Adding a 2nd battery for my camper.

[alvald83]

I have a cabover on my truck and want to run a 2nd battery for my camper when parked on the road. I want to be able to switch from one battery to another as needed, and to have the alternator charge both. Any ideas?

[Art]

A battery isolator allows the second battery to power the camper and be charged by the alternator - without discharging the trucks original battery or needing to switch batteries. An isolator is essentially a BIG diode (think check valve that allows electricity to flow in only one direction).

[HIO Silver]

Sure. Refer to the factory wiring for dual batteries. The auxiliary battery is connected with a continuous duty solenoid in Run and is disconnected when off thereby preserving the main battery. You can add a switch to override the solenoid when needed.

Refer to this post in FTE and scroll down to the dual battery links: http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/11878 ... st12739050

[1972hiboy]

Sure. Refer to the factory wiring for dual batteries. The auxiliary battery is connected with a continuous duty solenoid in Run and is disconnected when off thereby preserving the main battery. You can add a switch to override the solenoid when needed.

Refer to this post in FTE and scroll down to the dual battery links: http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/11878 ... st12739050

This is essentially what I did to my truck and I added a group 65 battery on the drivers inner fender for my cabover camper. I used a heavy duty selonoid only controlled by a switch in the cab for me to choose when I wanted the battery charged, I use this battery for running the winch and the camper but I ran 1 guage cable so I could use the aux battery as a starting battery if the main battery died. With the switch off the aux battery is isolated and wont draw off the main battery. This is by Far the easiest way to get a isolated 2nd battery for a camper or other assecories. The battery isolator was going to be a huge pita wiring it in to the trucks charging system. If you want I can get pictures of how I wired mine up.

[alvald83]

Hiboy,
Your setup sounds like something i would like to use. Pictures would be great if you could. Thanks Al in San jose.

[1972hiboy]

Ill snap some pictures tommorow. Good to see another central coast member!

[1972hiboy]

here s couple

[1972hiboy]

one more. hope they help.

[alvald83]

Thanks Hiboy, The pictures really help. If i decided to not have the toggle switch, where would you tie into the ignition power?

[1972hiboy]

The selonoid only requires 1/7th of a volt to acuate it and obviously no amperage draw of any kind so you dont have to be to picky where you get the trigger signal from. If it were me id take it from the fuse block directly. its easy to pull off the firewall and find a empty pin. That way then you dont have to worry about it. key off the batterys are seperated the second you turn the key on there both hooked up and charging together.

[alvald83]

Hello Hiboy,
Would the solenoid be just a standard stock type heavy duty solenoid used in our trucks? I am electrical ignorant, so excuse my dumb questions. i am correct in assuming that the positive cable coming off the main battery is separated by the new solenoid and the solenoid needs to be accuated to charge the 2nd battery? From looking at your pictures, t seems as though there are 2 positive cables going into your 2nd battery.

[mkitchen]

I did the same as Highboy and have had great luck. I didn't run a switch though. When I start the truck I am using the main battery and charging both. I run power to my camper shell from the auxilary battery and it does not draw from the main battery. You do need a constant duty solenoid though. the ones for starting the truck are a bit different. I got a marine solenoid but I don't think that it's necessary though.
Some pictures of my set up.

Main battery



My auxilary battery



The solenoid



All of it is pretty easy but make sure you get good parts and quality wire.
Good luck
Mikey

[alvald83]

Great Pics,
What are the wires coming off of your Solenoid?

[mkitchen]

The solinoid has a power cable coming in and one coming out, a ground, an excitor wire and power to the new headlight system relay.
Mikey

[alvald83]

Where does the exciter wire go. Does it have to go to the alternator?