Battery maintainers...

[Uncle Gump]

So... my truck likes to eat up batteries. I did have a draw issue at one point. I believe it was due to my keyless system staying awake. Seems it would kill the battery only if I used a door lock switch to lock the doors. If I used the FOB... it never had an issue.

But the next thing is my truck sits a lot... like for a full week maybe two. Then when I use it... it's mainly short trip use. Grocery... lumber/hardware... 4 miles round trip to see the grandkids... then back to sitting for another week.

The local farm store carries Battery Tender brand stuff and I'm thinking I'll just use that. Thinking I'll wire the truck and have a plug in front of the grill. Buy the extension and mount the tender inside the garage door. Use the extension to just plug in to simplify to entire process.

Anyone have any recommendations outside of that? Brand you use? Etc...

Thanks in advance...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

It will only work great until you forget to unplug it the first time...

 

[sgtsandman]

Project Farm did a video on them not that long ago. It might be worth a look.

Alternatively, you could look at a battery quick disconnect or a switch. It can't drain power of the battery is disconnected. That is what I do when going on deployments for months at a time.

 

[Curious Hound]

Battery Tender seems to be a good brand. I've had several.

You could also drive the tryck longer distances. Maybe take the wife out on a date once a week in the neighboring town? Just an idea.

 

[Uncle Gump]

It will only work great until you forget to unplug it the first time...

I have a plan to prevent that... gonna zip tie my TRS orange flag to the extension. Not fool proof... but pretty close...

 

[Uncle Gump]

Project Farm did a video on them not that long ago. It might be worth a look.

Alternatively, you could look at a battery quick disconnect or a switch. It can't drain power of the battery is disconnected. That is what I do when going on deployments for months at a time.

For what you do when on deployment that would work great. But I have power available and the maintainer would keep the battery at full power.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I have a plan to prevent that... gonna zip tie my TRS orange flag to the extension. Not fool proof... but pretty close...

I don't know what your parking situation is like... I use a cord with a light up end for my engine heater to call attention to it being plugged in.

For what you do when on deployment that would work great. But I have power available and the maintainer would keep the battery at full power.

You would lose your radio presets and any learning your truck does too, not such a big deal once or twice a year. Every week or two that would be annoying.

But then I support anything that will annoy Gump

 

[Shran]

I've got a bunch of these. NOCO and Battery Tender are my favorites. Usually they come with a little pigtail with a SAE connector on it that you can run straight to the battery and leave dangling somewhere, then just unplug that when you need the truck.

I have several Performax ones from Menards too. They are crap. One of them has a button to choose 6v or 12v, if there is a power outage it will start flashing between those two choices and not charge at all. Pretty cool when the power goes out briefly when you're not at home and then weeks go by & you've got a dead battery.

It will only work great until you forget to unplug it the first time...

Mine works great and I've forgot to unplug it several times. The extension cord that it's plugged into is very unhappy however.

 

[Uncle Gump]

I don't know what your parking situation is like... I use a cord with a light up end for my engine heater to call attention to it being plugged in.



You would lose your radio presets and any learning your truck does too, not such a big deal once or twice a year. Every week or two that would be annoying.

But then I support anything that will annoy Gump

You need some new Legos again little buddy?

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

You need some new Legos again little buddy?

As if I would ever say I didn't need new Legos...

 

[Curious Hound]

I have a plan to prevent that... gonna zip tie my TRS orange flag to the extension. Not fool proof... but pretty close...

I have a big, orange "Remove Before Flight" streamer that I hang on the steering wheel of the Superduty when I plug in the block heater. Still drove off twice with it plugged in last winter. 5:45am seems to be too early in the morning for such things.

 

[sgtsandman]

I have a big, orange "Remove Before Flight" streamer that I hang on the steering wheel of the Superduty when I plug in the block heater. Still drove off twice with it plugged in last winter. 5:45am seems to be too early in the morning for such things.

I don't often forget but when I do, it's 0-dark 30 in the morning and it's early in the winter season.

Of course, I don't use mine to make sure the trucks start. I use them to have the trucks warm up faster as I'm hating the cold and how early it is.

 

[hr8882]

So... my truck likes to eat up batteries. I did have a draw issue at one point. I believe it was due to my keyless system staying awake. Seems it would kill the battery only if I used a door lock switch to lock the doors. If I used the FOB... it never had an issue.

But the next thing is my truck sits a lot... like for a full week maybe two. Then when I use it... it's mainly short trip use. Grocery... lumber/hardware... 4 miles round trip to see the grandkids... then back to sitting for another week.

The local farm store carries Battery Tender brand stuff and I'm thinking I'll just use that. Thinking I'll wire the truck and have a plug in front of the grill. Buy the extension and mount the tender inside the garage door. Use the extension to just plug in to simplify to entire process.

Anyone have any recommendations outside of that? Brand you use? Etc...

Thanks in advance...

I bought 2 maintainer from Harbor Freight 4 years ago for my truck and generator both still keep my batteries up to par.

 

[djfllmn]

can't go wrong with a battery tender, I have 2 NAPA branded ones and they work really well

 

[djfllmn]

gump, just a suggestion as i have seen it in the past, yank the fuse for the radio in your truck and see if the draw goes away. for whatever reason Ford radios love to create a draw as one of the first symptoms of failure