Sponsored

Genesis Dual Battery Kit

Status
Not open for further replies.

Tortooga Custom Works

Well-Known Member
First Name
Ralph
Joined
Nov 29, 2018
Threads
80
Messages
1,704
Reaction score
1,619
Location
Central NJ
Vehicle(s)
2020 Jeep Gladator Launch Edition | 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited
The JL Kit fits perfectly in the Gladiator:
https://www.genesisoffroad.com/JeepJLDualBattery-p/185-jldbk.htm

Why this kit?
I wanted to just write something brief about why I chose this kit, why it works for my needs. You may find that it could work for yours.

I want to be able to run certain accessories while the vehicle is off. Some of these I want to run even while I am driving. This will require a battery of some kind, either a portable one, or a permanently installed one somewhere in the vehicle. I also would want that battery to charge while the vehicle is on.
Space is limited in the vehicle, so where might that additional battery go?
Also, wiring is always challenging. The battery won't fit under the hood, probably in the bed somewhere, so I'd need to make sure to get some nice sized wires from the batteries to the bed to keep that other battery charged up.

I chose this kit because I felt that, given it's price, the speed, and simplicity of the installation, it satisfied all my current wants and needs. I got the additional capacity from a second battery and,
  • I didn't need to find a "good" (dry, safe, etc) location for another battery, and
  • I didn't need to run any wires from the battery to the bed (although in some future I will need to do this anyway).
In a few hours and roughly $1300, I got 75% of the system I want, all "integrated" and hidden in existing space. I did not need to take up any extra space anywhere else.

Yes, I could just wire things to the stock battery. But that battery is not at all designed to power things with the vehicle off. I would need to replace it a lot sooner than intended if I was to do that regularly.
Note this quote: "If a starting battery is routinely deep cycled (discharged below 20%-50% of max capacity), it will generally fail after 30-150 cycles. The same starting battery will last for thousands of cycles if it is just used normally (2% - 5% discharge)."
Source: http://www.batteriesinaflash.com/deep-cycle-battery-faq

Out of the box, this kit also provides a battery isolator to protect that cranking battery. I can still use some of the cranking battery's capacity when the vehicle is off, but the isolator will protect it when it reaches a certain level and just run off of the auxiliary battery.

Here's how it works:
  • When both your batteries are fully charged at 13.2 volts, they are automatically connected and are charged at the same time.
  • When you park and turn off the engine, but continue to use accessories such as lights or the stereo or a CB, both batteries begin to drain down.
  • When your main cranking battery reaches 12.7 volts, the smart isolator separates the batteries, so that your cranking battery will have enough power to start the engine. The second battery continues to power your accessories for as long as it will last.
  • After you crank the vehicle, your main cranking battery will be charged up to 13.2 volts first, and then the isolator will begin charging your accessory battery. By only charging one battery at a time, your alternator is protected from excessive strain.
What if your cranking battery is somehow drained down too low to be able to start the vehicle? We have a solution for that.

  • Press the Start Boost button and the isolator will connect both batteries together for 1 minute, acting like built-in jumper cables to jump start your engine off your accessory battery.
  • As long as the accessory battery has enough power, you'll be able to start your vehicle instead of being stranded with a dead battery!
  • The alternator will charge both batteries for 1 minute, then switches back over to automatic mode to reduce the strain on your alternator.
How%20it%20works%20Genesis%20dual%20battery%20kit%20smart%20isolator%20Cole%20Hersee.jpg


Source: https://www.genesisoffroad.com/JeepJLDualBattery-p/185-jldbk.htm
Why I chose the two Odyssey Batteries?
I need a cranking/starting battery, and also an auxiliary battery that can handle being deep cycled a good amount of times.
The kit can only hold two Group 25 size batteries.

While there are many good starting/cranking options at that size, there are not very many deep cycle batteries available in that size. Actually, I don't know if there are any...

