Martinjmpr
Wiffleball Batter
So here's my situation: Twice in the last 3 months I've had my battery run down low enough that my 4runner wouldn't start in the morning after running a refrigerator all night. The first one happened at DE-IV on Mojave Road and the second one happened just this past weekend camping in the Rockies.
Of course, the first thing I did was check the battery, and given that the battery was covered with stickers that said "Toyota USA" I think I can safely assume it was probably the original battery from 2007. That being the case, I figured it was probably time to replace the battery, which was done, and I got the biggest and most powerful battery the store had that would fit.
That solved the problem for the moment, but I still have concerns, especially since I am now using a much bigger refrigerator (I went from a Dometic CF-18, 19 qt fridge to an Indel-B TB-41 41 qt model.) So I've figured it would be smart to carry some kind of portable "jump starter" when I go on long trips.
Now, most of us are familiar with the "jump starter packs" that they sell at most automotive or discount stores. These are rather large and heavy, and typically use a sealed lead/acid battery (automotive battery.) They often include things like an air compressor or light as well. Cost ranges from $40 - $200 for most of them depending on size and features.
I almost bought one of those on Saturday when I went to get the new battery, but there was one thing that stopped me: Every one of these lead/acid chargers I saw could only be recharged by plugging it into a 120v AC current (that is, a house current.) None of them, as near as I could tell, could be recharged "on the fly" in my vehicle.
So I passed on those and when I got home I started an internet search. I came up with several of this type of charger:
http://www.amazon.com/Foxnovo®-1500...im_auto_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=1SJ6EG1N3PE2WJB3DMPM
As you can see, these are small (they would fit in a glove box.) Instead of a bigger lead/acid battery, they use a Li-Ion battery (like the one in a phone or other small electronic device.) They usually come with multiple adapters for charging computers, phones, etc. But the best feature, IMO, is that these can be recharged via a 12v DC connection, which means that if I carry this in my vehicle I can "bootstrap" the battery, that is, I can use this charger to start a dead battery, and then once the vehicle is running, I can use the 12v power system in the truck to re-charge the charger. In theory, at least, this would mean I would never have to worry about running my battery down too low (though I understand that after a certain number of times being discharged a lead/acid battery is very hard to recharge.)
There are a few brands out there, and most cost around the same (~$100.)
My question is whether anyone here has had any actual experience with these devices, good or bad?
Thanks in advance.
Of course, the first thing I did was check the battery, and given that the battery was covered with stickers that said "Toyota USA" I think I can safely assume it was probably the original battery from 2007. That being the case, I figured it was probably time to replace the battery, which was done, and I got the biggest and most powerful battery the store had that would fit.
That solved the problem for the moment, but I still have concerns, especially since I am now using a much bigger refrigerator (I went from a Dometic CF-18, 19 qt fridge to an Indel-B TB-41 41 qt model.) So I've figured it would be smart to carry some kind of portable "jump starter" when I go on long trips.
Now, most of us are familiar with the "jump starter packs" that they sell at most automotive or discount stores. These are rather large and heavy, and typically use a sealed lead/acid battery (automotive battery.) They often include things like an air compressor or light as well. Cost ranges from $40 - $200 for most of them depending on size and features.
I almost bought one of those on Saturday when I went to get the new battery, but there was one thing that stopped me: Every one of these lead/acid chargers I saw could only be recharged by plugging it into a 120v AC current (that is, a house current.) None of them, as near as I could tell, could be recharged "on the fly" in my vehicle.
So I passed on those and when I got home I started an internet search. I came up with several of this type of charger:
http://www.amazon.com/Foxnovo®-1500...im_auto_4?ie=UTF8&refRID=1SJ6EG1N3PE2WJB3DMPM
As you can see, these are small (they would fit in a glove box.) Instead of a bigger lead/acid battery, they use a Li-Ion battery (like the one in a phone or other small electronic device.) They usually come with multiple adapters for charging computers, phones, etc. But the best feature, IMO, is that these can be recharged via a 12v DC connection, which means that if I carry this in my vehicle I can "bootstrap" the battery, that is, I can use this charger to start a dead battery, and then once the vehicle is running, I can use the 12v power system in the truck to re-charge the charger. In theory, at least, this would mean I would never have to worry about running my battery down too low (though I understand that after a certain number of times being discharged a lead/acid battery is very hard to recharge.)
There are a few brands out there, and most cost around the same (~$100.)
My question is whether anyone here has had any actual experience with these devices, good or bad?
Thanks in advance.