720: Dual Battery, Lithium, or Power Station? The Complete Guide to Vehicle Power Systems
About this episode
Navigating the complex world of 12-volt vehicle power systems can be daunting for off-roaders and overlanders. Hosts Tyler and Jimmy Jett break down the pros and cons of dual battery setups, lithium batteries, and portable power stations to help you choose the right setup for your rig. They also share updates on custom suspension parts from Four Wheel Underground, highlight the latest OnX Offroad features, and discuss exciting gear giveaways, including portable fridges and smart rearview mirrors.
A listener asked about power systems, so Jimmy and Tyler break down every option: dual battery AGM, single and dual lithium, power stations, and the hybrid setups that combine them. Covers why lead acid batteries don’t belong in an off-road vehicle, why AGM never delivers its full rated capacity, why lithium gets you roughly double the usable power in the same size battery, and where AGM still wins (cold weather, sustained winching). Plus a breakdown of power station tech, and a $5,000 RedArc system that converts between a vehicle dual-battery setup and a portable power station, and a cautionary tale about frying a 40-amp alternator at a Jeepers Jamboree airdown.
BLUETTI Elite 100 V2 Portable Power Station: https://amzn.to/4wjM4DG
Jimmy’s New Battery – ECO-WORTHY 12V 100AH LiFePO4: https://amzn.to/4vy11lp
Jimmy’s Old Battery – 100Ah Mini LiFePO4 Bluetooth Lithium Battery: https://amzn.to/44F6Mlm
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Show Music:
- Midroll Music – ComaStudio
- Outroll Music – Meizong Kumbang
Heim joints
"So now you can buy those all a cart from cartridge joints, rebuildable Johnny joints, hymes, offsets, all sorts of different ones."
A metal-on-metal pivot joint used in racing and heavy-duty off-road suspensions to let parts twist freely. Because they don't have rubber cushioning, they make the ride much bumpier and noisier on regular roads.
Also known as rod end bearings, these are mechanical articulating joints consisting of a spherical ball inside a circular casing. They offer maximum, bind-free suspension movement but transfer more vibration and noise to the chassis than rubber or polyurethane bushings.
Johnny joints
"So now you can buy those all a cart from cartridge joints, rebuildable Johnny joints, hymes, offsets, all sorts of different ones."
A special type of heavy-duty pivot joint used in off-road suspension systems. It allows the suspension parts to twist and flex easily when climbing over rocks while keeping the ride relatively quiet.
A heavy-duty, rebuildable spherical joint designed by Currie Enterprises for suspension links. It features a urethane bushing surrounding a steel ball, offering high articulation and durability with less road noise than a traditional metal-on-metal Heim joint.
leaf springs
"So if you want to move your Toyota from Lee Springs to a link suspension kit, check out four wheel underground."
An old-school type of suspension made of stacked, curved metal bars that bend to absorb bumps. They are very strong for carrying heavy loads but aren't as smooth or flexible as modern spring systems.
A simple and robust form of suspension utilizing layered curved steel strips (leaves) stacked together. Commonly used on older trucks and heavy-duty vehicles, they are highly durable but offer a rougher ride compared to modern link-and-coil setups.
Rubicon Trail
"from the trail revival program, which I actually got to be a part of and use to do some maintenance on the Rubicon Trail too."
A famous, incredibly difficult dirt and rock trail in California that off-road enthusiasts use to test their vehicles. It is so famous that Jeep names its most capable models after it.
A world-famous 22-mile off-road route located in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. It is widely considered the gold standard benchmark for testing extreme off-road vehicle capability and suspension articulation.
Wrangler Rubicon
"...e a part of and use to do some maintenance on the Rubicon Trail too. They have an elite partnership."
The Jeep Wrangler is a rugged SUV designed specifically for driving over rough terrain like rocks, dirt, and mud. You can take the roof and doors off to enjoy the outdoors while driving.
The Jeep Wrangler is a highly capable, body-on-frame off-road SUV famous for its removable doors, fold-down windshield, and open-air driving experience. It is a staple of the off-roading community, particularly in its Rubicon trim which features heavy-duty axles and locking differentials.
Saab 900
"...giveaway with Wolfbox next month. So one of the G 900s, the GT 900 G 900 T is what it is. It's the revie..."
The Saab 900 is an older, uniquely styled car from Sweden known for its safety features and aircraft-inspired dashboard.
The Saab 900 is a classic compact executive car produced by the Swedish automaker Saab from 1978 to 1998. Renowned for its quirky aviation-inspired design, front-wheel-drive layout, and pioneering use of turbocharging, it has earned a dedicated cult following.
