rip it all out and start from scratch. adding "extra" wires, simply adds new ground paths... and 90% of all electronic interference come from multiple ground paths. want to increase your issues with the CPU/ECU/PGM? (whatever you want to call it) add extra wires and watch the fireworks. want to upgrade a wire, do it replace it in its entirety, do the same for the corresponding ground wires. do not scrimp, you will pay for it in the end.

 

as ken said, remove the smaller wires, and go with a single wire that can handle the current.

 

So I believe the 2 original ground straps from the engine to each battery are 1/0AWG. So I shouldn't need the additional ground strap from the alternator to the drivers battery.

The hot wire from the alternator gets a little more complex. Running an 1/0AWG to replace the 6AWG gets more complicated since it goes from the alternator to glow plug relay then to relay on the passager side above the wheel well then to the passengers battery. Most of these runs are through wire harnesses. I was really hoping I could charge the batteries from the opposite direction directly into the drivers battery.

 

My 320A alternator has a single wire from the Alternator to the Driver side battery, and the big fat cable from the left battery to the passenger side was already on the truck when I bought it.

 

DC to DC charger

, are you running lithium batteries ? in the camper

i had my camper all dialed in with truck alternator bi directional charging , solar , generator and then I bought some lithiums and have to start from scratch if I want to charge them to more than 80%

 

I am not at this time, but I am planning on a DC

, are you running lithium batteries ? in the camper

i had my camper all dialed in with truck alternator bi directional charging , solar , generator and then I bought some lithiums and have to start from scratch if I want to charge them to more than 80%

Presently AGM batteries, I'm fortunate, my camper is just over 2 years old. The solar controller and the charger/inverter controler both are programable for Lithium. The DC to DC charger is also programmable for both AGM and lithium.

 

@TooManyToys has some good experience with videos on the wiring subject.

 

I was trying to stay in the shadows here.

I agree throwing cables all over the place causes issues, negative or positive, whether you're trained in current flow or electron flow. But I don't have an issue with a layover cable starting and ending at the same points. Things can get whacked out when you start running electronics directly to the battery, and usually, that's what's found when people have floating voltages. The 6.0L is supposed to be better at suppression from ham operators, but I haven't played with the 7.3L electrical system.

The 7.3L has somewhat of a better battery-to-engine block pathway, with both batteries connecting to the block, while the 6.0 uses the frame as part of the negative bus bar, so two more connections of some resistance. The starter won't care much, but it gives a weird negative path. But neither situation is ideal.

That's about all I can say about the 7.3L.

 

IMO,

having a dedicated Ground from each Battery, to the Engine Block is the most "Ideal situation"

shorter leads, and lower Resistance. For me, with a 7.3L, the truck is wired that way.

IF, I owned a different model Diesel, I would add an additional Ground Wire to the BLOCK from the battery does not have a Dedicated Ground wire.

 

Lithium has a very narrow range of charging rates and temperature at which it is safe to use.
in a nutshell, research it

 

I have a lot of Lithium batteries for my Ryobi One+ stuff, love those things.

but, I was recharging them WRONG and they went bad.
after using the tool for a bit, I threw it back in the charger.

wrong.... run it down until the tool quits running, then recharge it.

out of six batteries, I now only have ONE that is good.

 

thanks Ken,
I remember reading that stuff before because I needed to know how to take care of an Off Grid battery given to me by my son.

we use it to water our trees, a normal Car Battery cannot withstand that kind of abuse, 2 hours running a 12V RV 5 gpm Water Pump pushing out 200 to 300 gallons every evening.

I throw it on a Charger designed for Lithium batteries and walk away, so it will be good tomorrow.
come winter, it comes in the house, I float it up, and take the charger off until next summer.

 

I leave my float chargers hooked up for months/ years at a time.

Is that a bad thing?

 

an Example here,
my Golf Cart batteries are "on charge" 24/7/365

but, the charger is a "smart charger" and knows how to treat them, reference usage, and ambient temperature.

just 6 months ago, I had to get a new pack of batteries, the OEM Trojans were 17 plus years old, and "only one" cell went bad, which ruined the whole pack. I suspicion that cell went dry and I did not notice it, I was away from home in the hot summer for 3 months, taking care of sick family.... my daughter was using the cart daily to carry 300 gallons of water to trees.

during the cold months, I keep a 4.5 Amp Battery Tender on my Excursion, it adjusts voltage for colder temperatures.
Warm? 13.3
Frigid? 14.3

4.5 Amp Battery Tender