new mod...solar panel on the dash board

Looks cool, but does nothing really for your vehicle unless you let it set for over a few months. I say get a Drycell like Odyssey they can't be beat!

 

he has 6-7 months to worry about that!

 

yeah and a jobsite off highway 76 for a few months too...in the sun

 

How about attaching a wind-powered generator to the roof of the car?

 

To be fair here, these things do a good job of offsetting the parasitic draw caused by alarms, radio memories, etc. On a standard, non-deep cycle battery, keeping the battery "topped off" can extend it's life.

I can't see that it's going to make much difference in a daily driven rig, but it might still reduce the draw down on the battery by some and have a positive effect.

I have a daily driver these days, so my rig sits for most of the week. I have a panel that is much larger than that, that keeps the batteries topped off. As I have had occasion to see, it does make a BIG difference in how long the rig can sit before I have to either jump it off the second battery or plug in the onboard charger. I have a lot of electronics, so the draw down is considerable. Last spring I was traveling and left the truck on the solar for just shy of a month and it started right up when I returned. It NEVER would have done that before the panel was wired in.

 

That is a cool idea. At the very least it cuts down on the power that is leached from the battery as WATRD says. It could also charge some small devices like mp3 players or phones while the truck is parked

 

LOL! Sounds like something stupid arse Congress is gonna try to pass!