Camping and Vehicle Battery

Morning

How does a battery hold up when camping and using it for a few small appliances? The common wisdom seems to be that the 3rd gen OEM battery is poor to begin with. Do folks bring a second battery or have other means of having electricity?

Thanks in advance.

 

We often camp in remote areas so I'm a bit paranoid about killing my starting battery and any use other than its intended purpose is a no no for me.

What sort of 'small appliances'? 12 or 110 volt? Amp draw? How long do you intend to run said appliances? Budget?

Without more info, I'd suggest a booster pack / jump starter with built in DC output plugs (cigarette lighter and USB) and inputs so it can be recharged from the Tacoma. Expect to spend $150-200 - the cheap stuff is junk. NOCO https://no.co/products/power/jumpstarters has some quality products with USB outputs. If you need 110V, get an inverter to go with the booster pack (400W will run around $50). Goal Zero https://www.goalzero.com/shop/porta...0VVBOXZlIZbs3TS7M6Y2lwDWz_D24AIMaAi5wEALw_wcB may also have something that would work for you.

 

I agree with this 100%. I've used the 100 amp battery in my solar power system to jump the dead truck battery, something it is not designed to do.
Get a solar power system. They come in many sizes and configurations. To have power in the middle of nowhere is a game changer.

 

I ran my battery down once while camped in a pretty remote area. Hadn't seen anyone around in over a day. Someone finally drove past around dark and I flagged them down for a boost. Was definitely a lot more careful after that, and I picked up a portable booster when I got home. I've had to use that a couple times as well when my battery has gone bad.

For charging things like phones and small usb devices you can pick up portable usb chargers cheap on Amazon.

 

I just use one of those portable jump boxes for usb charging and a few outlets. it's not too heavy, no wiring, and I don't have to keep it in the truck when I don't need it

 

Your starting battery is not a deep cycle battery and is not designed to be drawn down and recharged like one. Charging your phone or tablet is one thing, running appliances, especially if you're using an inverter, is another. I would not use the inverter without the truck running. Buy a spare battery, jump box, power pack or whatever for your toys, having your main battery die off the beaten path sucks. If you insist on using your truck's starter battery then I'd keep one of the small emergency starter packs on hand such as the Antigravity packs. Expensive, but far less than having to call for a jump in the middle of the woods.