Trickle charging

For those of you who don’t drive your trucks a lot, how often do your trickle charge them?

I usually plug them in for a few hours every week, but some people say it’s better to leave it plugged in continuously to maintain the battery level, which is really only something I can do if the vehicle is parked inside the garage… which they aren’t.

I just bought a battery about six months ago on my 80 series, and it crapped out on me even though I was trickle charging it once a week, this is some thing I’d rather not repeat with the Tacoma. I have wondered if the battery was simply bad, and I got a new one under warranty…

 

I don't drive my Z a lot and use a Battery Tender Jr. I have a smart plug on my tender and have it turn on for six hours a day. Seems to be sufficient and my battery is 6 years old. However, I keep my Z in the garage. Any way you can park your truck just outside of the garage with a cord attached to a battery tender?

 

Tender is the way to go. I have them for my bikes. Set it and forget it.

 

That’s something I’m contemplating to just drive it up against the garage door and then put the battery tender under the hood and close the hood to keep it safe from the elements, but it’s been raining like crazy here these past few months.

 

How long does the truck sit for between drives?

 

1 to 2 weeks.

 

Battery tender Jr. Leave it plugged in 24/7

 

I hear you about the rain (I think we're from generally the same area). Beside my Z, I also drive my daughter's Civic very close to the garage door. I put the battery tender unit just inside garage door, hooked up the battery tender clamps in the engine bay, then closed the hood. Worked very well! If you don't already have one, keep in mind that cable length varies among the different brands of battery tenders. My Battery Tender Jr. cord was more than long enough (main unit plugs in wall then the rest is cord). The Noco Genuis1 that I returned had a much shorter cable.

 

I have the bigger AGM version, I think you can get longer cords and extensions. That seems to be a better idea than leaving the unit in the elements under the hood.

 

I use a Battery Tender Junior. Easier to use than a trickle charger. I plug the tender into power outlet in the garage. Hang the tender on garage wall or put on a shelf. Use a tender extension cord (bought with tender). Attach extension to battery. Run wire along side of engine compartment. Stick end out grill with about a foot sticking out. Fold it back on itself through another grill gap when not in use. Zip tie excess wire. Simply connect both ends outside of grill whenever it's parked. No need to open hood.

 

If my truck sits for a while I hook a battery tender to it, even outside, I put the tender under the hood.
I have a 2012 SLK350 that whenever it is in the garage it is hooked up to a battery tender and it still has the original battery in it, knock on wood.

 

Another vote for the battery tender juniors. have several of them. put them on everything with a battery about once a month, until the light shows green. Ski

 

I do now that I work from home full time. Usually leave it on Mon-Fri as I don’t drive much. I got a CTEK charger/maintainer and also the pigtail with plug that I leave attached to my battery. Makes it nice and easy to plug in instead of messing with the battery clamps.

 

I use a Battery Tender on my super duper riding lawn mower 24/7.

 

^^This. Been doing the same for many years on a sailboat that is moored away from shore power. Always arrive to a freshly topped off battery.