Battery upgrade
#1
Battery upgrade
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?
#2
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?
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.
#3
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?
#4
Battery Upgrade
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
#5
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
#6
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.
#7
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
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#8
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).
#9
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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