For the price, the Odyssey batteries are a very good mix between a cranking battery and a deep cycle battery. They can be deep cycled a significant amount more than a starting/cranking battery, but not as much as a traditional deep cycle battery (I think that's because of the size). The big benefit is that they also serve very well as starting/cranking batteries.
A more technical explanation can be found here: https://www.odysseybatteries.com/design.htm

For my current needs the two Odyssey batteries seemed spot on, in addition, there are very many good reviews for them.

Cons
I realized I wrote a lot of benefits... but I will write some of the negatives, that's only fair, and it may help others determine if this particular setup is right for them.
[to be written]

The Future
In the next few months I'll be adding the following. I'll add details as that happens.
  • Power Distribution - see detail thread
  • Solar Charging Controller - Not settled on which just yet, but this is easily wired right to the main terminals provided on the kit. Again, simplicity of installation wins...
  • 12V Plugs in the Cab wired directly to the kit (for charging phones and tablets)
  • 12V Terminals in the bed wired directly to the kit (for lights, fridge, etc). I might just run one big set of wires and have some separate power distribution back there.
  • New Inverter. Maybe just one with a new plug in the bed and in the cab, or one for the cab, and one for the bed. Not 100% sure yet. I'm planning to use the space behind the rear seats for this. More on that later.

Could my needs in the future change? Possibly, and probably. At that time I'll look at what I have and possibly make some updates. Maybe I would get a third battery, true deep cycle and put it in an enclosure in the bed. I might then rewire some circuits around... but yea, not worth walking about at the moment because the kit and batteries as is are perfect for my needs right now.

Instructions
The JL instructions by Shane were spot on. That's what I followed. I transcribed all of it to help me wrap my head around what I was doing. I've attached that PDF - it may or may not help you, the video is extremely well laid out.

It took me about 1.5 hours. I was going slow and I still dropped a nut at the worst possible moment, into the worst possible cavity... I got it out, but lost about 10 minutes to that ordeal.

A few high level notes:

  1. The number of terminals at your fuse box may vary. There may be 6, there may be less. Just make sure to put the ones you have back where they belong.
  2. I only had one wire going to the fender, the JL shane is working on had 2. Again, don't stress if you have more or less, just put them in the right spot.
  3. I had an issue where my backup camera, and trail cam, did not work when I first powered everything up. I think it was that I restored power with the tailgate down, and I did all my troubleshooting for several minutes with it down. The instant I closed it and turned the vehicle on, both cameras started working again.
  4. I spent the most time grooming the wires at the end, getting them in the right spot so they would screw down where they were supposed to. Be patient.

Sponsored

 

Attachments

Last edited:

JT614

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2019
Threads
32
Messages
433
Reaction score
1,049
Location
Columbus, OH
Vehicle(s)
'20 Gladiator Overland '14 JGC Summit '04 TJ Rubi
Vehicle Showcase
1
Pardon my naivety, but when/why would a guy need a dual battery setup? Additionally, why would you stop at a dual setup versus a triple (if that is even a thing)?
 
OP
OP
Tortooga Custom Works

Tortooga Custom Works

Well-Known Member
First Name
Ralph
Joined
Nov 29, 2018
Threads
80
Messages
1,704
Reaction score
1,619
Location
Central NJ
Vehicle(s)
2020 Jeep Gladator Launch Edition | 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited
Pardon my naivety, but when/why would a guy need a dual battery setup? Additionally, why would you stop at a dual setup versus a triple (if that is even a thing)?
It's worth noting that this dual battery kit is great because it is "bolt-on." You're not running new wires, terminating, drilling, cutting, or doing anything crazy.

Why would you need one?

Here's something I wrote in another post:
If you plan to add any accessories that draw power (e.g. winch, lights, fridge, tv, etc), you need to protect your cranking battery. As efficient as newer electronics are, you don't want to be out wheeling, camping, overlanding, and not be able to start your truck to get back.
Sure you could just get a small jumper kit, like a NOCO, but, your stock battery is not designed to be depleted regularly. You will cut the life of that battery by at least 50%. You will be replacing it regularly if you are running things off of it with the motor/alternator not running.

