3 batteries, what connects to what? (1 Viewer)

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TreatSmash

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Thank you very much in advance, I spend half my time these days on YouTube and Ih8mud.

So i am trying to figure out exactly how I want to do my power. I have a lot of international travel and outdoors experience, just not with a vehicle. I am retiring from the Army in 1 year and putting everything storage and selling my house.
I am planning a long term trip, years long, around the US and maybe as far south as cape horn. I may even ship the LC to Europe and do the Silk Road when I am done.


With that in mind, I am trying to do a dual battery setup as well as a lithium ion goal zero. I got the battery expansion kit from Slee on the way and I already ordered a goal zero 1500 with the car charging kit. I intend on installing a Blue Sea fuse hub and accessory panel.


ok so the questions. What should I connect to what? Fridge to house battery or goal zero? Goal zero to house battery or starter battery? Light bar?
Keep in kind the starter battery will be a group 31, but the house battery will be much smaller (34 maybe as big as will fit).

My uneducated plan is to run the fridge and the lights off the 2nd battery, and charge the goal zero from the main battery in car mode. I can move the fridge to the GZ if I need to in a pinch, but I don't want to get into the habit of plugging and unplugging everyday, I'll wind up forgetting. I will likely be moving a lot. the goal zero can charge to full in 2-3 hours of travel with car adapter. The goal zero will be my day to day living battery for my laptop and phone and 100 other things that need charging, also my primary source of heat in the form of an eclectic blanket, as I will be sleeping inside the vehicle.


So does anyone have any advice? What am I missing or doing wrong?
 
Thank you very much in advance, I spend half my time these days on YouTube and Ih8mud.

So i am trying to figure out exactly how I want to do my power. I have a lot of international travel and outdoors experience, just not with a vehicle. I am retiring from the Army in 1 year and putting everything storage and selling my house.
I am planning a long term trip, years long, around the US and maybe as far south as cape horn. I may even ship the LC to Europe and do the Silk Road when I am done.


With that in mind, I am trying to do a dual battery setup as well as a lithium ion goal zero. I got the battery expansion kit from Slee on the way and I already ordered a goal zero 1500 with the car charging kit. I intend on installing a Blue Sea fuse hub and accessory panel.


ok so the questions. What should I connect to what? Fridge to house battery or goal zero? Goal zero to house battery or starter battery? Light bar?
Keep in kind the starter battery will be a group 31, but the house battery will be much smaller (34 maybe as big as will fit).

My uneducated plan is to run the fridge and the lights off the 2nd battery, and charge the goal zero from the main battery in car mode. I can move the fridge to the GZ if I need to in a pinch, but I don't want to get into the habit of plugging and unplugging everyday, I'll wind up forgetting. I will likely be moving a lot. the goal zero can charge to full in 2-3 hours of travel with car adapter. The goal zero will be my day to day living battery for my laptop and phone and 100 other things that need charging, also my primary source of heat in the form of an eclectic blanket, as I will be sleeping inside the vehicle.


So does anyone have any advice? What am I missing or doing wrong?
It depends on what's charging your 2nd battery. A Yeti 1500X will draw up to 600W to charge via the high power input port or the car charger expansion kit. If you connect the Yeti to a 2nd battery then that 2nd battery will need 600W from the alternator to the 2nd battery. If you have something like a Redarc 1250D charging your 2nd battery you should be OK charging your Yeti from your 2nd battery. Otherwise connect your Yeti to the main starter battery for charging while driving.
 
It depends on what's charging your 2nd battery. A Yeti 1500X will draw up to 600W to charge via the high power input port or the car charger expansion kit. If you connect the Yeti to a 2nd battery then that 2nd battery will need 600W from the alternator to the 2nd battery. If you have something like a Redarc 1250D charging your 2nd battery you should be OK charging your Yeti from your 2nd battery. Otherwise connect your Yeti to the main starter battery for charging while driving.
I do have the Yeti car charger expansion kit. The plan is a redarc 25 amp DC-DC charger.
 
I do have the Yeti car charger expansion kit. The plan is a redarc 25 amp DC-DC charger.
Your Yeti 1500X wants to charge at the rate of 600W. If you connect your Yeti to your 2nd battery powered with a 1225D you'll draw down your 2nd battery and burn up your 300W Redarc trying to keep the 2nd battery charged up. Connect the Yeti Link Vehicle Integration Kit in Vehicle mode to the starter battery which is connected directly to the alternator. The Yeti link unit has a way to keep from discharging your starter battery.
Yeti Link Vehicle Integration Kit | Goal Zero - https://www.goalzero.com/shop/yeti-accessories/yeti-link-vehicle-integration-kit/
"When in “Vehicle Mode,” the Yeti Link pulls power from your vehicle’s alternator while the vehicle is running and stops pulling power when the vehicle is off."

Note that this is not how I'm doing it with my 1500X. The Yeti car charger kit was not available when I bought my 1500X. I'm running a Victron 12-24/15 Orion from my main battery to the Yeti's high power charging port. This limits my charging capacity to 360W. I program the Victron Orion to stop charging when the main battery voltage reaches 12.5V which means that as soon as I turn off the engine the Victron shuts down thereby preserving my starter battery.

If the Yeti Link was available when I bought my 1500X I would have bought it and connected it to the starter battery.

REF: Yeti Link Vehicle Integration Kit | Goal Zero - https://www.goalzero.com/shop/yeti-accessories/yeti-link-vehicle-integration-kit/
 
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