DUAL BATTERY SYSTEMS? Feedback / Reviews?

[Nokones]

Has anyone tried any of the Dual Battery Sysyems like the Genesis Gen 3 System? Any thoughts? It appears to be a great replacement for the small aux battery configuration.

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[AndySpill]

Has anyone tried any of the Dual Battery Sysyems like the Genesis Gen 3 System? Any thoughts? It appears to be a great replacement for the small aux battery configuration.

Hey Kenny:

Genesis Offroad (GO) makes great high quality products, but those products have specific indications under which owners will benefit from them such that those who use case doesn't take much advantage of their features, Gen 3 or other products in the GO catalog, may end up spending money on components they don't need.

Before we can determine if this, or any Genesis system is right for anyone we need to be mindful of how you have your electrical system set up, be it stock or customized, and what your power demands are.

Take the owner who has taken the Aux battery connection and Fuse 42 out, turned ESS off, content to run one battery, and whose closest idea of an off roading trip is the gravel parking lot at the flee market, (I'm not judging), they're likely to benefit little from GO products.

Then there's the equally paved road owner who wants to run ESS events. I'd say that they're likely to do no worse trickle charging their batteries at rest--a far cheaper option--than buy GO product--the urban dweller with limited access to A/C power or sunlight (for solar trickle charging) notwithstanding.

Then there's the owner who uses battery power while the vehicle is off road to run appliances. This is the owner who best can benefit from GO wares, but again, what they're powering, for how long with the engine off, and perhaps how far from civilization they do this (read: can't afford to be without cranking power) and how often can vary, as will the advantages of GO equipment.

For the owner who occasionally bites off more of his vehicle battery on off roading adventures than they should, perhaps a portable jump starter pack is enough. But frequently running down batteries (without charging them back up) can severely shorted their life, and product to not simply preserve, but manage power like that GO offers can not only pay for itself in not only not destroying expensive batteries, but avoiding getting stranded in the middle of nowhere or do without appliances that GO systems can let you operate with confidence on the trail, and know you'll still have enough cranking power to get home.

 

[DaltonGang]

Has anyone tried any of the Dual Battery Sysyems like the Genesis Gen 3 System? Any thoughts? It appears to be a great replacement for the small aux battery configuration.

Genesis? Must be something "Newly Created".

 

[Nokones]

Well, I still have my Aux battery in play along with Fuse 42 in my 23 Wrangler Rubi 2 Dr. 3.6L e-Torque. My Jeep will be two years old this coming spring and I still have the original batteries with only 7700 miles. I do go out on the trails in very remote areas far away from any asphalt or concrete pavements and I am powering a Dometic CFX 65 Single Zone Refrigerator with my Hot Battery+ dedicated non-switched 10 Amp Aux Circuit.

My Aux 1 40-amp circuit is powering two-Motorola XTL radios, one CB Radio, and Garmin Tread 10 Navigation System; My Aux 2 40-amp circuit is powering two lightbars drawing 32 amps; My Aux 3 15-amp Circuit is powering two Ditch Lights drawing about 8 Amps; and my Aux 4 15-Amp Circuit is powering Rock Lights and drawing about 11-12 amps.

I do keep the Stop/Start System disabled and prior to hitting the trails I put an Optima 1200 Smart battery Charger on the vehicle to ensure that my battery(ies) is/are fully charged. Prior to heading out, I run the refrigerator on AC power and then I connect the refrigerator to DC power when I leave the house.

And as part of my recovery gear, tools, and chain saw, I have a NOCO 2000-watt Lithium Battery Pack. That is all that I can think of at the moment in regards to my electrical use and systems.

Also, after reading some of the information provided, can't remember where now, it appears that the Full Throttle Batteries have more capacity than the Odessey batteries. Is this factual and the Full Throttle batteries are a better capacity battery?

 

[AndySpill]

Well, I still have my Aux battery in play along with Fuse 42 in my 23 Wrangler Rubi 2 Dr. 3.6L e-Torque.

Hi again Kenny. First off is it possible that you do NOT have an Auxilliary AGM battery as found in the original 3.6L JLs? This link might be helpful in answering this question, as ask because of your mention of ETorque:

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/aux-battery-how-do-i-know.120115/post-2501518

As for whether Genesis Offroad products are for you might be not simply a product of your appliances current draw but the duration of time you go (or want to go) between using such appliances and cranking the engine/charging your cranking battery.

Shane's products become cost effective for people who wish to get the most current and life out of their batteries, regardless of battery bank, IMHO, with the engine off. As you may realize, most AGM batteries will face shortened lives if brought below 50% DOD (depth of discharge) before being recharged.

With Shane's tools you can be confident that you are not pulling too much power from a cranking battery to not only get the engine cranked, but risk shortening its life, regardless of what battery setup you go with, be it one or two factory batteries, or for factory dual AGM battery owners, swapping both those batteries for two Group 25 batteries and using one of Shane's kits that facilitate this.

I'd reach out to Shane at GO. He won't sell you what you don't need. His products, again, are excellent, the only question is whether you would benefit from them given your use case. But IMHO there comes a point where his products pay for themselves in offroad enthusiasts who don't get the most out of their starter batteries afraid they won't get home or will damage those batteries, or conversely those that get too much out of them before recharge, comprising their life or ability to crank the engine: the latter at least addressable with your NOCO Battery Pack.

Also, after reading some of the information provided, can't remember where now, it appears that the Full Throttle Batteries have more capacity than the Odessey batteries. Is this factual and the Full Throttle batteries are a better capacity battery?

I've read that too (about amp-hour ratings) but implore you to look at the actually specs for each manufacturer's battery you contemplate buying. Additional, another important metric in cranking batteries is reserve capacity.

