Battery

[circmand]

you should invest in one of those jumper boxes (im not sure what they are called but they store enough charge to jump a vehicle and are relatively small) if your really planning on using the trooper for long expeditions like that.

$29.95 at Pepboys but you needed to keep it charged as well. I do not see why you could not create a one way circuit that would allow a running motor to charge up a battery. Then have a switch that you could hit that if your car would not start would reverse the flow so the always charged battery could then jump the car.

[pbkid]

$29.95 at Pepboys but you needed to keep it charged as well. I do not see why you could not create a one way circuit that would allow a running motor to charge up a battery. Then have a switch that you could hit that if your car would not start would reverse the flow so the always charged battery could then jump the car.

sure, but then you would need a very large diode/very expensive battery isolator

same idea that they use for high end car audio, 2 batteries. but they dont cross signals, otherwise they would drain each other.

[vt_maverick]

$29.95 at Pepboys but you needed to keep it charged as well.

That's my major problem with the chargers, I'm too forgetful to make sure it's charged all the time. The battery brain/buddy isn't a replacement for a charger, but it should at least help to avoid the drain situation, which in my experience is what caused all of my battery flatlines.

Want to eventually have both, but chargers can be big $$$ if you want a really good one.

[Marlin]

There is no button to push on the battery buddy. It has a solenoid that disconnects the battery somewhere around 13V terminal voltage. If you push the brake pedal or flash the brights, it reconnects the battery. No wiring required, just connect it in series with the battery's positive cable. For those with lots of accessories, they all have some small amount of leakage current, amps, monitors, GPS and so on. My expy sits for 5-6 days at a time, so it needs a battery buddy. But as said before, having a dead battery in BFE National Park would not be a good thing. It also could save your battery's life. Running a lead-acid battery to dead reduces its life dramatically.
I will break down the benefits of one battery vs another when I get home from work(I teach all this stuff at school, so I can make it understandable.)

[tom4bren]

There is no button to push on the battery buddy. It has a solenoid that disconnects the battery somewhere around 13V terminal voltage. If you push the brake pedal or flash the brights, it reconnects the battery. No wiring required, just connect it in series with the battery's positive cable.

I told ya it was years ago since I had any experience with a battery buddy. Back in the day when cars had wooden wheels ... ya had to pop the hood & push a button.

[Riff Raff]

I told ya it was years ago since I had any experience with a battery buddy. Back in the day when cars had wooden wheels ... ya had to pop the hood & push a button.

Tom--- Don't feel bad. I was in the second wave of Covered Wagons behind your main lead caravan with the Lewis & Clark expedition. Yes, my vintage (circa 1994) marine/watercraft "Battery Buddy" on my ski-boat has an actual "button" (circuit breaker) that has to be physically re-set by pushing down on the re-set button. It's kinda' a pain in the neck to remove the engine cowling cover, but the peace of mind is always worth it when you re-try the starter and it fires right up. Plus, I always love the look on my friends faces when they say "Oh Boy, now we're really stranded without a prayer." I just smile and say "Not so fast boys with your judgement, just give me a quick moment and we'll be on our way".

[tom4bren]

Riff Raff,

Rekin it's up to us to keep these 'know it all' snot nosed kids in line. They still ain't figgered it out that old & sneeky beats young & energetic EVERY time.

[Ldub]

Tom--- Don't feel bad. I was in the second wave of Covered Wagons behind your main lead caravan with the Lewis & Clark expedition. Yes, my vintage (circa 1994) marine/watercraft "Battery Buddy" on my ski-boat has an actual "button" (circuit breaker) that has to be physically re-set by pushing down on the re-set button. It's kinda' a pain in the neck to remove the engine cowling cover, but the peace of mind is always worth it when you re-try the starter and it fires right up. Plus, I always love the look on my friends faces when they say "Oh Boy, now we're really stranded without a prayer." I just smile and say "Not so fast boys with your judgement, just give me a quick moment and we'll be on our way".

That...and the fact that it's kinda hard to flash the high beams, or tap the brake pedal...on a boat...

[tom4bren]

That...and the fact that it's kinda hard to flash the high beams, or tap the brake pedal...on a boat...

Dam ... I must be getting old ... that one slipped right by me.

[pbkid]

Running a lead-acid battery to dead reduces its life dramatically.

more than 50%....

[circmand]

more than 50%....

replacement vs the prorated warranty