# Power packs that will start a flat battery



## carol (Sep 15, 2016)

I've heard about these but do they do what it says on the tin? I'd love to think if I was on my own and got a flat battery I could sort on my own! I'm talking about the compact ones not those big things... Anyone used one they can recommend? Apologies if this has been discussed elsewhere.


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## pughed2 (Sep 15, 2016)

*power packs, pump etc*

I have seen them in B&M for less than £30. Bound to be of help in emergency. Some have the tyre pump as well, and run  and recharge off the 12v cigar socket........steve bristol


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## Nesting Zombie (Sep 15, 2016)

Hi ya Carol,
Yep, a well matched Power pack will start your batterie no worries, Screw fix, Tool Station have a few on offer at reasonable prices, but they do SO much more than a jump start.
BUT make sure you get one that is matched to your eng size, then simply connect up, Wait for a few mins then Turn the key,, Hopfully that's it , Very simple to use.


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## runnach (Sep 15, 2016)

It depends on the battery, diesels require more cranking power a lot of the cheap ones are not up to the job. 

Channa


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## carol (Sep 15, 2016)

Thanks. I've got a 1900 HDI diesel.


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## sasquatch (Sep 15, 2016)

This one is reputed to be good but at what price? Talex Starter


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## carol (Sep 15, 2016)

sasquatch said:


> This one is reputed to be good but at what price? Talex Starter



Didn't see the price only the £50 off!


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## iampatman (Sep 15, 2016)

Hi Carol,

I quite fancy one of these, expensive though.

Pat

Microstart Sport


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## vindiboy (Sep 15, 2016)

sasquatch said:


> This one is reputed to be good but at what price? Talex Starter



   That looked good BUT my battery is buried, wish I could get at it that easily .Ducato 2,8 JTD


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## Nesting Zombie (Sep 15, 2016)

Because the leads on the Power Pack tend to be short, I just connect LONG HEAVY DUTY Jump leads to Battery
Dropbox - IMAG1287.jpg
Then the Power pack can sit safely on the floor.
The one I had was also a Compresser to pump up your tyres
Dropbox - IMAG1289.jpg
Dropbox - IMAG1288.jpg
An Inverter for limited 230v power, and ofcourse you can use the cig lighter fittings for recharging Phones and What have you.
It's also a Light & a Flashing Warning Function as well, so Yep love them, and Well worth the money in my opinion.
But get a GOOD one !.


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## carol (Sep 15, 2016)

Hi Nesting Zombie, as I have a very small van I'm looking at the really compact ones though I do prefer the bigger ones with all the dials!


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## carol (Sep 15, 2016)

iampatman said:


> Hi Carol,
> 
> I quite fancy one of these, expensive though.
> 
> ...



Yes, that does look good!


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## Admin (Sep 15, 2016)

I think carol is talking about the compact lithium booster packs.

The AA and RAC have started using this type of pack now, however they are not the small ones you see for £50.00.

Cheapish 800A booster: Suaoki U10 Car Jump Starter 800A Peak 20000mAh Emergency Auto Jump Start with Intelligent Alligator Clamps Rechargeable Battery Booster and Charger with LCD Flashlight, Blue: Amazon.co.uk: Car & Motorbike

Pro 800A booster: Sealey - LSTART810 Lithium-ion Jump Starter/Power Pack 810A 12V â€“ Sparks Warehouse


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## Delboy (Sep 15, 2016)

*Flat batteries.*

I've had one for years (too many?) and it's only a 17AH battery with a 600A 'pulse' a small engine starter up to 1600, cheapy from Argos. But it's served me well, even started a 1905 diesel. but if the car's battery is totally flat, forget it!


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## carol (Sep 15, 2016)

Admin said:


> I think carol is talking about the compact lithium booster packs.
> 
> The AA and RAC have started using this type of pack now, however they are not the small ones you see for £50.00.
> 
> ...



Blimey, nearly £400 for the Sealey!


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## ashbyspannerman (Sep 15, 2016)

A much cheaper method!

Jump Start a Car with AA Batteries - YouTube


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## Tezza (Sep 15, 2016)

We have one of these and it's great. Does exactly what it says it will do.

Suaoki G7 Plus 18000mAh CAR Jump Starter LED Battery Charger Booster Power Bank | eBay


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## ricc (Sep 15, 2016)

i must be missing summit

are these basically a battery in a box with a attached set of jump leads?

bury it in the van for five years than chances are its battery will be flat when you finally need it.

or do you have to keep it on trickle charge all the time?

seems fair enough for a garage thats probably going to be using it frequently but im sceptical for the man in the street.




having said all that ive been toying with bringing one home next time one gets given away at the local auction, sticking it in the workshop with a solar panel and using it to jump ride on mowers with dicky batteries.


