Quick Split Charge Question

After suffering a flat battery at the weekend due to camping-induced over-use of it, I am interested in fitting a 2nd battery (deep cycle) and split charger to run my various gubbins off whilst protecting the charge of my starter battery.

My question is, I want the deep cycle battery to provide supply to everything in the vehicle (mostly 12v sockets but also courtesy lights) when the ignition is off, apart from driving the starter motor during startup (obviously). Is it possible to get a system to do this? Or do they do this anyway?

I presume most deep cycle 2nd batteries are pretty much just loaded by a winch and maybe an inverter/etc. Do you think it's possible to do what I want and basically swap the whole car's supply to the deep cycle during ignition off? Even a manual switchover would be fine if that's possible?

Appreciate your help,

James

as you got a TD5, why not just rewire the ciggy lighter in the boot to run off the second battery, then run all yer camping gubbins off of that?

Hi james, do you have a caravan socket on your car (usually grey) next to your black 7 pin towing connection?
If so get to a camping or trailer dealer and buy the grey male connection. Also get a copy of the wiring diagram and look at pin 3 i think it is, which will be a battery charge circuit for the caravan (charges caravan battery as you drive) wire it up dont forget the earth/negative. leave about 5ft of wire to the grey connection. The other end put battery teminals on or croc clips.
When at the shop get a adaptor to a cigarette socket and wire that to your battery.
So now you will have a grey socket plugged into car socket - wire running inside the car into your boot and onto your spare battery this will now charge your battery when you drive, you can then remove this wire from the car and battery when camping and fit the female cigarette connection to the battery to run your equipment.
This keeps your car battery seperate and allows you to run on the spare and charge it up as and when you need it.
Total cost should be less than a TENNER.

its all in the Q's and A's section.