Pros and cons of 2 bateries?

[William Parker <parkerw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Kevin Pacheco wrote:
> 
> Is it possible to add a second baterie to my 71, wired in a sires with the
> other without causing any problems?  Would it be better to wire it into a
> paralell or series?
> Thanks
> Kevin Pacheco

     I ran a dual battery system for several years in the
80's on a truck.  A buddy had a '76 Dodge 3/4 ton pickup. 
We agreed that I would build a slide-in wrecker assembly for
it, and we would split the cost of the wench, then we would
both use it for our Mopar-related acquisitions.  I was
parting out every junk Mopar I could get my hands on and
selling the spares, and he was buying and selling whole
cars.  
     Taking the measurements from a Holmes 220 slide-in I
built the wrecker out of 2X4 3/16 wall tubing, and 4X4 3/16
angle.  Welded some pieces of the angle to the frame,
sticking through the bed floor, to receive the slide-in
assembly, so that it could be removed if we needed the truck
for regular heavy hauling.  We bought a very large and heavy
Desert Dynamics 11,000 pound wench.  Mounted a battery tray
next to the wench solenoids, and connected the battery
positive to the solenoid box, and the ground through the bed
to the frame.  I connected the positive of the truck battery
and the positive of the wench battery with heavy welding
cable, I think it was 2-0 size.  This way, both the starter
and the wench drew from both batteries, both were charged
all the time.  We added a sling assembly bought from a local
wrecker service, and a set of dollies likewise.  It may not
have been the book-correct way to do it, but it worked to
recover many a Mopar for several years, until his insurance
company figured out what was going on and cancelled.


Bill Parker, South Central Indiana
'62 Plymouth Max Wedge; '64 Dart Convertible (Kathi's car);
'65 Imperial; '65 Barracuda \6 (Kathi's other car); '68 Hemi
Roadrunner; '68 Barracuda Fastback 383-S; '69 Barracuda
Fastback now 360 (20 y.o. son's car); '72 Cuda 340