There have been a few complaints about Ford batteries on the forum. I had noticed our '21's battery was perhaps leaking a bit near the post; some white deposits. On the way back from an RV towing trip, we over-nighted at a city campground. The next morning our battery was suddenly and totally dead. 8 volts. No symptoms. A battery should certainly last longer than 4 years. We were fortunate to be in a town where a repair shop could jump start our truck at the campground and then install a new battery for us. 90 minutes later we were back on the road.

But, we thought of all of the places we had been on the way home that were MUCH more remote. I'm going to purchase a portable jump starter or power station. Does anyone have any recommendations? Brand, size, features . . . .

 

Edit: Wow the forum really puked on some links there.

I got a couple of the "vtoman x7" on based on a project farm review because I also wanted a tire inflator.


I've used it a few times and it works great. He's got a more recent review though of jump starters. It didn't include the vtoman but covers a lot of other options.

 

I have a few hundred batteries in the fleet, this will start everything but our 24V generators.


Stays plugged in to USB C.

 

This 'problem' isn't Ford specific - no OEM's batteries are lasting much past 3 years anymore. You got lucky and got 4 years out of it. As for the white deposits, that's corrosion that is pretty typical when a battery is starting to get weak - it was your visible sign that you should have replaced it. It is also possible that your trailer battery is also going bad, and drained down your truck battery if you left them hooked up and didn't plug the trailer in.

The issue at hand is two-fold: OEMs have been moving to AGM batteries instead of traditional lead-acid, AND with the battery management systems to keep an eye on battery health because of all the Keep-Alive Memory systems (all your other electronic systems).

With so many electrical systems constantly drawing power from the battery to keep their memories, the discharge/charge cycle of automotive batteries has increased dramatically from even 15-20 years ago. Batteries can only be discharged/recharged so many times before they're bad, it is just the reality of the situation. Arguably AGM batteries don't handle the discharge/charge cycle as well as lead-acid batteries did, but they're also exposed to more discharge than lead-acid batteries were. Hence, they just don't last as long.

Any more, I wouldn't trust an automotive battery to last more than 3 years before I'd replace it.

That said, you've gotten some good suggestions for jump packs, and they're never a bad idea to have on hand.

 

Agreed, 3 years about normal for our fleet, our equipment on the other hand lasts a lot longer.

My personal Kubota buggy is the original battery, 2019. I use it everyday at the house, strong running.

Example, all of our newer cat generators have kill switches, but telematics are wired directly to the battery. They do have solar panels to keep everything charged. Unfortunately we keep most of them indoors so we have to keep them plugged in.

The older ones have kill switches also, I can let them sit for months at a time without a problem.

 

I have a 2000 watt jumper I got off amazon that I keep in the truck, never had to use it.
What I just bought last week that I have already used, is a very slick little battery tester, ANCEL BA101 off amazon.
A number of guys on here bought one after I made a thread about it, they were on sale for $21.42, but that deal is over, and they are now $39.99, still not a terrible price for something that works so well and will definitely be handy to have.

 

+1 on the NOCO!

I have an older version 5+ years, keep it charged and it has yet to let me down. Helped far more people than myself with it. It is virtually idiot proof unless you force it to ignore the safety protocols and the only reason NOCO gives that option is incase you need to jump a battery with a voltage below what the safeties can detect things like reverse polarity.

 

I carry a NOCO BX75, 2500A booster. I have a gas engine, so the need for start amperage was lower than if I had a diesel. I didn't want a booster/air compressor combo because of past experience of having one component go bad in a combo unit. I carry a Viair 400P-RV portable air compressor for my air needs. And when we're out on the road with the camper, I always have a generator with me, which is capable of charging the truck battery.

 

They aren't loved around here, but I will second the NOCO. I picked up the NOCO GB150 about 3.5 years ago and have kept it in my truck year round (heat and cold). I don't keep mine plugged up but every so often when I remember it I will bring it in and plug it up, which means sometimes it can be a few months since the last time it was charged. It never seems to lose enough charge to matter. I have jumped off a Camaro with it, my own truck (2022 6.7 PSD) a couple of times when my batteries started bitting the dust (3 years in...) and just last Friday to jump a Suburban with a huge sound system in it. It's great and I have had nothing but good experiences with mine.

Wow, this is the most love for NOCO products I have seen around here...

 

When traveling I always carried a jump pack and a code reader along with some basic tools.

Bob

 

I use their jump boxes, and battery chargers. My only critique is the price, great CS, and flawless performance for me. I have one of there jump boxes size appropriate in each of my vehicles boats too, onboard chargeres in my boats, and a couple of NOCO battery chargeres in the shop.

 

this is what I have. GOOLOO 4000A. says it is good for a 10L diesel. Don't know if that is true but can't hurt. Have yet to use it.

 

I have a NOCO Genius10 that is hardwired into my truck. I tried their Genius2 but it didn't do much for the dual battery setup in my truck, but the 10 amp version does what I need.

 

Agreed. My 2021 actually had the battery replaced under warranty TWICE in the first few years.

I don't necessarily agree here. Where I live, heat kills batteries. I would be happy with four years from a middle of the road battery.

Portable jump starters are a good idea regardless.

 

This is an interesting thread. I have a 2022 F350 6.7 diesel. I seem to recall it having two batteries under the hood. I may get one of the NOCO Boost X jump starters, but I also need to figure out which battery to connect it to should I need it. Or does it matter?