Add a Battery kit????

[Fiat4Fun]

I have a 1986 Chris Craft that has two batteries, with the old school Perko switch. I want to move the switch, so I was thinking of adding one of those blue seas "add a battery" kit, that isolates the two batteries and uses a relay for charing the batteries. The old school Perko switch requires me to switch between batteries during the day, but this new system seems to take that to a new level, with no switching. My only concern is, what if the relay fails? I guess I would see it on my volt meter. Any thoughts on this system, or any other suggestions? Just trying to keep my batteries isolated and make sure I have some reserve in case I drain one of the batteries?
Any thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks
Bob

 

[dingbat]

I have the add a battery kit on mine. Going on 5 years without a hiccup. Best thing I ever did

 

[bruceb58]

Just so you know, the switch on the ad a battery kit is not a 1/2/both switch. It requires your engine and house loads to be isolated.

If you already own the Perko switch you can just add the ACR to your existing set up.

My pontoon boat has the switch from the add a battery set up and my Wellcraft has the 1/2/both switch. Both have the ACR between the 2 batteries.

 

[Fiat4Fun]

Cool, so it sounds like isolating my batteries would be a good thing, in case I drain one while using stereo and stuff.
I will check on how to isolate my house loads. Do you leave your bilge pump on the house or engine load side?
I think my fuse for the bilge is on the house load side, so I guess that is where it is wired to.
Any other advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[bruceb58]

My pontoon boat does not have a bilge pump.

For the pontoon, everything that except the engine is on the house battery.

On my Wellcraft, would have been extremely difficult to isolate engine stuff from house and would have required two fuse panels instead of the existing one to only have the engine on one battery.