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Reddit mentions of WirthCo 20092 Battery Doctor 125 Amp/150 Amp Battery Isolator
Sentiment score: 9
Reddit mentions: 20
We found 20 Reddit mentions of WirthCo 20092 Battery Doctor 125 Amp/150 Amp Battery Isolator. Here are the top ones.
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- Water resistant (IP62) - suitable for marine use
- Priority charging for starting battery
- Automatically charges auxiliary battery
- Manual override for starting battery
- Over current and surge protected for vehicles with electronic systems
Features:
Specs:
Color | Black |
Height | 2.3 Inches |
Length | 5.1 Inches |
Number of items | 1 |
Size | 150 Amp |
Weight | 0.95 Pounds |
Width | 5.7 Inches |
Get something like this, hook it up from the main battery to the aux battery, then hook the aux battery to the inverter.
Remember to fuse or have a circuit breaker as close to the battery as possible, and run proper gauge wire.
this one?
Yes, this is the isolator I bought. So, I think I'm doing it right, but not sure.
edit: Also checked the amps and my van has a 105-145 amp alternator. Not sure which one, but positive it's one of the two, and that works with 150amps so I guess I'm all good.
I got this one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058SGDFK/
I liked it because it is reversible in case I stupidly drain my starter batteries, I can use the AGM to charge them.
How much driving vs. staying in one place do you plan to do? If you're on the road a lot, it might work to just use a battery isolator so you can charge from the alternator. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0058SGDFK/
I survived a year with a 100ah house battery hooked up to one of these to connect it to the alternator after the starting battery had been topped off. My loads were a strip of led lights going the perimeter of the van, a roof van and an led strip for cooking. On occasion I'd charge a phone or something from the house battery, but usually it'd get plugged in while I was driving.
Just recently I installed solar panels and the whole nine yards so I can run a little 50L fridge.
Great setup.
How tall are you? I’m planning to do this as well.
Try a Battery isolator
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058SGDFK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_hHk0CbCAPHH9Z
With it, you can skip solar and still have electricity for your car.
>Hmm, it seems as though if I'm going to need a toggle switch for the solenoid I might as well save myself the money and the hassle and just get one of those large manual isolator switches. Unless you disagree.
they both do the same thing, but i would go with a solenoid personally. however, there's another option that i noticed we haven't talked about, and that is an automatic isolator. something like this : https://www.amazon.com/WirthCo-20092-Battery-Doctor-Isolator/dp/B0058SGDFK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486427671&sr=8-1&keywords=automatic+battery+isolator
(take note of the wiring diagram picture on that amazon listing, it may help you).
an automatic isolator like that will automatically charge your deep cycles once the starting battery is charged up, and prevent the deep cycles from discharging your deep cycles. unlike with a solenoid or manual isolator switch, there is no chance of you forgetting to disconnect the deep cycles batteries and accidentally draining your starting battery. i would highly recommend going with something like this - it is simpler to wire up AND will be more user-friendly once installed.
>If I do in fact skip the solenoid I would imagine I would place the isolator switch on the positive wire from the deep cycle battery to the car starting battery.
Correct
>If I keep everything wired as you laid out in the diagram above, would I be able to charge my deep cycle batteries without draining my car battery AND without actually starting my car? Ehh now that I write that out it doesn't make any sense. fuck
yea the car has to be running, the alternator is what actually does the charging and its not going to put out and power unless the engine is running.
Most people just hook up a battery isolator directly to the battery(with a fuse/cutoff), https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058SGDFK/ref=sspa_dk_detail_7?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B0058SGDFK&pd_rd_w=kZSG2&pf_rd_p=45a72588-80f7-4414-9851-786f6c16d42b&pd_rd_wg=olAif&pf_rd_r=04Q9EZVFRHJXKCC3VBWG&pd_rd_r=d9a5398a-f2ab-42d3-87ae-4247542af90e&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExVkZPNlhUQU1LMUc4JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMDQwNTY1MTJFSlpaTTk1MVJHTyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMzUzOTQwMllRTVo1QU1TVVZNUCZ3aWRnZXROYW1lPXNwX2RldGFpbCZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
This will charge the battery when the vehicle is running and not drain the vehicle battery. The DC-DC converter you link to would also need to be used with an isolator.
Yeah, I thought anyone interested in the thread would be! But as soon as I posted the original version with amazon links, it was auto-deleted. Weird.
