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Vehicle manufactures have done a number of things to reduce weight and thereby improve fuel mileage. One thing done on the Ranger is using a smaller, lighter AGM battery (as compared to old, lead-acid batteries). The Ranger, like most modern vehicles, has a smart charging system. It monitors...

UPDATED UPDATE - Parts are arriving for the Li-Ion battery change-over. The new charger for the trailer is in, two Weize 100Ah LiFePO4 batteries have arrived and today the DC-DC charger/converter for the truck is due. It is a Victron Orion 30-amp unit. Next up is installing all of this stuff...

UPDATE - First, thanks for all the comments and advice. Second, here's where we are now with the project: TRAILER - The Rockwood trailer has a WFCO distribution panel/charger. It is not compatible with Li-On batteries. I have purchased WFCO's updated charger that senses the battery type and...

It's not easy getting on my roof, it's all ready full of vents, AC and, most importantly, I'm old. Thanks for the advice but I'm going to stick with having the panels portable for mounting on the ground.

I camp in the woods and like to keep the trailer shaded under the trees. So I have my panels on portable mounts that I can move around the campsite to catch the sun wherever it strikes the ground.

Yes, and my trailer comes stock with an onboard charger that keeps the 12 volt batteries charged. The trouble is that the charger is set to charge lead-acid (flooded) batteries and not Li-On batteries which require a higher voltage to fully charge.

I tow a travel trailer that has two conventional automotive type batteries. I am changing them to lithium ion phosphate batteries. These batteries require a higher voltage (14.4 v) to fully charge as compared to conventional (lead acid) batteries. I'm trying to determine if the stock charging...

Auto start/stop starters on not conventional starters. They are built tougher to withstand any additional wear. Internal combustion engines are least efficient at idle. Fuel injection helps, but it can only do so much. If you're driving in the country, it's not that big a deal and probably...

Your comments are reasoned and intelligent and, while I may not agree with everything you said, your installation is top notch.

I can understand needing heavier wire for an HF radio or possible additions. However, you likely won’t be transmitting on multiple radios at the same time, so current draw at any moment will like never exceed what the HF radio needs for transmitting - 25 amps. Having multiple fuses in a power...

Put good gas in your tank and nothing else. Neither the Ranger owner’s or service manual recommends injector cleaners. Dealers will, but only to make up the loss review of not being able to do annual tune ups. And save some money and use 87 octane gas, again like the manual says. Higher...

The battery’s state of charge is set at a level that will keep the battery charged and prolong it’s life. AGM batteries are not the same as the old flooded batteries. Raising the SOC higher than the factory level will shorten the battery’s life and not offer any real improvement in starting...

KA5CVH and Dredgerie - nice installs. But why the heavy gauge wire? 8 ga can carry 40 amps; 6 ga 55 amps. What are you guys running that would draw that much juice? I wired my truck with 10 ga which is more than enough for my VHF/UHF radio but with enough extra capacity should I decided to...

A battery's resting voltage and charged voltage are never the same. If the truck will start at 11.7 volts on a cold day, and if it quickly reaches charging voltage, save your money and leave it alone.

Just ordered a set. Thanks for the tip.

I'm glad the OP found a dealer who found the problem and fixed it. There were a lot of other suggestions here, some of which, IMHO, were ill advised. The truck has a battery management system (BMS)which is pretty smart. Messing with it may produce some short-term results but, in the long run...

Burning leaded fuel in a catalytic converter-equipped vehicle causes several problems. The lead in the fuel reacts with the metal catalyst in the converter and destroys its function, so your vehicle will cause more pollution. Because your truck was designed to use a catalytic converter, it won't...

Come on guys, fresh oil on the threads of a spark plug is NEVER from oil getting into the cylinder. Oil in the cylinder is burnt (remember - internal COMBUSTION engine) and appears as black, burnt crud on the plug electrode. These electrodes appear to show normal wear and tear so, despite...

Put 10 hams in a room, ask a question and you'll get 41 different opinions. Here's mine - one radio covering those four bands will be expensive. Unless you have some unique interests you're not going to find a lot of activity on 220. And 6m is kind of spotty -- sometimes it's there, sometimes...

I'm a retired mechanic who monitors forums for vehicles, RVs and motorcycles. All have never ending conversations on what type of oil to use and when to change it. I will not offer my own opinion, since it will just be lost in the multitude. Instead, I'll go with Ford's opinion and for only...