OK, I am thinking of a new mod that involves mounting a larger (1600-2000 watt) power inverter in the rear area of my VX so I can run some more luxury items while camping . Now, I could simply install the inverter and run cables up to my battery from there. However, it is my understanding that you want your inverter to be as close to the battery as possible. In this case, I want my inverter all the way in the back, so I will be running cables the length of the VX to get to the battery in this case.

Now, that said, installing a second deep cycle battery seems like it would be a cool idea, and I think I have the space to do it where I want to do it. But, given that, would I need to upgrade my alternator to handle charging 2 batteries? If so, what does an alternator upgrade entail?

A second (backup) battery seems like the optimal way to do this. This way, I can run stuff off the second battery (coffee maker, Hella lights, etc) while not running any risk of draining my main (starter) battery.

So, can someone break all this down for me? What is the *best way* to accomplish this?

Thanks,
Bart