Oh well, here are my products:
Solar panel: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B017OMTAV6/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3NTUA0DGQ65YX&coliid=I2R53I6ASRE7TH&psc=1
Charge controller: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JMLPP12/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3NTUA0DGQ65YX&coliid=IMF9F8IHLJ6EN&psc=1
House battery: http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/SSBQ/3478PLT/03321.oap?year=1967&make=Ford&model=Mustang&vi=1332302&ck=Search_03321_1332302_-1&pt=03321&ppt=C0005
Battery isolator: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058SGDFK/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3NTUA0DGQ65YX&coliid=I2UYT4LFVI14AN
Van fan: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002OWAIB8/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3NTUA0DGQ65YX&coliid=I1Q9S1UN7Z94H7&psc=1
LED lights: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007JF2A6G/ref=od_aui_detailpages02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Fuse block: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000K2MBPA/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3NTUA0DGQ65YX&coliid=IK1ERB55YT6QX&psc=1
Busbar: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-MiniBus-Grounding-Terminal/dp/B0058GA4IO/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1467345205&sr=8-11&keywords=6+terminal+bus
Main line fuses (inline): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00WZHE3A4/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3NTUA0DGQ65YX&coliid=ICS8GYAQNUJV1&psc=1
All you need is a second battery and this:
https://www.amazon.com/WirthCo-20092-Battery-Doctor-Isolator/dp/B0058SGDFK
I run a dual battery system and power my accessories off my second battery. Add a solar charger too if you want if you're running like a 12v fridge.
Use it for camping / "overlanding"
Hey I'm not the OP, for more info please go to the original post to congratulate them. :)
Personally I DO live in a van, it's a 1992 Chevy G20 Gladiator. I have a memory foam mattress on top of a wooden platform, totes and cardboard boxes for storage (food, clothing, etc.) underneath. having the mattress off the floor gives space for storage, and also insulates the mattress from the heat or cold of the ground.
For privacy I have tinted windows, non-adhesive window film, collapsible foil sunshade for the front window, and black bug screen mesh like this for the side windows.
For water I use sturdy Arizona tea jugs. I have a basic Coleman camping toilet for nighttime and emergency uses - some people simply use pee bottles or five gallon buckets.
If it's cold at night I have a [12V electric blanket](https://www.walmart.com/ip/TREKSAFE-12-Volt-Heated-Travel-Blanket-White/54609929] and/or a 12V "car seat" warmer that I put under the mattress. I also have a propane Little Buddy heater which I have not yet used.
My main luxury item is an Alpicool C15 refrigerator powered by two 35AH "house batteries" (in parallel) which are charged using a Battery Doctor isolator. The Battery Doctor is run by my alternator when I drive-it only starts charging the house batteries after my van battery is full. The fridge uses 5.8AH per day. I used a cooler for a year, but the drawbacks are constantly buying or procuring ice (like from soda fountains), and food spoilage from it getting waterlogged, plus having to drain it frequently.
For hot meals, I use a 12 volt "lunchbox cooker" (works similar to a crock pot) which is powered in my cigarette lighter while I drive (or I can run it with the house batteries through a 12v splitter - the Alpicool is plugged into the other side. I also have a propane camping stove which I have never used.
I have a USB mini fan to run at night, or I can run my small regular fan through the 300W power inventor where I can also charge my laptop and/or phone (I usually charge the phone in the cigarette lighter).
I don't make any money if you buy from any of these links, but I only used them for illustrative purposes - I encourage you to shop around on Craigslist, eBay, Amazon, Walmart, check yard sales, etc. find the best priced similar item that works best for you. You don't have to get everything all at once - I didn't. But if you can get a basic minivan or van (seats removed), a mattress (or sleeping bag even) on a frame, and some jugs of water, it's a start.
Here's the basic mods I went with for our Vandura. We wanted to keep it simple and get it done in a couple months. Since I work full-time, time was the major constraining factor. We only use ours for a weekend fun vehicle so your needs may be different. We like ours, but it's definitely not Instagram worthy. I'm assuming yours has the conversion setup inside (wood paneling etc.) so it should be similar
- Replace the factory valence and center lighting with LEDs. The stock lights are garbage and one of the valence lights shorted out with the previous owner and was a safety issue. We used multi-colored dimmable lights for the center ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ML5ZJQR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ) and simple LEDs for the valence ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HSF64JG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ). After install the valence lights are SUPER bright; in retrospect, I'd use just one strip for all three valence lights
- Remove the rear captains chairs and install vinyl flooring in the middle. We have an electrically driven sofa/bed in the back that we wanted to keep in case we need extra legal seating, so we only installed flooring in the middle portion of the van between the cab and rear sofa seating. We found some vinyl "planks" at Walmart for dirt cheap (~$20 for the whole area) but the adhesive they came with didn't work great, especially with drastic temp changes. I'd suggest going with single sheet vinyl or laminate or, at the very least, using liquid nails as a substitute adhesive.