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## carol (Sep 15, 2016)

ashbyspannerman said:


> A much cheaper method!
> 
> Jump Start a Car with AA Batteries - YouTube



Haha must remember to pack my soldering iron!


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## oppy (Sep 15, 2016)

Hi Chuck I bought a aldi Jump start with compressor a couple of years ago, they seem to do them every now and again, and it started my 2.5 Fiat without flinching. The compressor even pumped up the 'van tyres. So yes, some do work.


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## trevskoda (Sep 15, 2016)

Why bother a 100w solar on roof will keep starter battery up,min would be about 50w but you on the edge.


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## n brown (Sep 15, 2016)

Beat me to it ! get some proper copper cable jump leads with decent battery clamps,and either jump the van off the leisure battery, or stand there at the side of the road holding them and smiling . both have worked for me , also worked with a tow rope.


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## Robmac (Sep 15, 2016)

On my previous van, you could switch to the leisure battery to start the engine if required. You could also run the habitation from the starter battery, although I can't see why you would ever do that.

I quite liked this feature, although I never had to use it in anger.


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## rugbyken (Sep 15, 2016)

I have one from Costco rated to start a 2 later deisel though it worked on my 2.3 it was about £60 has two short leads with crocodile clips only had to start the engine once but have used it several times to inflate tyres on bikes using a compressor powered by it , have used it mostly as a charger for the phones through the sub slot it is about the same height as an I phone twice the thickness and 1.5 times the width,


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## Delboy (Sep 15, 2016)

Robmac said:


> switch to the leisure battery to start the engine if required.



I seem to remember from somewhere that is not the best way to treat a leisure battery. But seen as lots of so called leisure batteries are just re-badged starter  batteries, then perhaps it doesn't matter! But if it is genuine it may reduce it's life, don't really know but it could be worth investegating.


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## Robmac (Sep 15, 2016)

Delboy said:


> I seem to remember from somewhere that is not the best way to treat a leisure battery. But seen as lots of so called leisure batteries are just re-badged starter  batteries, then perhaps it doesn't matter! But if it is genuine it may reduce it's life, don't really know but it could be worth investegating.



Yes you are indeed right.

But rightly or wrongly, I would have still used it for a flat starter battery situation. I think continuous use as a starter battery might damage a leisure battery though.

There may follow some discussion on this!


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## Delboy (Sep 15, 2016)

Robmac said:


> Their may follow some discussion on this!



Could this be it? It could be a case of over kill at a price!

Sterling Power Products: What is the best battery to use for an auxiliary charging system?


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## Tezza33 (Sep 15, 2016)

Before I fitted my new solar charger which charges the engine battery I used one of these to top my engine battery up from the leisure batteries, simply plugged in to a leisure battery socket and the engine one on the dashboard, after 10mins the engine would start

Peak Car to Car Charger / Jump Starter 6m | Maplin


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## trevskoda (Sep 15, 2016)

Maplin chargers have thin wire so as they have a resistor in line take about 10 times longer to transfer the current where as thick jump leads will only take about 5 mins.


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## trevskoda (Sep 15, 2016)

Currently in my van there is a large transfer relay under the hood beside starter battery with terminals about 2 inches apart and all i have to do is cross them with one jump lead or one i could make up with 2 crocks & a foot or so of heavy cable which will bend in a u shape,simple lez to start bat.


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## carol (Sep 15, 2016)

tezza33 said:


> Before I fitted my new solar charger which charges the engine battery I used one of these to top my engine battery up from the leisure batteries, simply plugged in to a leisure battery socket and the engine one on the dashboard, after 10mins the engine would start
> 
> Peak Car to Car Charger / Jump Starter 6m | Maplin



Thanks Tezza but that wouldn't work if I was in the van and no other vehicle...can't see how I could get it to the leisure battery?


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## trevskoda (Sep 15, 2016)

carol said:


> Thanks Tezza but that wouldn't work if I was in the van and no other vehicle...can't see how I could get it to the leisure battery? &#55357;&#56900;



Simple if you have cigy socket on lez & cigy socket on dash to starter battery,use 2 cigy plugs a length of wire and a in line resistor.
Anyway whats with all the flat starter batterys,how long are you camping up 2 weeks or what


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## Nesting Zombie (Sep 16, 2016)

carol said:


> I've heard about these but do they do what it says on the tin? I'd love to think if I was on my own and got a flat battery I could sort on my own! I'm talking about the compact ones not those big things... Anyone used one they can recommend? Apologies if this has been discussed elsewhere.



