Portable battery jump starter

[free_radical]

Hello folks,,had a battery die on me recently,,was lucky to get help jump starting it from a paserby motorist..

Got me thinking if driving somewhere in the outback alone if I should carry some kind of portable jump starter charger,,

theres seems to be huge selection of these and I have no idea which one to get..
If you have any recomendations Id apreciate hearing it..
Thanks

[westend]

I'm gifted a jump pack about every year or two by owners that forget to charge them and the battery goes South. All of the ones I have performed surgery on contain a small, sealed lead acid battery.

Since I now have a few automotive batteries in storage, I keep them charged and will carry one along on an extended trip. My vehicles all carry a set of jumper cables. My travel trailer has solar charging so as long as the sun shines, I have a lot of 12V power available.

[free_radical]

MrWizard wrote:
if the gauge is right, that battery is NOT fully carged

full charge on a normal battery is 12.7 ~ 12.8v ( down here )

don't know how much voltage drop per cell, cold weather up there causes

Its just el cheapo gage,,so it may not be very acurate,,mind you I had radio on so that uses bit of juice..

Theres also green yellow and red warning lights,,its interesting to watch how it works,,sometimes when driving it stays in red then goes green again,,the alternator must be charging when the motor is running,,so Im not sure why the red even comes on..
Maybe the car computer uses some power also..most important truck runs like a dream in any weather,,thats what counts..

[owenssailor]

Since you are in Canada simply go into Canadian Tire. They sell lots of boost packs. I currently have and Eliminator brand one. It will start a V8. I keep it in the truck all the time we are travelling. I check the state of charge about once a month. It usually takes a shot bit of top up charging but it is always high enough to start an engine.

[MrWizard]

if the gauge is right, that battery is NOT fully carged

full charge on a normal battery is 12.7 ~ 12.8v ( down here )

don't know how much voltage drop per cell, cold weather up there causes

[free_radical]

Update,,have seen couple of these chargers at Canadian tire,,100- 200 $..will wait until the price gets lower,maybe after Christmas or New years,,

Meanwhile got small electric gauge that plugs into 12w dash socket,to keep an eye on the Voltage to make sure I dont run the battery down listening to radio with engine off..
Shows 12.36V when motor is off so I guess thats normal..

[DannyA]

HALO Bolt AC DC 58,830 mWh Portable Charge Car JumpStarter with AC Outlet.
My wife bought one and I was very doubtful about how it would work but it works great. I have started diesel trucks, cars, John Deere tractor, lawn mowers, etc with it. Very small and light weight to carry.

[coolmom42]

I have this jump starter/compressor kit. Have used it once on a mid-size SUV in the parking lot at work. It worked well and has good reviews. No need to carry around a super-heavy battery with limited charge cycles that won't hold a charge. New battery technology is great.

[rockhillmanor]

Portable battery jump starter

I don't leave home without a jump starter on board!

I have jumped countless other MH's and trucks besides my MH in my travels.

I have aired up truck/car/tires too. My camping neighbors kid was ecstatic when I could air up the tires on his bike!.

I have run a small TV all night long with it.

I plug lamps into it, charge electronics, etc. IMHO its endless all what a jump starter can do for you when RV'ing.

1. My advice is to get one with the compressor and the highest amps.
2. I also bought a small cheap invertor with a usb plug on it to plug into 12v hole so I can use ac appliances off it.

3. >>Look for what the amps/psi is on the ones you are looking at.
Buy the one with the highest AMPS/psi. Trust me you 'will' use the compressor sometime within your travels! The higher the amps is where the price difference lies in most jump starters.

....X.... =
you are good to go RV'ing no matter what happens along the way. :C

[toedtoes]

Yes, they do need to be kept charged. My solution to that is to keep them in the clipper plugged into an outlet. When the clipper is at home, it is plugged into shore power so the power pack is being charged. When I unplug to go camping, I always have a full charge on it for an emergency.

[Lynnmor]

Even though the instructions might say differently, many of the jump starters have replaceable batteries.

[SoundGuy]

I carry a Powerall Jump Starter in the truck and always have it on hand should it ever be needed. Mine is an original standard version which starts my Silverado's 5.3L V8 just fine. :B With these small, easy to store lithium battery jump starters now so readily available it's dumb to ever be stuck without one.

[wa8yxm]

FIrst: They sell a whole lot of 'em. Some have "Additional features"

THe package consists of a small (like 25 AH) AGM battery, electroncis to charge it and perhaps some additional stuff.. You want a MINIMUM of additional stuff.

THe one I have has a 900 Amp PEAK CURRENT Rating A State of charge display and a work light (LED) in addition to the 12 volt accessory outlet (Most all of 'em have this) and jumper cables.. It has started my car. It has run my slide in and out when the controller failed,, I have NOT started the RV's generator with it....YET... But I did with my last one (this is my 2nd one)

You want at the very least 750 AMPS peak, 900 is better 600 AMps peak would not even start a motor cycle.

I have a couple of blowers for campfires, One for rings I can lift, one for those new concrete monster "Safety Rings" and they can be powered by the battery too. And of course it's a portale work light


One final word.. They do need to be charged even if not used every few months Just to insure they are full up.

[gbopp]

time2roll wrote:
Right now you have a new battery right? No worries.

Famous Last Words. 🙂

[punomatic]

I keep mine in the bed of my pickup when RVing. I have a 400W inverter outlet in the bed. I've used it several times on my own and other vehicles. Mine also has an air compressor included. Handy beast. Sorry, I can't tell you the brand, as it is home in Oregon, and I am in Alabama at the moment. I got it at Costco a few years ago. Still works.