Maintaining personal car's battery while you're driving OTR

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by BunBaoPho88, Nov 23, 2021.

  1. Troy_

    Troy_ Road Train Member

    1,003
    6,605
    Dec 13, 2017
    Roma, Alberta.
    0
    I've got a 3/4 ton GM I only use for pulling my holiday trailer, it only gets used a couple weeks out of the year so when it sits I put a 40 watt solar panel on the dash inside against the windshield. A small 20 amp charge controller is a requirement. Those tiny solar panels that plug into the cigarette lighter are useless. I tried one of those before going to the bigger panel with a charge controller.
     
    Moosetek13 and Redtwin Thank this.
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  3. Moosetek13

    Moosetek13 Road Train Member

    13,808
    16,322
    Nov 1, 2010
    Burnsville, MN
    0
    I just got the chance to use the NOCO jump starter when I got here for home time today.

    My battery is completely dead.
    Hooked it up, turned it on making sure the boost mode is active, and the engine turns over.
    It was only 10 degrees so it was sluggish, but it turned on.
    No waiting for a charge to build up, like hooking up cables from one engine to another. Instant power.

    I had to jump it again an hour later when I came out from the store.
    Quick and easy.

    And at that point it was down to about 75% charged, so I won't be getting 20 jump starts on a single charge.
    But half a dozen is fine, as it is charged via USB and it doesn't take that long.

    The cost of the NOCO was absorbed in the first day I needed it. Calling for a repair truck, twice, would certainly have cost more than the hundred bucks I paid for it.
    Not to mention the time saved.

    And tomorrow I'm taking it in for a new battery.
     
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