If you do a little
internet searching, you can find lots of 125 to 140 Amp alternators at about 1/10 the
price. Older Cadillacs had I think 110 amp. on them. Lots of trucks have 125 amp alternators. A brand new one, from almost any popular auto supply will probably cost you less than 200 bucks, and will come with a lifetime warranty. No questions asked, if fails you get a new one. What is the warranty on a
Balmar. There is nothing super trick about the Balmars, and they are built on the exact same frame as one for a truck. The
marine label on an alternator for a
diesel is totally unnecessary. The difference between a
marine alternator and a non marine, is a little
screen in the vent openings, to keep sparks from getting out. That is the ONLY difference. Check that out with your local alternator shop if you doubt it. The acceptance rate of your house bank will make anything over 125 - 140amps. pretty useless. IMHO most of the Balmar stuff is way overpriced, and does not do nearly as much as Balmar wants you to believe. Maybe not pure snake
oil, but not too far from it. I have a 425ah house bank, a 70 amp alternator, with built in
regulator, and 300 watts of
solar. I run all the standard stuff, including refigeration, but no AC, and have no problems keeping
batteries charged. I would spend my
money on
solar panels, which don't require
fuel, don't make
noise, are guaranteed for 25 years, and are not going to be much more expensive, if at all, to what you are considering.