Dual Alternators

[budbud7]

Guys have you all seen or added another alternator to a bus? I know there are kits for pickups. I would like that setup so that I would not use my bus alternator for charging house batteries. Solar is so far into the future and a generator set is not what I really want at this time.

The current rig I'm considering this for is my 2007 I/C RE 300, DT466e, that has 2 a/c compressors on the engine. Please tell me what you think. Thanks.

[Jolly Roger bus 223]

a picture of your current belt and pulley configuration would be helpful.

[Rucker]

Another thought is to see if your current alternator has capacity, or if not, can you replace it with a larger capacity one?

You'd need to use a DCDC charge controller, but overall it might be a cleaner install with the DCDC charger controlling what goes to the house batteries.

[budbud7]

On my RE access to the engine is thru the side doors. The rear door gives access to the radiator and charge cooler, therefore I can't get the ideal picture from the front of the motor. According to my build sheet, my alternator shows to be 12v 270 amp. That's if it has not been changed. But regardless, I don't want to use the bus alternator for house battery charging.

[Rucker]

I'll just point out that 270 is frickin' huge and a test with an amp meter would tell you what kind of headroom you have.