I know it might be a bit of an inconvenience, But in a 'Flat main Starter Battery' situation witch lets hope is once in a blue moon. Rather than buying a 'Glovebox' type starter that will have probably self discharged through lack of use when you call upon its services anyway, Could you not just Take a jump from your Leisure battery even if you have to un clip it for a moment to do so ?


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## carol (Sep 16, 2016)

trevskoda said:


> Simple if you have cigy socket on lez & cigy socket on dash to starter battery,use 2 cigy plugs a length of wire and a in line resistor.
> Anyway whats with all the flat starter batterys,how long are you camping up 2 weeks or what



No, just a general question about the battery packs. Last year when in France, I stupidly left the keys in the ignition after listening to the radio and had a flat battery in the morning. Luckily I was still travelling with another van so it was sorted but could so easily have been on my own.


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## Jeff G (Sep 16, 2016)

These got a good recommend on another forum

Jumping Jack Max Portable USB Charger: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics


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## megsdad (Sep 16, 2016)

*boosters*



carol said:


> I've heard about these but do they do what it says on the tin? I'd love to think if I was on my own and got a flat battery I could sort on my own! I'm talking about the compact ones not those big things... Anyone used one they can recommend? Apologies if this has been discussed elsewhere.



each winter my  m/h battery goes flat while in storage.ihavelooked hard at the boosters  and read reviews.ithink yiu can be sure the cheap ones won,t do it.you need to have thecorrect apropriate power, my engine is 2.8 diesel.i,so far haven,t bought one ,i used jump leads from my mondeo with the  engine running.


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## 4maddogs (Sep 16, 2016)

I had a problem with intermittent charging a while back. I bought a Clarkes jump starter from machine mart for around £100. 
The problem was eventually found so I don't need the starter, but it worked flawlessly.


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## trevskoda (Sep 16, 2016)

carol said:


> No, just a general question about the battery packs. Last year when in France, I stupidly left the keys in the ignition after listening to the radio and had a flat battery in the morning. Luckily I was still travelling with another van so it was sorted but could so easily have been on my own.



Take the feed wire from radio and transfer to les battery.:wave:


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## trevskoda (Sep 16, 2016)

Mp3 sd card radios no as low as £12 on flebay, i got one lighting up blue to match dash lights for £15.


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## trevskoda (Sep 16, 2016)

hairydog said:


> I agree that powering it from the aux battery is a good idea, though you'll need to add a relay so that the "always live" and "ignition" feed lines still work, but don't connect the two batteries when the ignition is on.
> 
> However, I can assure you that some car stereos use a lot of power. Some draw 8A or even as much as 10A - they're designed to be used in a car with the engine running and not of power economy.



You dont require a relay if you just swap the pos feed from starter bat to lez bat which makes more sense in a camper.


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## trevskoda (Sep 16, 2016)

megsdad said:


> each winter my  m/h battery goes flat while in storage.ihavelooked hard at the boosters  and read reviews.ithink yiu can be sure the cheap ones won,t do it.you need to have thecorrect apropriate power, my engine is 2.8 diesel.i,so far haven,t bought one ,i used jump leads from my mondeo with the  engine running.



You should not be leaving battery in m/home unless on hookup and float charging otherwise take em out and float them at home,it must be costing you a bomb replacing them each year as they will never recover once discharged like you have been doing.


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## shaunr68 (Sep 18, 2016)

trevskoda said:


> You should not be leaving battery in m/home unless on hookup and float charging otherwise take em out and float them at home,it must be costing you a bomb replacing them each year as they will never recover once discharged like you have been doing.



Beat me to it.  You will knacker your battery.  If leaving for an extended period, remove the battery and leave connected to a charger, or if that's not convenient at least charge overnight once a month.

In terms of the boosters, it's just another *heavy *thing to lug about "just in case".  Better spend the money on replacing your starter battery with a brand new one if you think it is suspect.

Alternatively, as others have said buy some long. heavy duty jump leads to jump start from the leisure battery in an emergency.

