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The best reason I can tell you to do this yourself, is that when your out on the lake and it is acting wrong after a dealer install, you won't know why. Install it yourself, learn why you did what, and you will know how to use it. The reason the price gets larger and the job gets bigger is because your planning for the future, not because your adding a simple battery and switch. If it is just insurance you want, then just add a second battery and a simple 1/off/2 switch. If you want to install something to help with additional upgrades, then you spend a tad bit more but add time and effort to the install to make it simple. Plenty of threads with diagrams, I will give you the blue sea switch diagram and ACR you pictured as well as a simple switch diagram. They are easy to draw but a little harder to contort in a narrow gunwale interior to install. I can tell you too, that there are other considerations. Remember that you need to check the electrolyte level in your batteries frequently. Also remember that a battery that never gets exercise isn't going to last long, so using it is important. Ok, here are a couple diagrams for consideration...let's start small, here is what you have...
Here is the simple perko style 1/off/2 switch. Oh, the combine, or both setting is for emergencies and you shouldn't use that unless you have a dead bank. Some guys want to use that and it is defeating the purpose of having backup, running a risk of using a bad battery, and other issues.
Here is the blue sea and acr without any additional features. Note that all diagrams don't show needed or recommended fuses. Note that the ACR is on the battery side of the switch. You can also install the ACR on the load side. There is a difference and what you want it to do is something you have to decide. If the dealer does it, you won't know what he did or how it works. We can explain the difference and the details of this to you.
Here is the same setup with the ACR on the load side.
Here is an ACR explanation page I did that helps to understand how to get what you want out of it.
I wanted the most out of my system. I added ground and load buses at the battery compartment, as well as a switch and ground bus at the helm. That way adding or removing any equipment was easy in the future. Here is my electrical system. Note that chargers aren't shown in all diagrams and that leads to another discussion for another thread.
Here is the simple perko style 1/off/2 switch. Oh, the combine, or both setting is for emergencies and you shouldn't use that unless you have a dead bank. Some guys want to use that and it is defeating the purpose of having backup, running a risk of using a bad battery, and other issues.
Here is the blue sea and acr without any additional features. Note that all diagrams don't show needed or recommended fuses. Note that the ACR is on the battery side of the switch. You can also install the ACR on the load side. There is a difference and what you want it to do is something you have to decide. If the dealer does it, you won't know what he did or how it works. We can explain the difference and the details of this to you.
Here is the same setup with the ACR on the load side.
Here is an ACR explanation page I did that helps to understand how to get what you want out of it.
I wanted the most out of my system. I added ground and load buses at the battery compartment, as well as a switch and ground bus at the helm. That way adding or removing any equipment was easy in the future. Here is my electrical system. Note that chargers aren't shown in all diagrams and that leads to another discussion for another thread.
