On going dead battery problem 2012 Ford Explorer.

[Snomas]

Has anyone solved a problem w/ Explorer battery going down when towing. I have added a wire charger from my motorhome 7 pin connection to the toad battery. I use the RVi Braking system and still have a battery discharge after 7-8 hr day of towing. I have the MFT navigation system w/ the radio and the HVAC system turned off when towing but still get a low battery at end of day.

[Snomas]

I replaced the original battery 2 yrs ago w/ a larger capacity battery and alway give it a full charge overnight at each campground. I will look at the toad charge. I think it is the one I installed originally 5 yrs ago. THX for all the info and ideas guys!

[Wrong_Lane]

I tow a Ford product as well. I was experiencing the dead battery issue on trips over 4 hours. I tried solar and it worked OK on sunny days but was NFG on wet days or after dark (LOL). Living in the Northeast there are just too many wet days to for solar to be reliable.

I installed the ISL Toad Charge system and have used it now for a few months. I will say at this point the problem is 100% solved. I will second the suggestion for the Toad Charge product.

The install was easy, took about two hours from start to finish. The only issue was the heat shrink covers for the connectors. They expanded a little when they cooled and I had to trim them with a utility knife in order to connect the wires.

I really like the charge controller under the hood of the toad. The lights let me know it's connected and working. It prevents overcharge and has diodes so it won't drain the battery of the toad if there is a demand from the motorhome.

Just a comment, if you have discharged the Explorer battery more than 3 times you need to replace it. Nothing kills a five year old automotive battery better than repeated discharges. Don't ask me how I know!!

[427435]

Snomas wrote:
I have checked the voltage and get 13V plus. I start the engine every 250-300 miles for 10-15 min.. I tow the Exporer 4 down & follow the correct shift pattern as listed above. The dash lights go off when in the accessory position. The RVi sensitivity is set on small suv. Still having a low battery problem!

Did you check it at the battery terminal of the Explorer?? With things hooked up and the Explorer off, check across the battery terminals------------------that's the only place that really counts.

[hsteinle]

I have a 2011 Ford Explorer and solved the dead battery issue with a product called Toad Charge. Check it out here: http://www.lslproducts.net/ToadChargePage.html
Also, as previously mentioned, if your battery is 5 years old, your biggest problem might be the age, but without a Toad Charge you probably have been taking the battery DOWN quite a bit, so if you DO change your battery, I'd suggest you seriously look at the Toad Charge.

[We_Cant_Wait]

When you start the motor ever 250-300 miles how long do you run it? Just starting it and not driving at least 9 miles, you will not recoup the power it took to start the motor.

[DSDP_Don]

If you have the OEM battery in the Explorer from 2012, it's going on 5 years old and could be failing, even though it will still start the engine.

[Snomas]

I have checked the voltage and get 13V plus. I start the engine every 250-300 miles for 10-15 min.. I tow the Exporer 4 down & follow the correct shift pattern as listed above. The dash lights go off when in the accessory position. The RVi sensitivity is set on small suv. Still having a low battery problem!

[Triker33]

We Cant Wait wrote:
Recheck with a multimeter your added charging wire to ensure that it is getting proper voltage (13+ volts) from the coach charging system. This wire should be more then enough to keep the battery charged.

X2 The charging line should provide enough for any need.
Maybe you have the sensitivity set too high on the Rvi braking system.

Hope you aren't using the Rvi charging system. I tried it and had several problems with it. A few times battery ran down. Once it burnt charge line near MH hook up.

I took it off and just ran a 10G 20AMP fused charge line from the house batteries to the car battery. I haven't had a problem since with a dead toad battery.

To tow a 2012
Four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicles can be towed with all four wheels
on the ground or with all four wheels off the ground using a vehicle
transport trailer. Do not tow your 4WD vehicle with the front
wheels off the ground (by using a tow dolly) and the rear wheels
on the ground; this will cause damage to your 4WD system. If you
are using a vehicle transport trailer, follow the instruction specified by
the equipment provider. If you are towing with all four wheels on the
ground, refer to the towing instructions found at the end of this section.
If you tow your vehicle with all four wheels on the ground:
• Tow only in the forward direction.
• Release the parking brake.
• Place the transmission shift lever in N (Neutral).
• Place the ignition in the accessory position (refer to Starting in the Driving chapter).
• Do not exceed 65 mph (105 km/h)
• Start the engine and allow it to run for five minutes at the beginning of each day and every six hours thereafter. With the engine running and your foot on the brake, shift into D (Drive) and then into R(Reverse) before shifting back into N (Neutral).

[RedJeep]

We tow a Land Rover Discovery 2 so my advice may not be useful. I installed a 10 watt solar panel on the roof. I can leave the key turned on for several days while towing and I never have any battery trouble.

[We_Cant_Wait]

Recheck with a multimeter your added charging wire to ensure that it is getting proper voltage (13+ volts) from the coach charging system. This wire should be more then enough to keep the battery charged.

[rgatijnet1]

I assume that you have to have the key turned to accessories to unlock the steering wheel. Does this turn on your dash lights? If it does then you need to pull the fuse that powers those lights.
I have to do the same thing with my Chevy HHR.