Toyota Land Cruiser FJ80
"Whether you've got a Chevy Dana 60, 05 and up super duty, fabricated, FJ80, or many truck axles, we got you covered."
An iconic, boxy SUV from the 1990s built by Toyota. It is famous worldwide for being incredibly tough, comfortable, and able to drive through almost any terrain.
The Toyota Land Cruiser FJ80 is a legendary generation of Toyota's flagship full-size SUV, produced in the 1990s and highly prized for its rugged solid-axle design. It is famous for its off-road capability and bulletproof inline-six engine.
Chevy Dana 60
"Whether you've got a Chevy Dana 60, 05 and up super duty, fabricated, FJ80, or many truck axles, we got you covered."
An incredibly strong metal axle assembly taken from heavy-duty Chevy trucks. Off-roaders love to install them on smaller trucks and SUVs so they can run giant tires without breaking the drivetrain.
An extremely heavy-duty automotive axle manufactured by Dana Holding Corporation, specifically the front axle variant sourced from vintage Chevrolet 1-ton trucks. It is highly sought after by off-roaders for custom solid-axle swaps due to its massive ring gear and axle shafts.
dual battery setup
"We're going to be talking about dual battery setups. Like your typical stereotypical AGM battery dual battery setup."
Installing two batteries in a vehicle instead of one. One battery is kept safe just for starting the engine, while the other runs your camping gear, so you never get stranded with a dead battery in the wilderness.
An auxiliary electrical system in a vehicle utilizing two batteries: a primary 'starter' battery dedicated to starting the engine, and a secondary 'house' battery to run accessories like fridges, lights, and winches without draining the starter battery.
AGM battery
"We're going to be talking about dual battery setups. Like your typical stereotypical AGM battery dual battery setup."
A tough, sealed type of car battery that won't leak even if you tip it upside down. It handles rough, bumpy off-road driving much better than a standard car battery.
Absorbent Glass Mat (AGM) is an advanced lead-acid battery design where the electrolyte is absorbed into fiberglass mat separators. They are spill-proof, highly vibration-resistant, and better suited for deep-cycling and off-road environments than standard flooded lead-acid batteries.
portable power station
"A lithium battery in your vehicle and a portable power station like a Gold Zero or a Jackery or a wagon tech or a Blue Yeti or whatever ones that you fancy out there."
A giant, rechargeable battery pack with built-in wall outlets and USB ports. It lets you plug in household appliances, laptops, and camp lights anywhere without needing to wire anything into your car.
An all-in-one portable battery enclosure containing a lithium battery pack, a battery management system (BMS), an AC inverter, and various DC/USB output ports. It serves as a mobile generator alternative for camping and overlanding.
Skoda Yeti
"... Gold Zero or a Jackery or a wagon tech or a Blue Yeti or whatever ones that you fancy out there. Okay."
The Skoda Yeti is a small, boxy family SUV made by a Czech car company. It is known for being very practical, spacious, and easy to drive.
The Skoda Yeti is a compact crossover SUV produced by the Czech manufacturer Skoda from 2009 to 2017. It gained a strong reputation for its boxy, practical design, excellent interior space utilization, and surprising off-road capability.
Redarc
"Red Ark has a really good system. I believe Odyssey had a system, has a system where you can connect them together in series"
A premium brand that makes smart chargers and power systems for overland vehicles, helping you manage multiple batteries and solar panels safely.
An Australian automotive electronics company renowned for manufacturing high-quality off-grid power management systems, DC-to-DC battery chargers, and trailer brake controllers designed for harsh off-road environments.
low voltage disconnect
"And what I did was I had a very simple low voltage disconnect between them. Okay. So I had all my house stuff, quote unquote, your house things"
A smart switch that automatically turns off your camping accessories if your car battery gets too low, making sure you still have enough power left to start your engine.
An electronic device that automatically disconnects electrical loads from a battery when the voltage drops below a predefined threshold. This prevents deep discharge damage to the battery and ensures enough charge remains to start the vehicle.
group size battery
"And one of the cool things about dual battery setups is typically vehicles like to have a certain group size battery. And mainly what that comes down to is packaging for space"
The standard size category of a car battery. It tells you the physical length, width, and height of the battery so you know it will fit perfectly in your car's battery tray.
