Systems Explained
Charge your house batteries while you drive — a second electrical system, dedicated to powering your van life.
The 30-Second Answer
A secondary alternator is a second power generator added to your engine that runs alongside your stock alternator. Its job is to charge your house battery bank while you drive — fully and quickly, with no draw on your truck’s starting battery. For travelers who use a lot of power (induction cooking, AC, fridges) and don’t always have solar conditions to recharge, it’s the difference between always-full batteries and managing power anxiety. +$8,000 over the Foundation power setup.
How It Works
Your engine already turns one alternator. We add a second one — wired to its own battery bank, isolated from the system that starts your van.
Why People Upgrade
A typical day of driving (4–6 hours) fully recharges your house bank. You don’t need solar to be full — you just need to be moving. Lithium batteries take a high charge happily and the alternator delivers it.
Standard battery isolators pull from your starting battery to charge house batteries — which means heavy use can drain the battery that starts your engine. A secondary alternator means two completely separate electrical systems. Your truck always starts.
Induction cooking, 12V AC for hot nights, large fridges, full-time laptop/monitor setups, hair dryers — all power-hungry. If you cook real meals on the road, run AC overnight off-grid, or work from your van, a secondary alternator keeps up where solar alone can’t.
Honest Tradeoffs
Decision Framework
What It Costs at Sequoia + Salt
Secondary alternator adds $8,000 to whichever power tier you choose. That includes the high-amperage alternator unit, custom mounting bracket fabricated for your specific van platform, dedicated belt drive, voltage regulation, wiring to your battery bank, and installation backed by our warranty. Works with Weekend, Extended Off-Grid, or Expedition Power tiers — best paired with the larger battery banks.
See real numbers for your Scout or Loft in about two minutes — no salesperson, no email required.
