Solar battery maintainer?

[JaysOnTheEDGE]

Hello,

I only drive my truck every few weeks now, so I am looking into a solar charger to keep the battery maintained I ran across this one on amazon and was wondering if anyone here had any experience with it?

https://a.co/d/cK30cmB

Any other recommendations are welcomed as well. Thanks in advance

Sponsored

 

[AzScorpion]

I've been using the one from Ford which I bought with my FordPass points. It's the same as this CTEK one. Only thing with a solar one is you're now having to worry if the sun will be out enough for it to charge. With the one I have I've never noticed any difference in my bill as it has very little draw .

Also I've found a lot of these solar panels end up dying after a year or two and then you're stuck buying another panel or just going to a hardwired unit.

 

[JaysOnTheEDGE]

I've been using the one from Ford which I bought with my FordPass points. It's the same as this CTEK one. Only thing with a solar one is you're now having to worry if the sun will be out enough for it to charge. With the one I have I've never noticed any difference in my bill as it has very little draw .

Thanks for the insight, Dave, I live in an Apt so I can't keep a cord plugged into the building outside at all times I could do it once a week for a few hours if needed though, that's why I was leaning towards a solar unit

 

[AzScorpion]

Thanks for the insight, Dave, I live in an Apt so I can't keep a cord plugged into the building outside at all times I could do it once a week for a few hours if needed though, that's why I was leaning towards a solar unit

It does make it difficult in your situation so maybe try the solar unit and buy the extended warranty with it. It looks like the 3 year one is only $7.99 and at least it'll cover you for a few extra years.

 

[MountainGoat]

You can get one that plugs into the 12v outlet in the truck. Boom, no solar or electric outlet needed.

 

[AzScorpion]

You can get one that plugs into the 12v outlet in the truck. Boom, no solar or electric outlet needed.

I've never seen these types only the plug in or alligator clip ones. Wouldn't you be drawing from the same battery you're trying to keep charged?

 

[Joeiconic]

Hello,

I only drive my truck every few weeks now, so I am looking into a solar charger to keep the battery maintained I ran across this one on amazon and was wondering if anyone here had any experience with it?

https://a.co/d/cK30cmB

Any other recommendations are welcomed as well. Thanks in advance

I have no idea how a solar charger would perform over a long period of time. It seems like there is a likelihood that the charger itself could run down if environmental conditions are not optimal. But, Deltran is a reputable brand, so if you’re going to get one that one is probably as good as any.

I would also worry about someone breaking in to get it.

 

[JesseS]

You can get one that plugs into the 12v outlet in the truck. Boom, no solar or electric outlet needed.

You need a 12V outlet in the truck that STAYS live, and not switch off after a few minutes, so hardwired is needed.

 

[JesseS]

As this is only .4 amps I would go with either a larger one or a folding backpacker type panel. You will need to hardwire it in as our 12v sockets don't stay live for long. You will need to run the wire thru the firewall unless you already have a 'hot' wire for other accessories, then you can use that.

 

[MountainGoat]

I've never seen these types only the plug in or alligator clip ones. Wouldn't you be drawing from the same battery you're trying to keep charged?

Oh is that why I'm on my third battery? Huh...

 

[wanted33]

I've been using the one from Ford which I bought with my FordPass points. It's the same as this CTEK one. Only thing with a solar one is you're now having to worry if the sun will be out enough for it to charge. With the one I have I've never noticed any difference in my bill as it has very little draw .

Also I've found a lot of these solar panels end up dying after a year or two and then you're stuck buying another panel or just going to a hardwired unit.

I've had 2 vehicles on "life support" 24 hours a day for many years, and never noticed a jump in my electric bills. Like you said, they don't draw that much power.

Jay, I use this one on my Ranger when I'm out of town, and it works fine (I bought it before everything went up, and it didn't cost this much). If you're battery is in good shape, this small one will do the trick if you decide you would rather have a plug in unit.

https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tend...ocphy=9009899&hvtargid=pla-370669784302&psc=1

 

[machinist85]

I have one from Harbor Freight on my old Durango that sits 2-3 months at a time and it always fires right up.

https://www.harborfreight.com/15-watt-solar-battery-charger-62449.html

 

[AutobotXJ]

I was actually thinking about this too. My GF just got back from a 2 month long trip to Japan and so I’ve been starting and driving her (1 year old crosstrek) every weekend. Except last weekend so it was 2 weeks without a drive and the battery died- it couldn’t even be jumped. She also lives in an apartment so a plug in tender wouldn’t work. I’d be interested if this solar style is worth it.

 

[deleriumtremor]

Thanks for the insight, Dave, I live in an Apt so I can't keep a cord plugged into the building outside at all times I could do it once a week for a few hours if needed though, that's why I was leaning towards a solar unit

I use the Ctek unit Dave referenced above. I got the optional screw down pigtails which makes hooking it up a breeze.

I suspect with modern battery management SW, unless you are commuting on the freeway frequently, your battery isn’t going to last like the old days (like 7 years, pretty sure they never did in AZ, too hot), unless you use a charger/conditioner.

If I do some running around town, come home and plug it in, it takes quite a while to do it’s whole thing and I get a green light (like a few hours or more) so your idea of the solar charger is right for the situation you described, I think.

 

[AzScorpion]

I use the Ctek unit Dave referenced above. I got the optional screw down pigtails which makes hooking it up a breeze.

I suspect with modern battery management SW, unless you are commuting on the freeway frequently, your battery isn’t going to last like the old days (like 7 years, pretty sure they never did in AZ, too hot), unless you use a charger/conditioner.

If I do some running around town, come home and plug it in, it takes quite a while to do it’s whole thing and I get a green light (like a few hours or more) so your idea of the solar charger is right for the situation you described, I think.

Bill my original battery died in 18 months. Most of my commutes are short and the battery never gets a chance to fully charge and the heat here kills everything. They gave me a new one under warranty and I bought the battery maintainer with my FordPass points along with the longer lead on Amazon and hardwired it. I ran the longer lead down the front and out the tow hook so now I can quick connect it. Plus there's a rubber boot above the tow hook so I tuck the end in there when not in use. I connect it at least 3-4 days a week and haven't had any problems since.

Sponsored