersed I have used your RUclips combined with a couple forums (95% you though) and have drawn a diagram of the layout. No way to share here, but curious if in the scenario above with an additional shore charger added to the auxiliary if the isolator will protect / maintain the starter battery? I had the NOCO pushing recharger to auxiliary then off to an inverter, but starting to think I’d bypass the inverter all together and push/split 120 from the NOCO ac plug. From what I read the 120v on aux would only last 30-45 mins a a time.
@@wadee3183 with this isolator, since it’s a “dual sensing” it will allow the batteries to connect and charge if either of the batteries are connected to a charger.
Good video thanks
Those it has to be a deep circle Battery?
I got a extra car battery I could use!
On the deep cycle battery can a power inverter be connected?
Yes. But it needs to be wired separately, not through the fuse block.
Did you use circuit breakers rated for 120 amps for all 3 circuit breaker locations? Also, you have “x 2” listed in your shopping list for circuit breaker, should that be x 3?
Any chance you could share the exact products or links to what battery you used, as well as the bracket that holds the battery?
Thanks.
The third one will depend on the fuse box rating / what accessories will be powered through the fuse box. The amp rating should not be higher than whatever the fuse box is rated for.
The battery was just picked up from a department store.
The bracket was bought on eBay, it’s just a Chevy Express diesel battery mount.
Thanks. That helps a lot.
I have a Chevy express, and basically trying to do the exact same thing as you did this this set up - run a 12v fridge and charge sole devices here and there.
You’re video has been a great help.
To confirm, the deep cycle battery should not be AGM?
How many amp hours do you need to live really simple and basic like living on your own out doing like dispersed camping and with conservative power needs?
Depends on what you are needing power for. But I’d say 200 usable amp hours is good. If your needs are minimal 100 is probably fine.
@@DonnieDispersed Thank you very much for the reply.
new subscribers earned. Thank you much.
This might be a really basic question. But with this wiring does the battwery charge off the alternator? Im assuming the isolator makes sure its a one way system?
Both batteries charge off the alternator when the engine is running with this setup. Then the batteries are disconnected from each other when the engine is shut off.
@@DonnieDispersed Thank you so much for the reply!
I followed this video and set up my batteries the same way. I think I did it correctly because it's working. One problem is, the 2 100 Ah batteries (which should hold up to 4000 Watt Hours) that I have hooked up drain so quickly even when they are full. The only thing I have plugged in to the inverter is my 2000 Watt power station, and the 2 batteries drain to zero before they are able to charge the power station to 50%. What could be causing the house batteries to drain so quickly?
I’d need more information to really help. What battery chemistry? I’m assuming lead acid if you followed this video. Did you wire the two batteries in parallel for 12v 200ah or series for 24v 100ah?
I can say, that Inverters aren’t very efficient.
@@DonnieDispersed I have 2 Weize Deep Cycle AGM 12 Volt 100Ah batteries that are wired in parallel.
One time, after they were fully charged, I turned off the power switch to the inverter, which means there was nothing connected to them. When I turned on the power switch again, to connect the inverter, the batteries had lost 10-20%.
These are new batteries that have not been used for more than a total of 10 hours. Could they simply be defective, or could something else be wrong?
Thanks, Donnie.
@@kevintieu5198 a 200ah 12v AGM bank wired in parallel will have an effective capacity of about 100ah (1200 watt hours). 4000watt hours would be if the bank was 200 useable amp hours wired to 24v in series. You have to cut the capacity in half, because the batteries are considered flat below 12v which happens at around 50% discharge. Sounds like you just overestimated your capacity. Also sounds like your inverter is putting a draw on the batteries even when switched off, in which case I would wire in a more positive disconnect like a cut off switch on the power wire. Though it may charge slower, I would say it’s probably more efficient to charge your bank directly via DC input. That way you will avoid the inefficiency of the inverter.
Could i do this and use a 500ah lithium battery?
Lithium battery would require a dc-dc smart charger in place of the relay I used here
How is the auxiliary battery charged in this set up?
Through the vehicles alternator.
How do you choose the size of the breakers?
That can depend on the amp rating of the relay, the amp output of the alternator and the amount of amps the size of wire you use is rated for.
-Start by finding out the amperage of your alternator.
-Select a VSR with a rating higher than the peak output of the alternator.
-Use a DC wire gauge chart to determine what gauge wire you need based on alternator amperage and length of wire you need to run.
-Select a fuse or circuit breaker that doesn’t exceed what that wire is rated for or the max amperage of the relay.
It will likely be somewhere between the peak output of the alternator and the max amp rating of the VSR. Like 100-120amp.
🙋♂️Can a solar panel be attached to the deep cycle battery as well?
Yes, this van has a solar panel on it as well now.
Does charge the battery too? Also could i put a lithium battery in as a deep cycle battery even if i have a lead battery as a main?
