Running a deep cycle and starting battery in the same system?

[Begle1]

I have a big inverter on my truck, and I would like to use a deep cycle battery to run it.


I'm thinking of putting a deep cycle behind my seat right next to the inverter, and using a 4 gauge wire to connect it to the starting battery under my hood.

Will this work? Will the inverter draw down the deep cycle a good bit before it draws down the cranking battery? Or will it draw both down simultaneously, robbing the cranking battery of starting ability while the deep cycle has plenty of current left?


Thanks for any assistance.

 

[Twisted Shifter]

Do you ever race the truck? You will need to do a few things with it .... if its in the cab ...... I can't answer your draw issue .... I am fighting some issues with power and my truck.... electrical and I don't get along.

 

[Joesixpack]

First, Don't put a battery in the cab of the truck, as they give off fumes when they are charging. Even more so when you deep cycle them.

Use a isolation circuit if you want to guarantee your starting battery remains charged.

If you search a bit on the net for battery isolator you should find the deal... more or less a diode splitter from your alternator, so that it can charge both, but neither can "steal" from each other.

 

[zstroken]

It will draw from both batteries. Look for some stuff from the boating industry, they have all sorts of battery isolators. You could put the charging circuit for the deep cycle on a relay that is on the run circuit or something. That way it will charge it while it is running, and when it is off the batteries could be isolated.

 

[Begle1]

First, Don't put a battery in the cab of the truck, as they give off fumes when they are charging. Even more so when you deep cycle them.

Optima's don't have those issues, do they? I don't think I've driven with my windows over the past two years anyways... :bang


Thanks guys, I'll look for isolator-diodes-for-boats things.

 

[Joesixpack]

They are by far better for gassing BUT they still can, and if you have regulator issues or charge on the high side they will.

Are you still rigging that pressure washer - water injection......?

 

[Begle1]

So it seems like the cheapest, least fuss way to do it would be with a big solenoid switch.

If I were to totally drain the deep cycle battery, then connect it to the fresh starting battery all of a sudden, how many amps would the dead battery draw? Do I need to worry about it drawing so many amps that it melts my 4 gauge wire and/ or solenoid switch?

I'm guessing that a dead battery is only capable of drawing so many amps, correct? Hence why jumper cables don't melt when you tie a dead battery to a hot battery?

Are you still rigging that pressure washer - water injection......?

That's what the inverter's for. I've tested the inverter with the pressure washer and they work together. Advertised at 1800 PSI at 1.6 GPM.

I realized yesterday that for the price of the washer, inverter and associated cabling I could've had a nitrous bottle and a couple solenoids though. :bang

 

[redfishman17]

I have a kawi mule with the stock battery and a deep cycle run together.... works well.... reason for the extra battery is i have a system on there that uses a combined 750 watts.... I can play it full blast for 3 or 4 hours before i have to worry about the voltage getting too low to where i cant start the mule.... if i do let it get that low, it takes the deep cycle battery a looong time to charge.... otherwise it stays charged no problem.