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Old 01-27-2009, 08:54 AM   #1
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Battery power pack

I apologize if this has been discussed before. My son mentioned to me about getting a power pack to start the Sportsmobile if we are way out in the middle of no where and end up with a dead battery. He said they are basically a mini car battery that charges either through the cigarette lighter or a 110 volt adapter. They have battery cables built in. If your battery is dead, you just clip on the cables and start the vehicle. Does anyone have experience with them and which brands do you like? Thanks. oclv

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Old 01-27-2009, 09:07 AM   #2
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Re: Battery power pack

We have one although I haven't had to use it to start our van but I'm sure that it could. (Gas, not diesel.) I've used it a couple of times to jump start other vehicles and used it recently to jump start an old diesel Kubota tractor that we had to crank over for a couple of minutes which drew the jumper battery down to about 1/2 power. But it still did the trick. I don't know the brand name on ours and it probably isn't available anymore anyway...we got it back in 2001. The "optional" features I like are the LEDs which show the charge condition of it and the cig lighter outlet which can be used to power floodlights, etc.
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Old 01-27-2009, 12:11 PM   #3
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Re: Battery power pack

For those SMBs that have the house batteries ad a battery isolator or seperator, then it is almost automatic that if the starting battery gets too low the house batteries help out to make sure you are not stranded.

Do you have house batteries?
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Old 01-27-2009, 02:42 PM   #4
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Re: Battery power pack

That is a feature that was changed a couple of years ago...older vans have a different separator.
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Old 01-27-2009, 04:17 PM   #5
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Re: Battery power pack

IF they have house batteries, it might be that an upgrade to the newer version of the battery seperator might be an easier piece of mind.
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Old 01-27-2009, 05:17 PM   #6
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Re: Battery power pack

If i have the switch on my VAN does that mean I have the older isolator or the newer seperator? I have a feeling that when I charge my van using the shore line, it doesn't charge my starting battery. I've had to use the switch before. I utilized one of those charging packs, but unfortunately that doesn't keep a charge on it anymore.

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Old 01-27-2009, 08:03 PM   #7
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Re: Battery power pack

I used to have one, nice to not have to position vehicles to jump, or to drag out to the barn for the John Deere. After awhile they won't take a charge, and I don't think they're useful for really dead batteries, just where you're a little under powered to start... I think good battery maintenance and understanding your isolator/separator (which kind, how to jump, how to ensure the starter batts aren't being drained by the house functions) is a better solution.

I almost hate to plug it, because the development is not going well, but this is the kind of thing I'd really like to see documented in the upcoming Wiki.
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Old 01-27-2009, 09:29 PM   #8
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Re: Battery power pack

I have used one to start my old van when I left the keys in all night on "ON" after rolling up the window. It was a E250 V8 so battery packs are powerful when kept fully charged every 2 months and less than 2 years old.

Jage, I want your book "understanding your isolator/separator"

Angel
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