Dinghy Battery

Sooboy wrote:

lryrob9301 wrote:
The underlying problem with the battery going dead is Honda uses a minimum capacity battery in the CRV. Replace the OEM 420CCA battery with a group 24 battery of at least 800CCA. You will probably have to replace the battery box with a Odyssey unit to fit the larger battery (about $30). I've done this for a couple of friends that tow late model CRV's and cured their dead battery problems.

What a great idea, lryrob. The CRV battery is practically a motorcycle battery! Is the Odyssey box a direct replacement for the CRV box?

I had a charge line installed on our CRV, but the larger battery would likely have sufficed.

Yes, the Odyssey battery box is a direct replacement, with only one hole needing to be drilled in the box, if installed on a 2010 CRV I believe, other years bolted straight in.

lryrob9301 wrote:
The underlying problem with the battery going dead is Honda uses a minimum capacity battery in the CRV. Replace the OEM 420CCA battery with a group 24 battery of at least 800CCA. You will probably have to replace the battery box with a Odyssey unit to fit the larger battery (about $30). I've done this for a couple of friends that tow late model CRV's and cured their dead battery problems.

What a great idea, lryrob. The CRV battery is practically a motorcycle battery! Is the Odyssey box a direct replacement for the CRV box?

I had a charge line installed on our CRV, but the larger battery would likely have sufficed.

gasser9 wrote:
Pull fuse #32 I think or install a fused charge line between the coach & toad.
The

owners manual

for my Saturn Vue that has the same transmission and engine is

very specific on towing

. Start engine, Run through gears, idle in NEUTRAL for 5 minutes do Not put in Park or Reverse after the idle period (if you do run another 5 min in Neutral). Every 7 (seven) hours whether towing or not repeat procedure!!!! 90,000 towing miles & 115,000 driving & no transmission problems the BOOK must be right. I changed the transmission fluid every 50,000 miles & switched to Synthetic the first change.
Just my experience. Dennis

x2
Yup really read your manual for your 'specific' car.

I was just reaching in and starting my toad not changing anything from the toad mode it is in when towing.

Duh, read the entire manual and you have to put it 'in gear' for the trans to be cooled.

Pull fuse #32 I think or install a fused charge line between the coach & toad.
The owners manual for my Saturn Vue that has the same transmission and engine is very specific on towing. Start engine, Run through gears, idle in NEUTRAL for 5 minutes do Not put in Park or Reverse after the idle period (if you do run another 5 min in Neutral). Every 7 (seven) hours whether towing or not repeat procedure!!!! 90,000 towing miles & 115,000 driving & no transmission problems the BOOK must be right. I changed the transmission fluid every 50,000 miles & switched to Synthetic the first change.
Just my experience. Dennis

Start the car for how long? Starting drains more from a battery than a 15 minute run will replace. ALternators need to be run at about 1500rpm or better to charge adequately so sitting at idle at 700-900rpm will do little.

Add a charge line from the tow vehicle that goes to the battery and it will stay charged while being towed, even if the key is on. Had this same problem last summer as a charge line was not installed. got to 1st stop dead battery. Next morning we installed a direct charge line and had no further issues in next 4000 miles. I am sure you have a brake system of some sort dont you? When he siad they bypassed the cars elec system he meant they wired a harness to the tow plug that goes to the rear lights, same thing I have.

I start the car every 250 miles or at lunch time...whichever comes first. I do this most importantly to circulate transmission fluid and also helps to keep the battery charge. When travelling I'm not trying to set some endurance record for how long the car can be towed without starting. To me it makes common sen$e to periodically start the car in accordance with manufacture's recommendation. JMHO :)

On my toad the specs said to start it every 250 miles to get the trans oil circulating.

2 years never had the battery go dead. That is until my last trip I was so close to my destination that I didn't stop for my 250 start the toad.

Well. That is how I found out that my starting it every 250 miles IS what charges the battery also.

Others will chime in what you can add on to prevent battery drain.

And check that you have the key in the correct position for towing and shut off all heat/ac/radio. On some they will run in the key position required for towing.

The underlying problem with the battery going dead is Honda uses a minimum capacity battery in the CRV. Replace the OEM 420CCA battery with a group 24 battery of at least 800CCA. You will probably have to replace the battery box with a Odyssey unit to fit the larger battery (about $30). I've done this for a couple of friends that tow late model CRV's and cured their dead battery problems.

I'd like to share with you what we have done for 8-10 years and three motorhomes. We have a fuse switch in the 2010 CR-V that turns off fuse #32, in our case, to prevent battery drain while key is in acc position. We get power for the brake box (SMI) from the motorhome. Prior to this switch we experienced dead battery after 4-6 hours of towing. With switch installed ( no real modification to speak of) we have not experienced battery issues. Door locks and brake lights work with this setup. Hope this is helpful.

Eagle1951 wrote:
How often to you start dinghy to keep battery charged. Dealer installed towing harness and said cars electrical bypassed but car battery is dead when stopping for gas. It's a Honda CR-V/

For starters, you might consider having the steering lock removed and save yourself a lot of misgivings. As an alternative or addition, connect a #12awg wire, fused on both ends, between the coach chassis battery and the toad battery via the umbilical cord.