Long time reader first time writer. Bought a 2014 Jeep Wrangler unlimited sport last year and I am adding a lot of electrical components such as light bars, sound system, on-board air compressor, and winch. I'm not sure if my factory battery and alternator will be a reliable source of power. I also do a lot of camping with my roof top tent that taps in to my jeep as well. What should I upgrade or add to handle all these things?

 

Do a search for "dual battery" set-ups / kits / installs. Beyond that, you might consider a 1kw or 2kw Honda EU generator for any extended camping.

There are a lot of dual-battery kits out there. One of the more popular seems to be made by Genesis Off-Road. I think they're a sponsor here. My system was a "build-over-the-years", from parts I accumulated. It does bring peace-of-mind to my excursions.

 

Oh, sorry, forgot: Welcome! I did what you've been doing. Reading a lot of threads and considering options. This is a great place to pick up ideas and recommendations. Happy Jeeping!

 

Have you thought about going with an Optima Battery. Have been using for years, for all my motorsport toys. The Red Top is a good battery for the money. No problems with the batteries, good power to supply your aux. needs

 

I've read that older optima batteries were good but now there crap because they are made in Mexico and the quality went way down

 

I thought about that and I wonder if my alternator is good enough for that.. I'd love if I could mount that battery in the back of my jeep but I worry about it being inside the cabin.. Like if it leaked or something happened. I think I read somewhere that they smell bad too. Or maybe run long wires from the second battery and mount remote terminals somewhere safely in the back

 

The dual battery "kit" is what you want. I comes with an "isolator", which is nothing more than a high-current relay. The output from the alternator is diverted to whichever battery is in need of charging. There's also a switch / button you can activate to parallel the batteries for winching or jump-starting. Yes, the dual battery set-up is a bit of work, but there's loads of help on the forums if you run into a problem. I've also read that Genesis is a good resource for help if you need it (there are other companies that make kits - MORE and Benchmark I think). I know you can purchase after-market alternators if you really think you need one, but they're pricey (at least from what I've read).

 

Awesome thanks that sounds like exactly what I need then!

 

I have one agm under the hood and two huge 130ah agm batteries, one under each front seat. As long as you go with a sealed battery you'll be fine. Your alt will most definitely keep up, although I would recommend upping wire to 1/0 and doing the big 3.

 

The best setup out there is the Genesis kit. I have mine and am installing it this weekend!!