Thanks all! I think it might partly be user error. My Smith Volt gauge actually bottoms out at 11v and the needle is staying above that (guessing ~12v) with everything on. Not sure why I was thinking it is 8-9v. Reading is fundamental.
I threw my fluke meter on it and it actually is staying right around 13v with everything on (even the amp for the ipod).
My guess was I never noticed this needle move since I rarely drive at night and that it is sensitive with a small range of motion.
I did find the ground wire on a rusted bolt under the frame so I will clean that off just to keep it in order.
Thanks for the input and sanity check!