The kit provides protection for your cranking battery, meaning you won't deplete the battery with accessories properly wired to the kit, and you also get added capacity because you can run certain extra accessories for longer than on the stock battery alone.
Also worth nothing, the Odyssey batteries are a very good mix between a cranking battery and a deep cycle battery. They won't last as long as a traditional deep cycle, but they will last much longer than a regular starting battery (like the stock one) AND you can use them as starting batteries.
Win win given the cost and the simplicity of the installation.
Source: https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...ery-probably-works-with-jt.17168/#post-282212
 

Sponsored

BradWatson8541

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2019
Threads
9
Messages
183
Reaction score
204
Location
Mont Belvieu TX
Vehicle(s)
2007 Chevy Silverado to be traded for a JT

Jeepers!

Well-Known Member
First Name
Andrew
Joined
Mar 28, 2018
Threads
13
Messages
823
Reaction score
821
Location
The Old North State
Vehicle(s)
A Chevy and a Caddy
OP
OP
Tortooga Custom Works

Tortooga Custom Works

Well-Known Member
First Name
Ralph
Joined
Nov 29, 2018
Threads
80
Messages
1,704
Reaction score
1,619
Location
Central NJ
Vehicle(s)
2020 Jeep Gladator Launch Edition | 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited
So let's say you plug a fridge (or something) in the bed outlet. Would that automatically be powered by the auxiliary battery?
So it's a bit of a long answer.

The kit gives you the added capacity of the second battery. But eventually, when the first battery starts to be low, the unit will automatically disconnect the auxiliary battery from the primary crank battery. Because of how things are wired in the vehicle, any stock items (e.g. bed plug, usb ports, radio, headlights) are still connected to the primary battery. So they would continue to drain the crank battery if left on while the vehicle is not running. However, that's not as easy to do since you need to leave the car in ACC in order to run anything with the motor not running.

The kit does have terminals for accessories, those would only drain the secondary battery when that disconnection occurs. Again, it's protecting the cranking battery.

So by itself the kit is just going to give you more capacity and protection for items wired to the terminals on the kit.

The real story is that you don't want the kit by itself. If you plan to do serious camping or overlanding you will want to do a few additional mods (which I am planning):
  1. Forget about the onboard inverter.
  2. The 12V outlet under the radio is going to get replaced by a trailer brake controller. So I will remove that 12V outlet entirely and install several new ones wired to the genesis kit.
  3. Wire a new inverter to the genesis kit. This kit would be for the interior of the cab.
  4. Wire 12V circuits (probably via an sPOD) to the bed. I'd probably add a second inverter to live in the bed.
  5. Add a solar charge controller. This is to charge the batteries while stationary.
Here is where things get complicated... I do want to add another battery bank (lithium deep cycle) or a Goal Zero.

What I haven't quite thought through completely is if and how I might integrate that other battery bank with the genesis kit.

There is a very good argument to be made that the genesis kit is just for the truck. Meaning, it is only to protect the cranking battery and run the light bars, work lights and winch. Then there would be a completely separate electrical system for the camping essentials...

BUT, there's a missing link... that secondary system needs to be charged, and some of those components I'd want to control from the same sPod system... sooo.... yea... ok, I've written too much. gotta get back to work. i'll come back to this lol
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
Tortooga Custom Works

Tortooga Custom Works

Well-Known Member
First Name
Ralph
Joined
Nov 29, 2018
Threads
80
Messages
1,704
Reaction score
1,619
Location
Central NJ
Vehicle(s)
2020 Jeep Gladator Launch Edition | 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited
I reformatted the first post to try and include some of the other stuff I've said in other places. Hopefully it is helpful.
 

