Id like to install a battery maintainer/trickle charger permanent,if its hooked to battery all the time and i unplug the 110 power source and run the truck can it hurt the charger any? Whats a good small unit thats not expensive and last a long time?

 

No issue with leaving a on-board battery charger hooked up to the batteries and running the truck. They are designed to be used that way.

I have this unit and it keeps my batteries happy.

 

Note that Brian's unit is waterproof. Make sure what ever you choose is as well. I have a bunch of Battery Tender chargers, some of them have been in continuous service for 10+ years. One has fallen off a shelf, of the seat of a motorcycle, if you shake it stuff rattles inside -- it works as well as new. Never had a problem with any of them.

So another brand I like is the BatteryMinders -- mainly because most all their models also have a desulfation mode and also temperature compensation. Some will argue the latter is not needed on such a small charger, but if I was mounting mine under the hood I'd just as soon have the charger know how hot the battery is...

You can't go wrong with either one, but I've been buying the latter units lately...

Scott

 

Both are good like Scott said. I have the BatteryMinder. Works well. I bought that particular unit because of the desulfation option. Rejuvenated my 4 year old lawn tractor battery.

They're both good units.

 

I bought a small solar panel that is like 1.5-2a from Northern tool. I just leave it plugged in and on the dash. Truck is in the sun all day. Before i was having a battery that would drag occasionally and since then it seems to help. Nothing scientific but for 9.99 thought id give it a shot. Now possibly if we have another hard winter this wont work but so far seems to do the job

 

For 15 years I've had two of the Battery Tender chargers and they work well, often used. I have a charger with the desulphation mode and that has worked well to optimize batteries, but it's not an absolute salvation of hurt batteries.

 

I have the 5A Waterproof Battery Tender PN: 022-0157-1 mounted permanently behind the power steering reservoir. I have had it a couple of years and it works great.