[foxharp]

has anyone with the two battery setup from ford looked at how difficult it would be to install a cutoff relay between them, in order to isolate the second battery as a true "house battery"? is there room in the compartment?

further, could the wiring for the upfitter switches and customer convenience circuits (and perhaps some of the van's other "house"-like circuits) be moved onto that battery? perhaps the bus they're connected to could be physically severed? this would almost certainly be a lot harder than separating the batteries and running the "house" battery to a new panel.

think of this as idle brainstorming -- it just seems a shame (for my uses) to "waste" that battery if i install a separate house system, so i'm leaning strongly toward not ordering the dual battery option.

paul

 

[Airedrifter]

I'll give your questions a shot.

You want the dual batteries as you get the 220 amp alternator. Which you'll need on some house batteries.

Can you separate the two batteries, sure. I think that would be foolish. You're only getting 2 -- 75 amh batteries. Having only one would be a little risky. I think it would be easy to run down.

I think you'd also have to introduce technology to make that work; like your big relay and some sort of sensor/switch to activate it. Cause you'd still have to use the alternator to charge the second battery. I'd use that money to buy more batteries and some sort of charger, whether it's a stepped charger from 12 volts or ran from an inverter.

As far as running the upfitter switches from the house batteries; I think that would be relatively easy to do, though my approach to wiring is a bit untraditional. The fuse block has a few extra spots to tap or to feed from the second battery. You'd have to unplug the various supply lines (to the upfitter switches and to the accompanying relays) and insert the house line. You could put in another fuse block if monkeying with the OEM block is daunting. You'd still use the factory lines, just plugged into another fuse block. The wiring would be a little tight if you tried to do all that without extending the factory lines. And again, it would appear to be foolish. You'd be so close to another separate system -- with your own fuse panel and a few switches that could mounted anywhere.

I have a combined 400 amh and am going to expand that to 800 when I add the solar cell.
Good luck it is a fun process.

 

[Longboard]

I'll give your questions a shot.

You want the dual batteries as you get the 220 amp alternator.

Aren't they two separate options?

 

[foxharp]

I'll give your questions a shot.
You want the dual batteries as you get the 220 amp alternator. Which you'll need on some house batteries.

i think you can get the alternator without the dual batteries, but perhaps i'm mistaken.

Can you separate the two batteries, sure. I think that would be foolish. You're only getting 2 -- 75 amh batteries. Having only one would be a little risky. I think it would be easy to run down.

ah ha! i didn't realize the two batteries were only 75Ah each. i assumed they were at least 95 or 100.

I think you'd also have to introduce technology to make that work; like your big relay and some sort of sensor/switch to activate it. Cause you'd still have to use the alternator to charge the second battery.

sure, but that's pretty standard stuff in the RV world. and i'd get to make use of the space ford allocated for a second battery, and perhaps make use of their wiring (as you detailed above) from a convenient location -- after all, mounting under the seat is as good as anywhere else, and perhaps better than many places.

but you're probably right -- it would all likely be a half-way solution.

I have a combined 400 amh and am going to expand that to 800 when I add the solar cell.

i don't anticipate ever needing/wanting that much. 200, perhaps. but 100 to start would be plenty for lighting and roof fan and music.

paul

 

[Airedrifter]

Aren't they two separate options?

Could be. I was thinking that came as a package.

 

[Longboard]

Could be. I was thinking that came as a package.

For '15 at least in the gasoline engine models both were separate options. The diesel for sure included the dual AGM batteries, can't remember if the HD alternator was included as well.

 

[foxharp]

longboard -- i just noticed (in the PIB brocure) that the diesel includes the dual batteries, and remembered your comment. why does the diesel require more battery? is that just a "diesel thing"?

 

[foxharp]

oh -- and i also checked the alternator option. the diesel doesn't require the heavy duty alternatory. (and, interestingly, the HD alternator for the diesel is 210 amp, rather than 220.)

 

[Airedrifter]

longboard -- i just noticed (in the PIB brocure) that the diesel includes the dual batteries, and remembered your comment. why does the diesel require more battery? is that just a "diesel thing"?

Compression. Diesels have significantly higher compression ratios.

 

[Budsky]

Also the 3.2L diesel has glowplugs to aid cold weather starting- not sure off hand of the draw but I know on my 7.3L Powerstroke it is well over 100A when they are operating.

 

[Radioman]

Diesels with the glow plugs have a significant electrical drain prior to hitting the start switch. Remember, you wait for the glow plug light to extinguish before starting. A single battery might be to low of a voltage for the rest of the engine controls to even function. So the dual battery as standard is what many vehicles come with. Ford has not put large capacity batteries (series 27 and series 31) in vehicles for many years which is too bad. The standard batteries in Transits have a vent tube going to the underside of the vehicle to get rid of fumes.. The AGM batteries do not require the vent tube. I have installed an aux AGM battery in my base model T150 and have a relay that I control to connect to the electrical system in case my factory battery is low. After changing out some of the original lighting with LED's I now have much longer run time with the cargo and dome lights turned on.

 

[Thurman]

3rd Battery

Radioman, How do you charge your third battery? I am thinking of doing the same thing and wonder if the 3rd. battery should be the same brand/type as the stock batteries. Thanks

 

[Radioman]

I have the stock single battery under the seat and installed an AGM series 31 behind the seat. Connected ground to the chassis wall next to some of the factory grounds. Connected the positive through an 80 amp manual disconnect breaker and relay to a positive post under the seat. My rig has spare positive mounting bolts on a bus bar in the battery compartment. I control the relay with a switch in a panel that I installed in the overhead cubby. I am also controlling other items with the switch panel, as my van is used for communications maintenance and fire department traffic control. Haven't seen any problems with my installation and no factory wiring has to be touched. The CPP terminal on the side of the seat has 60 amp fusing, so I have a 50 amp manual disconnect breaker from that point to provide power to some of my accessories. I just received the Helm CD that has service and electrial wiring so now can really see what the factory did for this rolling computer system.