Battery Council International (BCI) group numbers define the physical dimensions, terminal placement, and mounting type of an automotive battery to ensure proper fitment within a vehicle's engine bay.
cold cranking amps
"Well, isn't there, you have to concern yourself with the cold cranking amps too. Yeah, I guess does their group size batteries that are tied to cold cranking amps"
A measurement of how much power a battery can output to start your car's engine on a freezing cold morning. The higher the number, the easier your car will start in winter.
Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) is an industry rating defining a battery's ability to start an engine in cold temperatures. It represents the number of amperes a 12-volt battery can deliver at 0°F (-18°C) for 30 seconds while maintaining at least 7.2 volts.
Optima YellowTop
"So like an Optima yellow top battery is about 65 amp hours. It weighs a lot more."
A high-end, heavy-duty car battery known for its yellow top. It is designed to both start your engine and run power-hungry accessories like winches and extra lights without wearing out quickly.
A premium dual-purpose AGM battery manufactured by Optima, designed for both high engine-cranking power and deep-cycle accessory loads. It is highly popular in off-road vehicles with heavy electrical demands like winches and auxiliary lighting.
BMS
"pretty much all lithium batteries nowadays come with BMSs, pretty decent BMS, which is a battery management system. Yes. And those BMSs regulate the output power"
The built-in computer brain of a modern lithium battery. It makes sure the battery charges safely, doesn't overheat, and shuts it down before it gets damaged from being drained too low.
A Battery Management System (BMS) is an electronic system that manages a rechargeable battery pack (especially lithium). It protects the battery by monitoring its state, balancing individual cells, and preventing operation outside its safe limits (over-current, over-voltage, under-voltage, or extreme temperatures).
lithium starter battery
"So yeah, that's, I think the first immediate drawback of lithium starter batteries is just they're expensive. They're, they're a little price prohibitive still, I think."
A high-tech, lightweight car battery that uses the same basic technology as your smartphone. It is much lighter and lasts longer than a traditional heavy lead battery, but it is expensive and doesn't like freezing cold weather.
An automotive starting battery utilizing Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) chemistry instead of lead-acid. They offer massive weight savings, flat discharge curves, and high cycle life, but require specialized management systems and struggle in sub-freezing temperatures.
snatch blocks
"The other nice thing is that my alternators help add to the usable power for the winch. Okay... run snatch blocks and use mechanical advantage that helps lessen the load on the winch"
A heavy-duty pulley wheel used with a winch. It lets you redirect your winch cable or double your pulling power, making it much easier to pull a heavy vehicle out of the mud.
A heavy-duty pulley inside a metal casing used in winching and recovery operations. By routing the winch cable through a snatch block, off-roaders can double the pulling power of their winch (mechanical advantage) and change the direction of the pull.
Pontiac Solstice
"...mation. So like I went out camping at this summer solstice camping trip this last weekend. And when I left, ..."
The Pontiac Solstice is a small, sporty two-door convertible car with a curved design that was made in the late 2000s.
The Pontiac Solstice is a two-seat sports roadster produced by Pontiac from 2005 to 2010. It was designed to revitalize the brand with its curvy styling and rear-wheel-drive dynamics, particularly in the turbocharged GXP trim.
DC to DC charger
"No, I think you would just do it like a DC to DC charger at that point. Um, off of the, you could technically have it draw off of the AGM battery."
A smart charger installed in your car that takes power from your engine while you drive and safely charges your secondary camping battery at the perfect speed.
A smart battery charger that takes power from a vehicle's alternator/starter battery while driving and converts it to the correct multi-stage charging profile required to safely and fully charge an auxiliary house battery (especially lithium or AGM).
Lee Lim
"I know that I think it's Lee. I think Lee Lim runs this kind of this way. He has a lithium battery pack that he built himself. He got all the cells and put them together"
A knowledgeable off-road builder mentioned by the hosts who custom-built his own high-capacity lithium battery system for his vehicle.
An off-road enthusiast and DIY builder known in the community for custom electrical and mechanical fabrication, including building custom lithium battery packs for vehicle use.
Ford Excursion
"I think CJ with the CJ does that on the excursion. Okay. And his trailer trailer doesn't have a starter battery though"
The largest SUV Ford ever made, built on a heavy-duty truck frame. It is massive, can tow almost anything, and is highly prized by campers who need tons of space.
The Ford Excursion is a heavy-duty, ultra-large SUV based on Ford's Super Duty truck platform, known for its massive towing capacity and spacious interior. It is highly sought after by overland builders, particularly when equipped with the legendary 7.3L PowerStroke turbodiesel engine.
Ford Orion
"...ve a starter battery though. And I want to say MF Orion does that. Okay. I think he has a little 100 amp ..."