Sponsored

Lou3.6

Well-Known Member
First Name
Lou
Joined
Nov 24, 2018
Threads
6
Messages
1,036
Reaction score
698
Location
Eastern Washington State
Vehicle(s)
Jeep 2016 WK2 75th Anniversary edition
Occupation
retired Navy -- 1984 > 2004
The JL Kit fits perfectly in the Gladiator:
https://www.genesisoffroad.com/JeepJLDualBattery-p/185-jldbk.htm

Why this kit?
I wanted to just write something brief about why I chose this kit, why it works for my needs. You may find that it could work for yours.

I want to be able to run certain accessories while the vehicle is off. Some of these I want to run even while I am driving. This will require a battery of some kind, either a portable one, or a permanently installed one somewhere in the vehicle. I also would want that battery to charge while the vehicle is on.
Space is limited in the vehicle, so where might that additional battery go?
Also, wiring is always challenging. The battery won't fit under the hood, probably in the bed somewhere, so I'd need to make sure to get some nice sized wires from the batteries to the bed to keep that other battery charged up.

I chose this kit because I felt that, given it's price, the speed, and simplicity of the installation, it satisfied all my current wants and needs. I got the additional capacity from a second battery and,
  • I didn't need to find a "good" (dry, safe, etc) location for another battery, and
  • I didn't need to run any wires from the battery to the bed (although in some future I will need to do this anyway).
In a few hours and roughly $1300, I got 75% of the system I want, all "integrated" and hidden in existing space. I did not need to take up any extra space anywhere else.

Yes, I could just wire things to the stock battery. But that battery is not at all designed to power things with the vehicle off. I would need to replace it a lot sooner than intended if I was to do that regularly.
Note this quote: "If a starting battery is routinely deep cycled (discharged below 20%-50% of max capacity), it will generally fail after 30-150 cycles. The same starting battery will last for thousands of cycles if it is just used normally (2% - 5% discharge)."
Source: http://www.batteriesinaflash.com/deep-cycle-battery-faq

Out of the box, this kit also provides a battery isolator to protect that cranking battery. I can still use some of the cranking battery's capacity when the vehicle is off, but the isolator will protect it when it reaches a certain level and just run off of the auxiliary battery.



Why I chose the two Odyssey Batteries?
I need a cranking/starting battery, and also an auxiliary battery that can handle being deep cycled a good amount of times.
The kit can only hold two Group 25 size batteries.

While there are many good starting/cranking options at that size, there are not very many deep cycle batteries available in that size. Actually, I don't know if there are any...

For the price, the Odyssey batteries are a very good mix between a cranking battery and a deep cycle battery. They can be deep cycled a significant amount more than a starting/cranking battery, but not as much as a traditional deep cycle battery (I think that's because of the size). The big benefit is that they also serve very well as starting/cranking batteries.
A more technical explanation can be found here: https://www.odysseybatteries.com/design.htm

For my current needs the two Odyssey batteries seemed spot on, in addition, there are very many good reviews for them.

Cons
I realized I wrote a lot of benefits... but I will write some of the negatives, that's only fair, and it may help others determine if this particular setup is right for them.
[to be written]

The Future
In the next few months I'll be adding the following. I'll add details as that happens.
  • Power Distribution - see detail thread
  • Solar Charging Controller - Not settled on which just yet, but this is easily wired right to the main terminals provided on the kit. Again, simplicity of installation wins...
  • 12V Plugs in the Cab wired directly to the kit (for charging phones and tablets)
  • 12V Terminals in the bed wired directly to the kit (for lights, fridge, etc). I might just run one big set of wires and have some separate power distribution back there.
  • New Inverter. Maybe just one with a new plug in the bed and in the cab, or one for the cab, and one for the bed. Not 100% sure yet. I'm planning to use the space behind the rear seats for this. More on that later.

Could my needs in the future change? Possibly, and probably. At that time I'll look at what I have and possibly make some updates. Maybe I would get a third battery, true deep cycle and put it in an enclosure in the bed. I might then rewire some circuits around... but yea, not worth walking about at the moment because the kit and batteries as is are perfect for my needs right now.

