My inverter can draw up to 80 amps under full load. I was using my inverter and work lights one time inside a vacant warehouse one time and when I went to leave my battery was dead, it was a sick feeling at 4:00 A.M. when nobody is around. I then installed the 3 battery system. How do you isolate your 2 batteries from your alternator?, I think the stock charging system has alot of issues and only being a few inches from the heat of the turbo can't be good for the alternator. I also always carry a battery charger and 200 feet of extension cord in my survival kit. In addition to the 140 amp alternator I made a set of jumper cables, 30 feet long made out of #2 welding cable. I have started 330 cat pusher in class A motorhomes with them. There is still some snow up Hwy. 39 with the low temps we have been having lately. We were going to go up last week till I got rear ended but mt truck goes in the shop on monday for about a week. They are giving me a rental truck but they wont give me a CTD, usually always get Silverado's or Suburbans. What kind of things are on your wish list? Jim. :

 

I use a constant duty solenoid to bridge the batteries while running then disconnect them when the engine shuts down. I put a wire on the engine shutdown solenoid to a bosch relay that draws power from the battery to engage the solenoid that bridges the batteries. the bosch relay would take any stress of the stock wiring and prevent it from engaging if the aux battery voltage is too low. also if for some odd reason my ignition was left on im pretty sure it would shut down after a few mins with no engine activity.
Sorry to hear about your truck, hope it was only minor damage. At least you didnt get a little sub compact car.
Right now im in the planing stages for an onboard compressed air system.
After the last storm i was tempted to go up there and play in the snow but i heard there was about two foot of snow up cajon, i like the snow but the salt is a deterrant.

 

What kind of a compressor are you trying to use? Are you going to mount it on and drive it with the engine? I am also playing with the same idea but for now I have a Co2 tank in the rear for the air horns. Iam sure cummins must use an air compressor mounted on their engines for air brakes. I got hit in the rear by a mini/ Nissan truck and then he was rear ended, It totaled both of their trucks. Later Jim.

 

Mostly 1/3hp electric ones. I started off looking at the quickair 3 but it has a poor duty cycle and 80psi max. Then I found the thomas ta-4101-dc it goes up to 100psi with nearly the same cfm curve, what makes it stand out is the continuous duty cycle. The downside is quickairs go for $300 and the thomas goes for $500... It would take alot of co2 tank refills to justify that.
I also looked at a york airconditioning compressor but I dunno where id mount it other than try to make a bracket that will put it below the alternator then find a longer belt. I think they mounted it where the vacuum/power steering pump is but im not completely sure about that.

 

Thomas compressors are real good, I use them in hospital air/ vac systems but they are expensive. One of my ideas is to run a compressor with a hydraulic motor in series with your power steering system, or you could get a good 1/2 hp DC motor to run a york AC pump. it might draw 30 amps but it will be intermittant. Those motors are surplus. I dont know who makes them but the origional Hummers have a good compressor for the auto inflation system. Jim.

 

Think ill see where i stand after taxes. I havent seen to many of the hydraulic ones. How big is a 1/2hp dc motor?