There are people on this forum much more knowledgeable on the power plant of Etorque JLs than me that I hope will contribute below.

 

[Terrymo]

Do you have an etorque? Don’t bother looking at battery wiring, or how many coolant tanks you have or whether you have an alternator or generator. For my simple mind, no need to know anything more than this. Look under the Jeep for this suitcase size 48 volt battery.

 

[Nokones]

Well, my Window Sticker says I do, so I gotta believe that fact that I do have e-Torque.

And, I forgot to mention that I have a winch and I also use a Air Compressor that draws about 70 amps to air up. Oh, please excuse the dirty engine. The Big Horn Mountain Wilderness Loop Trail last Tuesday was extremely dusty and I'm going to get it dirtier this coming Thursday on the Apache Trail.

 

[WranglerMan]

I run a Genesis Gen 2 setup and have the aux battery running a compressor when needed along with winch and aux lights, I recently had to replace both batteries after 4 years and was expecting longer life but I think there short life was due to me using an external charger so much but as far as the product goes I have no regrets

 

[Nokones]

Using an external charger to maintain batteries is not a bad thing. It depends on the battery type and if it is a smart charger rather than a non-smart charger. Non-smart chargers will not have the proper algorithm for the health of the battery, especially batteries that are in storage more than daily used.

For the longevity of the battery, that is not used daily, a smart charger is required that will not only keep the battery charged but also condition the battery and that is where the charger's algorithm is important. A constant charge or trickle charge will ruin the battery over time. The battery needs to be exercised regularly.

I've been using smart chargers for almost 15 years and I have several batteries that are 8-10 years old and still in service with no signs of failing.

 

[tinymay]

My 2020 has been running a Gen 2 setup for a while now and it has been okay for the most part. I've noticed diffrent charging rates at times but perhaps it is smart in some way. Has not left me stranded yet. The ESS does not bother me any more until it decides to not kick in. Weird that i got used to it and now when the main charging is in the low 12s, the ESS balks causing concern. I've got all my aux wiring going to the 2nd battery terminals. Like said, it finds itself and keeps on ticking... so far.

 

[Da Capt]

Has anyone tried any of the Dual Battery Sysyems like the Genesis Gen 3 System? Any thoughts? It appears to be a great replacement for the small aux battery configuration.

For me? The cost is not worth it. For what u pay for it, u could buy new batteries every time they both go bad and still save a bunch of money.

 

[Ratbert]

For me? The cost is not worth it. For what u pay for it, u could buy new batteries every time they both go bad and still save a bunch of money.

Yes, it's stupidly expensive, but it's designed for those that spend a lot of time in extremely remote locations. The idea is to not be close to stores.

 

[WranglerMan]

Using an external charger to maintain batteries is not a bad thing. It depends on the battery type and if it is a smart charger rather than a non-smart charger. Non-smart chargers will not have the proper algorithm for the health of the battery, especially batteries that are in storage more than daily used.

For the longevity of the battery, that is not used daily, a smart charger is required that will not only keep the battery charged but also condition the battery and that is where the charger's algorithm is important. A constant charge or trickle charge will ruin the battery over time. The battery needs to be exercised regularly.

I've been using smart chargers for almost 15 years and I have several batteries that are 8-10 years old and still in service with no signs of failing.

I can confirm that over charging ruins batteries, I am sure I shortened the life of my Full River 750’s by charging them so much, my thoughts process was more is better.

They were 4 years old but I was expecting more life from them and likely would have gotten had I not used a beefy charging as frequently as I did.

 

[Nokones]

As pointed out in the above post by Andy, there is no need for the subject dual battery system if you're just using your Jeep only for fetching groceries or as a daily driver going to work. AAA or a battery pack should suit the grocery getter just fine. The expense would not be warranted in that case.

If you're on the Trail in remote areas and if you should find yourself with a bad main battery and unable to start or jump your vehicle, more than likely you will not be able to summon a tow truck because your cell phone will not have any service and the POS cheap Chinese FRS radio you are using will not be of any help for you to talk to anyone. Summing an Off-Road Tow Truck Company to you on a Trail will cost you dearly.

In this case, the expense of a Dual Battery System is warranted especially if your are powering a winch, refrigerator, and an air compressor on remote Trails.

You'll be surprised with the electrical current draw of a winch. My Warn Evo 10 will draw about 360 amps and even with the engine running the battery still will be taxed big time because the alternator won't be enough to keep the battery from being discharged and who knows what condition your battery is in at the time.

In my opinion, not having a Dual Battery System with all the aforementioned equipment and accessories and going off-road is an extreme risk for being stranded.

 

[AndySpill]

Well, my Window Sticker says I do, so I gotta believe that fact that I do have e-Torque.

And, I forgot to mention that I have a winch and I also use a Air Compressor that draws about 70 amps to air up. Oh, please excuse the dirty engine. The Big Horn Mountain Wilderness Loop Trail last Tuesday was extremely dusty and I'm going to get it dirtier this coming Thursday on the Apache Trail.

Hey Kenny:

In the second picture you linked I see not one, but two cables connected to the negative post of the main battery.

Normally *from the factory* this is a telltale sign of the presence of an Aux battery. One of those cables, always present, connects to the body ground on the passenger's front fender. The other has, as its distal end the unseen negative post of the Aux battery.

But that said, I wonder if you have used that second connection point, absent from the factory, for one of your aftermarket appliances.

Behind your battery is that black box called the Power Distribution Center (PDC): your intelligent fuse box. If you pinch its cover clips and lift it up it will look something like the following picture inside. The two terminals I have circled in my picture below are N1 (closer to the bottom of the picture) and next to it N2. Unlike in this picture do they have a metal jumper connecting the two terminals? If so, I would think that despite the appearance of your battery's negative post with its two cables, that you may not have an Aux battery.

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