Battery Tender Question for F250

[Rollingrock]

Gents

So I am a bad boy for not putting a tender system on my F250...I had one on my bike and now for my Side By Side...but this brings up a question. 

On a PSD...with two battery's.   Do I need one or one for each battery?    I know they are tied at some point in series so I didn't know if one would cover both or if better to put one on each?

I am about to buy the 4 bank Battery Tender from Amazon....so any help is welcomed.

Cheers

RR

[sscully]

Think those are in parallel, not series
- If they were in series, that would be a 24VDC  system.

I know BatteryMinder brand you can hook up a single charger to multiple batteries, as long as they are similar in discharge state.
- Dad has 2 trickle inputs under the hook on his RV, one for the engine batt and one for the house batteries.  He has the BatteryMinder brand same as me.

You would need to check the owners manual for the brand that you are buying to see if you can hook up one trickle charger to multiple batteries.

If the brand does not allow for multiple batteries on a single charger, the next item is how to isolate one of the batteries to connect to a trickle charger, stand alone, while the other one is connected in the truck still.
- You would not want both batteries in parallel and multiple trickle chargers in parallel as well.

[gipraw]

a battery tender will work fine for you , JP.  just one. 

[Rollingrock]

a battery tender will work fine for you , JP.  just one.

Thanks guys

I got trigger happy and bought the 4 bank Battery Tender.  I figured one for each batter in the truck and my side by side....

So to be clear, I only need 1 on the F250 or will one on each battery be ok too?

This is what I bought
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CIPHUI/ref=sr_ph?ie=UTF8&qid=1416841119&sr=1&keywords=battery+tender

[sscully]

I just got a chance to check the owners manual for that brand charger.

It is a little different than the Battery Minder brand.



Text from the mfgr on this use case

In Figure 9 we see a pair of 12-volt batteries connected in parallel. This 12-volt battery pack is connected to a single 12-volt charger. Note the blue wire designated W1. The purpose of this wire is to balance the voltage drop evenly across both batteries and each wire during charging. This is not critical for lower current chargers, but when you start to get into the 10 amp and above range, the voltage differential can be significant. The blue wire W1 must be connected to the opposite end of the battery pack as the black wire at the top of the battery pack.

The one you got, if a single bank can charge both at the same time, this is how you would use it.

If you plan on running 2 of the banks to the truck, you will need to isolate one of the batteries from the truck and charge them as if they were 2 vehicles.
- Battery Tender did not show 2 batteries in parallel with 2 chargers.

[Blown F-150]

Steve has it nailed, make sure you isolate the batteries if you want to use two banks to charge the two batteries.

I am sure with just a "Maintenance Charge" being needed, you are fine with just one bank charging both though.

Here is the "bolt in" unit I put in my PSD.

http://www.geniuschargers.com/G3500

 

[Too Stroked]

Think those are in parallel, not series
- If they were in series, that would be a 24VDC  system.

Yea, but think of how much faster it would turn over with 24 volts powering everything!

[Rollingrock]

I just got a chance to check the owners manual for that brand charger.

It is a little different than the Battery Minder brand.



Text from the mfgr on this use case

In Figure 9 we see a pair of 12-volt batteries connected in parallel. This 12-volt battery pack is connected to a single 12-volt charger. Note the blue wire designated W1. The purpose of this wire is to balance the voltage drop evenly across both batteries and each wire during charging. This is not critical for lower current chargers, but when you start to get into the 10 amp and above range, the voltage differential can be significant. The blue wire W1 must be connected to the opposite end of the battery pack as the black wire at the top of the battery pack.

The one you got, if a single bank can charge both at the same time, this is how you would use it.

If you plan on running 2 of the banks to the truck, you will need to isolate one of the batteries from the truck and charge them as if they were 2 vehicles.
- Battery Tender did not show 2 batteries in parallel with 2 chargers.

VERY helpful Steve, thank you.   I would have totally hooked them both up.   

So neg on one and positive on the other.   

I went to a school for kids who don't read good but do other stuff good.   

[sscully]

VERY helpful Steve, thank you.   I would have totally hooked them both up.   

So neg on one and positive on the other.   

I went to a school for kids who don't read good but do other stuff good.

correct : Neg on one battery, Pos on the other battery with a single charger.

[Rollingrock]

VERY helpful Steve, thank you.   I would have totally hooked them both up.   

So neg on one and positive on the other.   

I went to a school for kids who don't read good but do other stuff good.

correct : Neg on one battery, Pos on the other battery with a single charger.

As noted, I went to school for kids that don't read or type good but do other stuff good.

[Too Stroked]

VERY helpful Steve, thank you.   I would have totally hooked them both up.   

So neg on one and positive on the other.   

I went to a school for kids who don't read good but do other stuff good.

correct : Neg on one battery, Pos on the other battery with a single charger.

As noted, I went to school for kids that don't read or type good but do other stuff good.

Detailing School?   

[sscully]

VERY helpful Steve, thank you.   I would have totally hooked them both up.   

So neg on one and positive on the other.   

I went to a school for kids who don't read good but do other stuff good.

correct : Neg on one battery, Pos on the other battery with a single charger.

As noted, I went to school for kids that don't read or type good but do other stuff good.

Detailing School?   

I think it is killing school..

[Rollingrock]

Guys

A friend of mine just sent me a note and good point.   He said, "make sure that the batteries are hard wired in parallel, a lot are switched...if switched, you will need to use 2 charger banks."

so how do I know?   

[sscully]

I only know Ford, and they are not switched as far as the wiring of the batteries go.
- Dad's RV, he can switch the house batteries to the engine battery, in case he needs to jump himself.  That is why he has 2 trickle charger inputs on it.

If the generator is charging a battery is another question, but that is if the generator ( alternator ) is supplying voltage to the battery.
- The 2006 Super duty with dual batteries and dual generators the charging of the batteries is controlled by the PCM.

2006 Ford F250 / F250 cell 12, charging

[Rollingrock]

I just got a chance to check the owners manual for that brand charger.

It is a little different than the Battery Minder brand.



Text from the mfgr on this use case

In Figure 9 we see a pair of 12-volt batteries connected in parallel. This 12-volt battery pack is connected to a single 12-volt charger. Note the blue wire designated W1. The purpose of this wire is to balance the voltage drop evenly across both batteries and each wire during charging. This is not critical for lower current chargers, but when you start to get into the 10 amp and above range, the voltage differential can be significant. The blue wire W1 must be connected to the opposite end of the battery pack as the black wire at the top of the battery pack.

The one you got, if a single bank can charge both at the same time, this is how you would use it.

If you plan on running 2 of the banks to the truck, you will need to isolate one of the batteries from the truck and charge them as if they were 2 vehicles.
- Battery Tender did not show 2 batteries in parallel with 2 chargers.

VERY helpful Steve, thank you.   I would have totally hooked them both up.   

So neg on one and positive on the other.   

I went to a school for kids who don't read good but do other stuff good.

Thanks Steve

So is this still the method I need to take then given your info?