Well, it took us 4 hours after leaving the main road (if that is what you want to call it) to get to the lake. A beautiful place! Gonna have some great fishing in the morning! Looking forward to a few days of peace and quiet - as my phone quit working several hours ago because we got out of range!Got up in the morning and had a wonderful day fishing. Fried up a mess of them for dinner. Then I went to get something out of the cab of the truck, but the fob thingy wont open the doors. Oh well. Stupid thing doesnt work half the time anyway. Whip out the keys and do it the old fashioned way. Hmmmmm....seems kinda dark in here....wait! WHERE ARE THE INTERIOR LIGHTS!??!?!? (insert ominous music here) THE TRUCK BATTERY IS DEAD!Why oh why did I not just go ahead and replace the batteries?!?! I knew they were past their prime!! I go and tell her majesty what happened. Needless to say that did not go over well. I get told how she has to get back in time for her job and she was planning on having lunch with her mother and if we dont get back....blah blah blah blah...I get my bag and drop a couple of bottles of water into it along with my compass and a map. All I have to do is follow the trail out that we drove in on to the road and walk until I get a cell signal.I leave the truck to escape from her majesty's eyes that are about to burn a hole straight through me. It is a nice evening for a hike anyway. Plenty of moon light and a nice breeze. Beautiful country out here!An hour later, not to far from me, I hear wolves howling.......

Cant you use the house batts to start the truck? Jumper cables?

And now...for the rest of the story.Then I woke up. The wolves howling was the dog laying across me and baying while it slept.But seriously..I did get up this morning to a dead battery in the truck (while it was still in the driveway). No, nothing was left turned on, however I found out that the factory batteries are only 36 month batteries. And I have had the truck for 5 years and 4 months.Could I swap the camper batteries for the truck batteries? I think it is possible (if I dont injure myself in the process). More important - how do you tell if a battery is going to take a dump shortly? I though about a battery hydrometer but the current batteries I have are marked on the top with "Dont remove vents under penalty of death" or something like that. So how do you test them? Is there an appropriate tool? Or should you immediately replace them the day after the rated period is up?

After reading your second post I deleted what I wrote here the first time. I shouldn't have took the time to read the first one. And to reply to it much less. :R

The camper batteries are deep cycle and will have lower starting performance.Couple things to try instead... put a small battery charger on the chassis batteries for a few hours or boost start the batteries with cables or a jump box.For superior performance I recommend an AGM such as Sears Platinum for a new start battery.wolves howling as you walk into the dark was a great hook. ;)

Ive used the hauler batterys to jump start the truck and vice versa. Buy a lithium jump start battery pack for those times ya need it, we have one.

Busted with a bad battery out in the boonies | Good Sam Community

Eric_Lisa
Explorer II
May 12, 2016
portscanner wrote:
...
I leave the truck to escape from her majesty's eyes that are about to burn a hole straight through me. It is a nice evening for a hike anyway. Plenty of moon light and a nice breeze. Beautiful country out here!

An hour later, not to far from me, I hear wolves howling.......

Moonlight hiking through a wolf infested wilderness rather than dealing with her majesty...? Sounds like you took the easy way out.

:B
JohnAM
Explorer II
May 09, 2016
Yup, replaced mine with Interstates from Costco for less than $90 a piece.
jimh406
Explorer III
May 06, 2016
Stars101 wrote:
Not really germane to this post, but the OEM battery in my Toyota Highlander lasted 13+ years! I've been wanting to brag on this to someone... and now I have :)

I like to replace batteries before they fail, but I guess that's some kind of record. :)
Stars101
Explorer
May 06, 2016
Not really germane to this post, but the OEM battery in my Toyota Highlander lasted 13+ years! I've been wanting to brag on this to someone... and now I have :)

Splurged and replaced it with another Toyota battery that will probably outlast the SUV - which is 13 years old and has 260,000 miles on it. Fingers crossed - I want to get at least another 50-75K miles out of it.
bighatnohorse
Explorer II
Apr 27, 2016
JohnAM wrote:
My OEM batteries are 10 years old (2006 Ram). Truck started slowly a few weeks ago and got a warning light with low voltage.

Forget about testing. Those batteries are about to drop you like a hot potato.
Shop for and get new batteries asap.
lawrosa
Explorer
Apr 26, 2016
What is the best way to test?

Load test the batts at local auto parts store.....

10 years is an outstanding run... I would just get new batts... Its time...

Make sure alt tests properly at 14.3 volts or what not to be sure voltage regulator is working....
JohnAM
Explorer II
Apr 26, 2016
Now you guys have me worried. My OEM batteries are 10 years old (2006 Ram). Truck started slowly a few weeks ago and got a warning light with low voltage. Thought alternator was bad at first but tested ok. So I put a charger on it and got a fault on one of the batteries. Ran 2 cycles of the recondition mode. Then it started normally, warning gone and everything seemed fine. Then it happened again. I think it is time for new batteries. What is the best way to test?
Boatycall
Explorer
Apr 26, 2016
RoyB wrote:
My PLANB is I carry my 2KW HOnda.....As long as I have some gasoline I am pretty much covered for those bad battery days....

I have 10 batteries (2 in the truck, 5 in the TC, 3 in "The Shotwagon"), 600watts solar, and 2 Honda 2K's. The Magnum Converter/Inverter has a built in 125amp charger. It will single-handedly max out one Honda. Sounds like a lot, but with 10 batteries, that's only 12 amps charge per battery.

Gotta keep the whiskey chilled and the icemaker goin.

Priorities.
mkirsch
Nomad II
Apr 26, 2016
Where do you put it all? I tow a 7x14 tandem axle enclosed trailer when I go camping, and I don't have room for all that stuff!
Naio
Explorer II
Apr 26, 2016
I have an Anderson connector under the dash that goes to my chassis battery -- I can just plug the house one in, for a jump. I am lazy and decided this was easier than jumper cables, which I also carry. And food and water for weeks, and a genny, and two battery chargers, and shop manuals...