Even better if you have solar and the sun is shining, getting some amps into the starter battery for half an hour should be sufficient to turn the engine over.  I used this method to help another camper whose battery was flat, he had a ferry to catch from Igoumenitsa to Italy later that day and was concerned that he wasn't going to make it in time.  Drove our van next to his, used jump leads to connect my leisure batteries to his starter battery and the solar controller immediately went into bulk charge mode.  A cup of tea later and he was on his way.  Good deed for the day from the comfort of my own backside, sat in a chair letting the sun do all the hard work!


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## trevskoda (Sep 18, 2016)

Why can cars/vans not have a outside plug like military armoured cars with a 2 pin plug so simple van to van outside connection to jump start,all plugs would be the same and leads supplied in tool kit.


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## trevskoda (Sep 19, 2016)

Thats a 100% true,look how many folk buy a rangerover etc and do the school run never to tow a trailer or engage low box in a mucky field.


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## bartman (Sep 19, 2016)

When fitting my solar system I did look into fitting the extra gubbins required to send a charge to the vehicle battery once the leisure battery is charged, but I decided that as our motorhome is never left unused for more than a couple of weeks at a time, a flat battery wasn't likely. 
However, this thread has made me think about the possibility of the lights or ignition being accidentally left on with radio or other accessory draining it. I think I might get one of those cig socket to cig socket connections mentioned earlier - I have found one cheaper than Maplins (isn't everywhere?) here.


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## sak (Sep 19, 2016)

To jump start your van from the leisure battery you only need 1 jump lead connected to the positive terminals as both batteries are already earthed.


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## trevskoda (Sep 19, 2016)

bartman said:


> When fitting my solar system I did look into fitting the extra gubbins required to send a charge to the vehicle battery once the leisure battery is charged, but I decided that as our motorhome is never left unused for more than a couple of weeks at a time, a flat battery wasn't likely.
> However, this thread has made me think about the possibility of the lights or ignition being accidentally left on with radio or other accessory draining it. I think I might get one of those cig socket to cig socket connections mentioned earlier - I have found one cheaper than Maplins (isn't everywhere?) here.



This is whats required £25 flebay up to 16ah /200w panel.


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## maingate (Sep 19, 2016)

hairydog said:


> Look how many people buy Range Rovers or other 4x4 and choose low profile tyres, thereby losing almost all the off-road benefits.



Anyone buying a Range Rover (or anything else with the name 'Rover' on it) does not deserve any kind of benefit. :lol-061:

And before the deluded Rover fans get started, I drove 4 x 4 vehicles where there were no roads and if it ain't Toyota or Nissan, I ain't driving another bluddy Land Rover because they are not reliable enough in my experience. You need a good Turbo on rough ground and the Defender Turbo was useless when you needed it. You had time to boil a kettle and make a pot of tea before it cut in.


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## maingate (Sep 20, 2016)

That might have been the case at one time but no longer is. There were mostly Japanese 4 x 4s in Mombasa the last time I was there and big Dealerships. Range/Land Rovers were thin on the ground. It did not apply to Countries that were not ex British colonies either. In French and Portuguese former colonies, it was uncommon to see them. Toyota parts were readily available but Rover parts had to be imported which could have a lead time of 3 months usually. In Guinea, cannibilising was the usual method of keeping them running. These 4 x 4s were workhorses and had a tough life, that is why Japanese vehicles were preferred because they were more reliable. It was common for me to carry a Diesel powered Welder on the back of my pickup, the Aluminium body of a Defender would have soon been wrecked with that being thrown about in the back. They were often overloaded with everything from equipment to being crammed full of workers and armed guards.


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## maingate (Sep 20, 2016)

The long wheelbase version of those were excellent, although as ugly as sin. They performed very well in all conditions though, A friend was a Warrant Officer in the Sultan of Omans Army and his Toyota was better than mine at Wadi bashing even though they had the same drivetrain. I think it was partly due to the difference in tyres (I had the truck version fitted to mine) which gave a lower centre of gravity. His could 'ground' easier than mine so he had to give more thought to his route.


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## maingate (Sep 20, 2016)

You would have liked the MAM Military Base out toward the Airport. I used to get the occasional invite to No 3 Mess and drank with some very strange British NCO's and Warrant Officers who were on good contracts for the Omani Military. The highlight of the day though was popping round to 'The Muppet Bar' as it was known. It was the Bar belonging to the Airworks Contractors (who did the Engineering work on Aircraft and Plant for the Sultans Armed Forces). They were lunatics when they got pissed and it was like a trip to the Zoo.