- Built a counter space/storage cabinet. I just used basic sideboard plans found on the internet. This stores our aux battery, fuse block, inverter and gives some additional storage space
- Install a battery isolator, aux battery, fuse block, inverter etc. We went with the Battery Doctor isolator ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0058SGDFK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ) because of the added ability to use the aux battery to supplement the starter battery in emergencies
- Install forced air ventilation. I didn't want to cut through the roof for a MaxxAir fan because we liked the lighting. Since the conversion van has 3 sets of sliding windows, we created a make-shift side vent fans out of 12V computer fans ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072NCYQRY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ). Three fans fit in each sliding window. Each fan is rated at 52CFM so (in theory) we get ~200-300CFM with two windows (eventually I'll get accurate measures with an anemometer just for curiosity's sake). Since we don't cook in the van and the van has multiple windows that open, this just helps the forced airflow to prevent condensation while sleeping.
- Upgraded the CRT TV to a flat screen ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06X3VH4VK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ). Side note: the TV remote IR frequency changes the color of the multi-color LEDs. Maybe you can get around this with a different LED setup. We just turn the TV on before the lights to get around it
- Wired the TV, vent fans, and center lights to the aux battery. We originally had the valence lights hooked to it too, but since they're so damn bright we never used them and I reconnected them to the starter battery.
- Eventually, I'll build a storage compartment in the back that also opens to a table out the back hatch.
- So far, we're happy with just a cooler between the cab chairs. If we eventually go to a 12V fridge, we'll probably need another battery which doesn't make economic sense for what we use the van for
Thanks for the help!! Probably going to to use this one: https://www.amazon.com/WirthCo-20092-Battery-Doctor-Isolator/dp/B0058SGDFK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1482931643&sr=8-3&keywords=battery+isolator
Seems good? I doubt my alternator is rated at like 200 amps, it SHOULD be 100...... O_O. Ford Van. Econoline.
You need a smart switch for convenience, in my opinion. They're not that pricey. You can use them to let the power flow from the alternator to both batteries, but prevent power flow from the car battery to your appliances. This way, you'll never get stranded.
And with a smart switch that lets you connect the batteries in parallel with a button press, you can also start the car off the "house" battery pack in case the starter battery goes wonky or you accidentally drain it with a car radio or something.
It also charges your car battery with priority, which is what you want. When you start the van, you want the power you used to start it to be put back in it first, and then charge the house battery pack. You don't want the car battery drained because, again, hello being stranded.
Install it and forget it, basically. Why not do it right while you're installing it in the first place?
https://www.amazon.com/WirthCo-20092-Battery-Doctor-Isolator/dp/B0058SGDFK for example.
There are manual options, relay based options and then fully electronic smart options like this. Go with the smart option.
Use something like this to charge the house batteries from the alternator: http://www.amazon.com/WirthCo-20092-Battery-Doctor-Isolator/dp/B0058SGDFK/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1419301084&sr=8-4&keywords=battery+isolator
Buy the best inverter you can afford(that has enough watts to run your blender). I used a cheap 500w inverter from costco in my truck camper, it ran my 600w blender everyday, and I also ran my laptop and charged camera batteries etc from it. For about 10 weeks straight.
If you can afford it, buy a pure sine wave unit, if not, I wouldn't worry about it. I've since upgraded to a pure sine wave unit, but neither my laptop nor my blender suffered any ill effects from the modified sine wave unit.
Well I'm in Kenai National Park don't have a mailing address and there is a NAPA in Seward so I thought I might see what they have, but I only need to charge one auxiliary battery, which is currently charged via an isolator, to power my laptop so I can do photo editing any suggestions?
This is exactly what he said when referencing a battery isolator - "You use it to isolate two batteries and you don't need the solenoid.
Plus it correctly regulates charging. There are variants of the pic so get the correct one for your voltage and current needs. They even make one that will allow your storage battery to boost your starter battery. They cheaper ones do not do this but can be jumped with a bypass switch.
What you have there is a potential fire. Also with 6v batteries, the charging rates can be different. Batteries in a series are always problematic."
But I just to make sure I understand you correctly. This device: https://www.amazon.com/WirthCo-20092-Battery-Doctor-Isolator/dp/B0058SGDFK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486427671&sr=8-1&keywords=automatic+battery+isolator
That will cover me in the same way that both the solenoid and the isolator switch will?
Also side note, I plan on purchasing two of these: http://www.genuinedealz.com/blue-sea-systems-5191-fuse-block-for-battery-terminal-fuse
Both, if I am correct, would go on the car battery positive terminal and the golf battery1 terminal.
3 questions, please bear with me!
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Thanks for the help
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There are also a couple of different commercial electronic battery isolators. There's the big diode and heat sink type and the "smart" voltage sensing ones, like: https://www.amazon.com/WirthCo-20092-Battery-Doctor-Isolator/dp/B0058SGDFK
I use one of these to charge a gell cell in my vehicle and like it. I have it in a plastic ammo box with Anderson power poles. I just insert it inline or remove it when I don't need it.