Truck alternators

time2roll wrote:


Dad had a lifetime battery.... replaced 3 times free before the car was stolen.

I had coworker who had 1 back in 1970's.
In his case the 4th battery got stolen.
There is company FCPEuro who sells everything with lifetime warranty, what include wears. They will send you new oil when you send them used one. I only wish they would sell toilet paper.
Ponzi scheme if you ask me, but since they charge $10 more for AGM battery than other places, I bought 1 from them, hoping that since batteries die in 2-3 years, I will get 2nd before they close the door.

Eric&Lisa wrote:

bwlyon wrote:
...The thing to remember is that the battery in the car is a power reservoir used to start the car not run other electronics. The alternator is what runs the electrical components in any vehicle, and top of the battery after it has been used to start the engine. When you start running aftermarket accessories you can easily use all the alternator’s capacity and drain the battery, hence the need for an alternator with a larger output.

On a related note.... Had to replace a battery a few months back. I have always paid the premium for the "100 month" battery. I could not find them. Started asking around. With modern vehicles relying more & more on electrical/electronic systems and high power demands, the battery manufacturers were having a tough time meeting the 100 month warranty commitment.

Also I think people are keeping vehicles longer so the warranty has started to actually cost something.

Dad had a lifetime battery.... replaced 3 times free before the car was stolen.

Eric&Lisa wrote:
Look at these golf-cart style cars that shut the engine off at every stoplight (stupid, IMHO). The car will then draw all its electrical load off the battery - radio, wipers, lights, HVAC, etc. A quick stab of the gas pedal and the starter hits it too. Then it gets 30-45 seconds of charge time before the next stop light. Yeah, that has got to beat the snot out of battery longevity.

-Eric

I actually love ECO stops as quite often we seat for 1.5 minute on red light, when in rush hr we need 3 changes to pass the intersection.
but in my Mercedes the "smart charging" is also recouping braking energy, so the battery is never fully charged to be able to take extra energy when available.
Not only car has 2 batteries for the system, but constant charging/recharging shortens the battery life. (isn't it working the same way in electric cars and hybrids?)
Still if I can save $100 + every year on fuel, I don't mind to spend $150 every 3-4 years on new battery.
2-tons Car makes 30-35 mpg in city driving.

bwlyon wrote:
...The thing to remember is that the battery in the car is a power reservoir used to start the car not run other electronics. The alternator is what runs the electrical components in any vehicle, and top of the battery after it has been used to start the engine. When you start running aftermarket accessories you can easily use all the alternator’s capacity and drain the battery, hence the need for an alternator with a larger output.

On a related note.... Had to replace a battery a few months back. I have always paid the premium for the "100 month" battery. I could not find them. Started asking around. With modern vehicles relying more & more on electrical/electronic systems and high power demands, the battery manufacturers were having a tough time meeting the 100 month warranty commitment.

I guess it makes sense. Look at these golf-cart style cars that shut the engine off at every stoplight (stupid, IMHO). The car will then draw all its electrical load off the battery - radio, wipers, lights, HVAC, etc. A quick stab of the gas pedal and the starter hits it too. Then it gets 30-45 seconds of charge time before the next stop light. Yeah, that has got to beat the snot out of battery longevity.

-Eric

Similar to your gear ratio post, any OE alternator in any newer pickup (and for the most part older trucks as well) will sufficiently support and "charge" your camper batteries. Although realize the OE charging circuit is very low amp draw/capability.

If you get serious about on the road charging or install or employ a large converter, then greater capacity than some trucks offer may be needed.

If you're just plopping a TC on a truck, virtually all the components are sufficient to haul it save for suspension and tires, depending on the weight of the camper and the truck it's going on.

^Wow! Hold my beer and watch this!

You definitely don't need more alternator for winch.
Don't know what rating my 1999 F450 had, but I had 8000lb winch on it and I was pulling 10,000lb equipment with it on high flatbed without starting the engine.
The dual batteries would drag the forklift with front plate scraping the concrete at the approach and still have enough reserve for engine starting.
And that was 7.3 powerstroke who on cold start would run on batteries for few minutes to protect glow plugs from high charging voltage.

TxGearhead wrote:
I ordered my Ram with the highest single alternator, I think 180 or 200amps. Thinking I might someday get a winch. Someday...

Consider a MileMarker hydraulic. Uses power steering pump and maybe 2 amps from the battery to activate the controls.

I ordered my Ram with the highest single alternator, I think 180 or 200amps. Thinking I might someday get a winch. Someday...

deltabravo wrote:

time2roll wrote:
Put 200 watts solar on your truck camper and any base OEM alternator is fine.

I have 300 watts on my AF811

More often than not, I will travel with my inverter powering the AC function of my fridge. The solar and high output charging cables I did make that possible.

Solar and OEM charging wires from truck to camper would not support the load on an all day drive.

Although do you have the stock alternator?