This charges the auxiliary battery. But no you shouldn’t use a lithium with this setup, you would need a DC-DC charger with a lithium charge profile in place of the relay.
@@DonnieDispersed oh great thats perfect if i install a dc dc charger is there no need for a vsr?
@@keniji7442 yes, the dc-dc would take the place of the VSR
@@DonnieDispersed you are an absolute diamond! Thank you 🙏
Does that fact that you're connecting a deep cycle battery to a regular starting battery pose any potential problems?
With this system so long as the deep cycle battery is a standard lead acid battery it will be fine.
If you are using an AGM or lithium battery you would want to use a DC-DC smart charger to properly charge the deep cycle.
My plan is to have my interstate group 24 starting battery and then a 100ah deep cycle AGM secondary battery for my sound system, PA system, CB radio.
Will the battery isolator you linked work for my setup? Also is the DC-DC charger a separate piece I need as well as battery isolator?
What is the best way to charge the dual battery system with a battery tender?
I just crawl underneath and put the clamps on the second battery for this set up.
@@DonnieDispersed will this charge them both, or do they both need to be separately charged?
@@DSmith-hz6bg with this isolator, if either battery is being charged, it will connect the two so they both get charged.
@@DonnieDispersed thanks for confirming this for me.
How much would this set up cost ?
I put this one together for under $400
How big should the auxiliary battery be???
Depends on what you want to power with it
@@DonnieDispersed Laptop..phones..portable fridge for drinks???
@@jordanbey870 I would try for 100ah minimum
can i add inverter? with this system?
Yes, you would add it to the auxiliary battery in the same way I showed adding the fuse box.
@@DonnieDispersed can i add fuse box and inverter?
@@vassadesign yes, run them separately though. Don’t try to power the inverter through the fuse box.
THANKS.but i got one more very important question, what gauge cable to use?battery to fuse, fuse bo battery and battery to inverter@@DonnieDispersed
@@vassadesign depends on how long the cables need to be in your system and how many amps your alternator can put out. There’s calculators you can find online that will tell you what gauge is recommended.
i don't like it *i luv it*
Why would someone get a dc to dc system. This seems much cheaper
Better batteries such as AGM or Lithium require a dc to dc charger. This works because the battery is a standard lead acid deep cycle battery. Same charging requirements as the vans starting battery so it has no issue connecting and charging in line with this relay. This battery and set up costs less but lacks some of the benefits of other batteries.
chas·sis
noun
the base frame of a motor vehicle or other
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You know newer vans come with smart alternator so this setup is not suitable for smart alternator.
True, this van is quite a bit older than any van that would have a smart alternator. I have other videos breaking down auxiliary battery systems I’ve installed with a DC-DC charger that would be suitable for a vehicle with a smart alternator.
Does anyone watching this see what size wire to use?
That will depend on the amps running through the wire, and the length of the wire you need to run. Look up DC wire gauge chart, there’s a lot of them out there.
Nice presentation but I am confused by shopping list with 2 circuit breakers while the video shows 3: 1-between starting battery and isolator, 2- between isolator and house battery, 3 - between house battery and fuse block ?
Am I the only one smart enough to just pull the dual battery setup out of a scrapyard truck for $50 and a lightly used deep cycle battery for $100. Why spend more when there's already options in the scrapyard. Oh and I installed a converter from a camper in the scrapyard I got for free because they didn't know if it worked. That way 5 years ago I did the first conversation and I've done 13 more conversations with the same methods for people who are building their own van life vans
What truck system isolates the second battery?
@@DonnieDispersed $5 battery cut-off switches between the two batteries. I can isolate the deep cycle battery when the vans aren't running to use the second battery to power the inverter/converter from the camper. This allows you to charge the deep cycle while the vans running. Just have to make sure you swap out the entire charge system from a 3/4 ton or bigger. So far it's worked amazing. I'm actually working on my neighbors work van right now installing this setup so he can charge his batteries when he's at a jobsite with no power on site. I totally forgot to add the cut-off switches to the list of things.
So theres no way to wire it up to the alt?
Directly? There’s no need to. It’s connected to the alternator simply by being connected to the starting battery.
Or use an expensive BCDC Charger instead of a an isolator (and you don't want the override start assist button) This will triple your spend as displayed here. It is better to use a BCDC Charger of course. But not necessary.
Is 120amp the correct breaker? I accidently bought 70a will it still work?
Depends on the amp output on your vehicles alternator. I think with a 70amp you run the potential of tripping the breaker since most vans and full size vehicles have 100+ amp alternators. Find out what your amp output rating on your alternator and make sure your breaker isn’t too much below that rating. An alternator almost never outputs that full rating unless you have a very large load on it but still you don’t want to be tripping the breaker all the time. I chose 120 cause it’s actually a little higher than the standard 105 amp rating on the alternator. It’s also just below the 140 amp rating on the VSR.