I have a 2016 Lexus ES 350. I have been thinking about putting in a battery isolator to run a second lead-acid battery....deep cycle gel pack and run my equipment directly off of it so as to never drain my primary starting battery. I have looked at a lot of isolators....was thinking about the Blue Sea ACR. Then I read about the Mountain Radio version.....which is a bit higher in price. However, I have heard that some people don't like isolators....that they can cause problems. I also built a 50 amp hour LFP battery which is in a battery box that I use for portable satellite operations. Since the charging profile is different, I don't think I can charge it in my car..... would have to find a charger for LFP batteries with a 12 v input. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Charging my 100ah LiFePo4 with my 99 Toyota Solara as well as a 30 a regulated supply at home. No problems. Cheap battery isolators are just that. I went with Quality and headroom, Cole Hersee brand is top shelf. I use one in my RV on a 100ah AGM Deep cycle.
I have a VW Euriovan camper - there is an isolator to keep the house battery charged. Been working the treat since 1997, so they do work and work well. Good luck with adding your house battery.
Great. Which specific isolator did you get? I have been searching for one. However, I am surprised you are able to charge your LFP battery using your car's electrical system. The only way I have been doing it is with a bench supply CC CV.
I also found a Samulex Isolator that has good ratings. https://www.amazon.com/Samlex-America-ACR-160-Automatic-Isolator/dp/B00HHRVMII
Lots of good resources for adding a dual battery on Expedition Portal. From my understanding of the LiFePO4 charging profile, you can charge from your car's alternator, but it will likely not reach a full charge. An alternator upgrade could solve this, but I'm not sure. I think if you fully charge the LiFePO4 at home, and then maintain that charge while driving your vehicle, you should be in a pretty good position. Any interest in getting a solar panel too?
Take a look at West Mountain Radio. I use blue top Optimas (D34M) with ISO PWR+ (http://www.westmountainradio.com/product_info.php?products_id=iso_pwr) plus dual battery monitor (https://powerwerx.com/battery-bank-monitor-for-battery-chargers) and a solar panel in marine, truck, auto settings. Love the combo.. add West Mountain PP distribution RigRunner in preferred config and you are set for multi-device support. -cognetic
I put the WMR Iso power Plus in and it works well with either a LA or LFP battery. I only bring my LFP to 13.8 anyway, so it works out well
