driver3,

I know just enough to be dangerous - so if I'm incorrect somebody please pipe up....

I don't see why our alts wouldn't be suffice under normal loads (including recharging any optima). Sounds like the battery took quite the bruising during your camping trip - so it's hard to tell, really, what long term damage might have happened.

I'm only upgrading my alt in an attempt to keep up with the new storage system (series of batteries). Anything the high output alt does beyond that is keen, and a bonus in my opinion.

I dunno. Can't we take batteries into the local auto center to get tested so we can see if they're holding a charge properly???

-biju.