Alternator amps output?

Hi all: trying to charge a 100 amp lithium Iron battery while driving. To do this I have to buy a DC to DC charger unit since lithium batteries need more than lead acids . The company I am working with say they have a 20, 40 and a 60 amp unit so I need to find out what my alternator output is... I cannot seem to be able to find this info on my books, but howsome-ever I AM electrically challenged. Anyone have any insights?
cheerz,
Leo

 

What year Tacoma for starters. If a 2nd gen Tacoma, it also matters if you have tow package or not.

 

2nd gen stock 90, w tow pak 130 amps.

 

The output of the charger depends on the normal load of your truck alternator.

Are you going to need to charge your lithium battery on short trips around town or only during several hours of driving?

OP in your case I would read all I could find about using and Charging lithium batteries.

I will stick with my AGM deep cycle for a camping battery.

good luck.

 

Doesn't really matter - the DC/DC converter is simply rated at an amperage and it will not exceed that. Pick the largest one.

 

Hey Ryan, thanx for the reply, it is an '07 with a tow package...

 

In that case, you should have the 130amp, as @rnish listed. Personally I'd suggest going with the 40amp DC-DC. This would equate to all the extra amps the tow package alternator gets you. You could probably get by with the 60amp DC-DC, but I like leaning towards the safe side. Do you have any other accessories drawing much power already? Lightbars, big stereo, heated seats?

 

I had a triple AGM setup in my truck that worked great, but it was HEAVY. I can definitely see the benefit of going lithium. After pricing building a lithium setup myself, I went ahead and bought a Bluetti AC200Max. it has nearly 3x the capacity of the two house AGMs, takes up less than half the space of the batteries, charger, fuse panel, outlets, ML-ACR, etc. The only thing I'm missing is alternator charging, but I've got 170w of solar that has done well enough, and charging before I go camping is usually all I need for a 3 day weekend. I guess I also miss having self jump start capability ( I used that frequently, lol). But I did gain a 2200w inverter that I put to use even more frequently.

So yeah, AGM can work great, but there are other just as good options

O yeah, and OPs truck probably doesn't have a voltage booster, so it can't properly charge an AGM anyhow!

 

In my case the weight is not a problem !

I run AGM batteries in 2 vehicles without any extra booster for 5 or 6 years.

 

Weight is definitely a problem for me! I'm running at GVWR before I load my camper.


AGMs work fine in a 1st gen without a booster. The smart alternator in a 2nd/3rd gen Tacoma won't fully charge an AGM. It'll work with no real negative effects, but you'll just never be able to use the full capacity of the battery. On a 2nd gen, you can do a voltage booster (tricks alternator into thinking it's putting out less juice than it actually is so it cranks up the output). For 3rd gen, a change to the computer is needed.

 

Okay so I am electrically challenged ie: confused... if I have the 130 amp alternator I need a 60 amp minimum and a 40 is more???? Seems like a 60 amp is more than a 40 amp... I do not understand...

 

No other power drains other than running my cooler... But this battery I am charging is isolated from my house battery... ie: Its sole purpose is to run my cooler/freezer and possibly charging phones lights etc... The setup I have is this: I normally charge this isolated battery with solar panels while camping but when I am traveling I cannot deploy the solar panels but will still need a recharge to run my cooler freezer during nightime hours...

 

I'm saying 40amp would be good for your setup. 60 amp might work, or it might be too much draw and drain your battery faster than the alternator can charge it.