Editor's note: An update made on January 18, 2023, on charger performance and availability three years after this story's original airing, follows the main story.
When outlets are nowhere in sight, a solar battery charger seems like a good fit.
But what about an F-350 with dual batteries? Could a modestly sized panel handle the job?
We weren’t sure what to expect when hooking up Battery Tender’s 15-watt solar panel. We had never tried using solar to charge the truck but were willing to give it a shot because if the big crew cab remains parked too long, the batteries are going to die. That’s just a fact.
Yes, portable battery jumpers have come a long way and can be impressive at coaxing an engine back to life. But they’re not made to keep that truck’s batteries charged up to an optimum level. And letting a battery routinely fall into a zombie-like state and shocking it back to life means a shorter battery life and eventually having to shell out more cash for a replacement.
There’s just no replacement for battery maintenance. I’ve seen the results when they count the most, like following a historic Category 5 hurricane.
Power was out for nearly two weeks following Hurricane Michael where I live. The only way we could keep an idle battery charged up was through a generator. (Life off the grid following a storm gets interesting fast. Those new Teslas we kept seeing before the hurricane were nowhere in sight after the storm and diesel was sequestered by Uncle Sam for government-approved use only).