The Ford Orion is an older, small sedan that was sold in Europe during the 1980s and early 1990s.
The Ford Orion is a small family car produced by Ford Europe from 1983 to 1993, essentially serving as the sedan version of Ford's popular hatchback of that era. It was designed to offer a traditional trunk and a slightly more upscale feel.
4Runner Forerunner
"I think he has a little 100 amp hour lithium battery pack in his forerunner that he keeps separate from the starter battery system"
A legendary mid-sized SUV from Toyota built like a truck to handle rough off-road trails. It is famous for lasting hundreds of thousands of miles with basic maintenance.
The Toyota 4Runner is a highly popular mid-size body-on-frame SUV renowned for its exceptional reliability and off-road heritage. It features a robust four-wheel-drive system and has been a staple of the overland community for generations.
King of the Hammers
"But most of the time I'm like at King of the Hammers, we are down there for what? Five days. 56 Yeah."
A massive annual off-road racing event in the California desert that combines fast desert racing with crawling over giant boulders. It is famous for being incredibly tough on vehicles.
An extreme off-road race event held annually in Johnson Valley, California. It combines high-speed desert racing with ultra-technical rock crawling, serving as one of the ultimate durability tests for off-road vehicles and equipment.
Wagan Tech
"How are those two size comparisons for packaging size? One wagon tech is probably two thirds of the 100 amp hour."
A company that makes portable power packs, power adapters, and other electronic accessories for cars and camping.
An automotive accessory and power electronics manufacturer known for producing power inverters, portable power stations, and solar charging equipment.
Bluetti
"and blue Eddie seems to be kind of leading the way in power station technology and capabilities at the moment."
A popular brand that makes high-tech portable power stations and solar panels, known for pushing the limits of how fast they charge and how much power they can output.
A leading brand in the portable power industry, specializing in portable power stations, solar generators, and expansion battery packs utilizing safe and long-lasting Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) chemistry.
Chevrolet Volt
"... 110 circuits and it'll fast charge off of the 12 volt input. Yeah. So it'll most every kind of lithium ..."
The Chevrolet Volt is a hatchback car that runs on electricity from a plug-in battery, but also has a gas engine that kicks in to generate power so you don't run out of charge on long trips.
The Chevrolet Volt is a plug-in hybrid compact car produced across two generations from 2011 to 2019. Unlike traditional hybrids, it operates primarily as an electric vehicle with a gasoline engine acting as a generator to extend its range once the battery is depleted.
Toyota A90
"Off of like your car's alternator system. My car would burden down. Bob, I think has a 90 amp alternator, 80 amps, something like that. So, yeah, you obviously, if you're doing stuff like that, you need to make sure your alternator"
The Toyota Supra is a high-performance two-door sports car made by Toyota. It is designed for fast, fun driving and is popular among car enthusiasts.
The Toyota Supra is a legendary sports car, with its fifth generation (GR Supra) celebrated for its sharp handling, powerful turbocharged inline-six engine, and deep tuning heritage. It represents the pinnacle of Toyota's sports car lineup.
Jeepers Jamboree
"Fun story. We were doing Jeepers Jamboree a couple of years ago, Morphlyte, you know, we air up all the vehicles coming out of Jeepers Jamboree"
A historic annual off-road event where hundreds of Jeep and 4x4 owners gather to drive across the famous Rubicon Trail together.
One of the oldest and most famous organized off-road trail rides in the world, taking place annually on the Rubicon Trail in Northern California since 1953.
1977 Toyota Pickup
"and one of the band has an old like 77 Toyota pickup, 78 Toyota pick up first gen old first gen. Carbureted everything is mechanical in this thing, right?"
An old-school, incredibly tough small Toyota truck from the late 1970s. It is famous for being almost impossible to break, even under the harshest conditions.
The 1977 Toyota Pickup (Hilux) is a classic compact truck celebrated for its indestructible nature and pioneering role in the small 4x4 market. It features a legendary 20R or 22R four-cylinder engine and a rugged solid front axle.
solid state batteries
"Solid state batteries are starting to become more and thing right now. And those are just faster charges and more charge cycles out of them"
A next-generation battery technology that replaces liquid chemicals inside the battery with solid materials. This makes them much safer, faster to charge, and able to hold more power in a smaller size.
An emerging battery technology that uses solid electrodes and a solid electrolyte instead of the liquid or polymer gel electrolytes found in traditional lithium-ion batteries. They promise higher energy density, faster charging times, and improved safety.
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