Instructions
The JL instructions by Shane were spot on. That's what I followed. I transcribed all of it to help me wrap my head around what I was doing. I've attached that PDF - it may or may not help you, the video is extremely well laid out.

It took me about 1.5 hours. I was going slow and I still dropped a nut at the worst possible moment, into the worst possible cavity... I got it out, but lost about 10 minutes to that ordeal.

A few high level notes:

  1. The number of terminals at your fuse box may vary. There may be 6, there may be less. Just make sure to put the ones you have back where they belong.
  2. I only had one wire going to the fender, the JL shane is working on had 2. Again, don't stress if you have more or less, just put them in the right spot.
  3. I had an issue where my backup camera, and trail cam, did not work when I first powered everything up. I think it was that I restored power with the tailgate down, and I did all my troubleshooting for several minutes with it down. The instant I closed it and turned the vehicle on, both cameras started working again.
  4. I spent the most time grooming the wires at the end, getting them in the right spot so they would screw down where they were supposed to. Be patient.

SUPER NICE OF YOU . . . WELL PLANNED AND THOUGHTFUL INFO. I'd seen the video months ago and have been anticipating the day WHEN ! I'd most likely have the installation done for me as I don't have the space or patience to tackle it . "Q ?" with the added weight on that side, are you noticing any changes to steering ? It's been suggested some modification to that side --such as a small spacer or even a different shock ! I'm curious about that .
 
OP
OP
Tortooga Custom Works

Tortooga Custom Works

Well-Known Member
First Name
Ralph
Joined
Nov 29, 2018
Threads
80
Messages
1,704
Reaction score
1,619
Location
Central NJ
Vehicle(s)
2020 Jeep Gladator Launch Edition | 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited
SUPER NICE OF YOU . . . WELL PLANNED AND THOUGHTFUL INFO. I'd seen the video months ago and have been anticipating the day WHEN ! I'd most likely have the installation done for me as I don't have the space or patience to tackle it . "Q ?" with the added weight on that side, are you noticing any changes to steering ? It's been suggested some modification to that side --such as a small spacer or even a different shock ! I'm curious about that .
No changes in steering. If I had to guess, I think the net gain is maybe 25-30lbs. Let me figure out how to confirm that.
 

TheITGuy

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 21, 2019
Threads
74
Messages
604
Reaction score
587
Location
NW Iowa
Vehicle(s)
2017 Honda Ridgeline RTL-E, 2021 Toyota Rav4 Limit
SUPER NICE OF YOU . . . WELL PLANNED AND THOUGHTFUL INFO. I'd seen the video months ago and have been anticipating the day WHEN ! I'd most likely have the installation done for me as I don't have the space or patience to tackle it . "Q ?" with the added weight on that side, are you noticing any changes to steering ? It's been suggested some modification to that side --such as a small spacer or even a different shock ! I'm curious about that .
Put a sPOD on the driver's side and you'll be balanced out :like:.
 
OP
OP
Tortooga Custom Works

Tortooga Custom Works

Well-Known Member
First Name
Ralph
Joined
Nov 29, 2018
Threads
80
Messages
1,704
Reaction score
1,619
Location
Central NJ
Vehicle(s)
2020 Jeep Gladator Launch Edition | 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited
No changes in steering. If I had to guess, I think the net gain is maybe 25-30lbs. Let me figure out how to confirm that.
So here's my math..

The stock battery is 51lbs, the ESS battery is probably another 5lbs and the tray and everything else is maybe another 20lbs (I might be overestimating).

That's 76lbs total.

The Odyssey batteries are 50lbs each, the tray can't possibly weight more than 5lbs, the wiring with the solenoid maybe weighs 2lbs...

So that's 107lbs total. So an added weight of 30lbs.

Let's say it adds 30-40 lbs :angel:
give or take a few...
Sponsored

 
Status
Not open for further replies.
 



Top