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Mark_and_Linda's avatar
Nov 20, 2016

Our last camping trip.....

Our last camping trip for the year was about a month ago. We hooked up and headed out to the campground about 25 miles away. I noticed the truck was a little slower starting than normal but didn't think anything about it until later. I pulled into the campground store and went inside to check in. I came back out and hit the ignition, just a click. I opened the hood and checked my terminals, all tight. About the time I closed the hood a park ranger drove by...I waved her down and asked if she had some jumper cables. A park worker pulled up in front of my truck in about a minute to jump me off. No problem...it cranked right up. I quickly went to our site, unhooked and then headed to Advance to get another battery. It was the original battery that came with the truck, 2007. After installing the new battery I thought, if I had gone back and unhooked the electrical connection to the trailer I might have had enough to crank the truck. My truck's lights are automatic when the ignition switch is turned, also the trailer lights came on putting more of a drag on the battery. Just thought I would put this out for anyone else who owns a Chevy like mine. Nothing like wanting to get to the campsite and having a dead battery to spoil the evening.

17 Replies

  • I just changed my battery out saturday morning, first cold morning of the season here in texas. Original battery, Been on the truck for 6 years.

    Im sure i could have just put it on the charger and id be fine, but like the OP said, alot of trailer power draws on it and the last thing i want to deal with on one of my trips is a dead battery in the boonies.

    Ended up getting a 900ca to replace the 600ca original. I should be good for a while!
  • If you had a genny you could use it to power a charger. I've done it.
  • Nine years is a lot of time on an OEM starting battery, usually warranted for 24-36 months. Over the years I've learned that it is time to have the battery replaced, or at least tested, at first sign of it not being up for starting.

    Problem is, most cars and trucks today start too easily most of the time, and you learn about problems only on hard start conditions (like colder weather). Some car dealers and service shops now do battery tests as part of the oil change/routine maintenance inspection service, because it can be a sales opportunity for an overpriced battery.
  • Mark and Linda wrote:
    Nothing like wanting to get to the campsite and having a dead battery to spoil the evening.


    No one to blame but ourselves now that small, lightweight lithium battery powered packs such as the Powerall series are so readily available. I've got one on my Christmas list for this year. :)
  • Original battery! Borrowed time my friend. It would have been interesting to know if the lights made a difference though.