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## mark61 (Sep 20, 2016)

FJ's. Petrol

BJ's Diesel.


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## Deadsfo (Sep 20, 2016)

trevskoda said:


> Why can cars/vans not have a outside plug like military armoured cars with a 2 pin plug so simple van to van outside connection to jump start,all plugs would be the same and leads supplied in tool kit.



my ex Nato anbulance has just such a socket ,I keep looking for a cheap  Nato start cable ,they are all around the £80 range ,not really much good for jump starting somebody else or receiving a jump start as my vehicle is 24volts ,but I could jump start myself from my leisure batteries


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## Auld Pharrrt (Oct 10, 2016)

vindiboy said:


> That looked good BUT my battery is buried, wish I could get at it that easily .Ducato 2,8 JTD



I fitted an easy to access socket on my van partly for this reason ... it's the type used for articulated fridge trailers ... so far haven't had to use it for a jump start (either giving or receiving) but it gives me easy access to plug in my inverter and a multitude of other things.  One of these will give you a socket to plug into and another one for the accessory you want to connect ... I put one on one end of my jump leads, one on my inverter, one with a bog standard 12v cigarette socket (double) and I have one on my Eberspacher.  I no longer have to dig my way into the battery to connect to it.

The link is purely for the pictureDURITE HIGH CURRENT CONNECTOR 175AMP GREY - HGV Direct truck and trailer parts online - Web-501024, you can get them much cheaper elsewhere ... I think I got mine from Fleabay.


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## Auld Pharrrt (Oct 10, 2016)

carol said:


> Hi Nesting Zombie, as I have a very small van I'm looking at the really compact ones though I do prefer the bigger ones with all the dials!



The dials are simply a waste of money ... unless you specifically need any of them get a basic unit capable of starting your engine.


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## Auld Pharrrt (Oct 10, 2016)

runnach said:


> Vindi, I have same base vehicle and agree, it is a mare to get jump leads to batt, if required.
> 
> I am looking at this idea ANDERSON PLUG 175 AMP_BATTERY CONNECTOR_JUMP START_SLAVE ASSIST_X2_GREY_16MM2 | eBay
> 
> Where connector socket can be located within an easy access area of engine compartment, or any other place on vehicle.



OOpsie, sorry Runnach, you beat me to it ... I got them a lot cheaper though, can't remember where.


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## Auld Pharrrt (Oct 11, 2016)

hairydog said:


> If you just want a connector to attach jump leads or a charger to, all that is over the top.
> 
> You simply need a thick cable to the battery (as you do with these things), and a terminal post. No fancy fittings or plug and socket required.
> 
> Adding a second (earth) terminal might be a good idea too.



Normally I would be inclined to agree with you, but in my case I specifically wanted something quick and easy to use ... without the worry of a live, possibly exposed, post which is connected to a power source capable of causing a fire in the event of accidental short circuit should anything metal land on it ... especially when there are often various pots, pans, tools and/or kids around.


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## Fazerloz (Oct 11, 2016)

runnach said:


> Vindi, I have same base vehicle and agree, it is a mare to get jump leads to batt, if required.
> 
> I am looking at this idea ANDERSON PLUG 175 AMP_BATTERY CONNECTOR_JUMP START_SLAVE ASSIST_X2_GREY_16MM2 | eBay
> 
> Where connector socket can be located within an easy access area of engine compartment, or any other place on vehicle.



I've added Anderson plugs and cables to our coffee van and charger and its made life easier rather than messing about with clamps that can spring off if not put on properly. Now we can just plug in the same as a electric forklift


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## kenjones (Oct 11, 2016)

pughed2 said:


> I have seen them in B&M for less than £30. Bound to be of help in emergency. Some have the tyre pump as well, and run  and recharge off the 12v cigar socket........steve bristol



I bought one with a pump from b&m. Very poor and short battery life.


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## StevenJ (Oct 11, 2016)

kenjones said:


> I bought one with a pump from b&m. Very poor and short battery life.




Bought one of those myself a few years ago , first the pump seized after only a few uses , the battery fared a little better but failed all the same .


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## GWAYGWAY (Oct 30, 2016)

All these cheapie unit, for £2500 you can buy  a plug-in one that will start a turbine engine, without getting a hot start on the engine. They are serious  battery packs but small and light enough for a helicopter to carry on board.


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## witzend (Oct 30, 2016)

I always carry one of these just in case charges one van from another just need to find a help full neighbour connect together thru gig lighters and run good van until your battery is charged 10 to 15 mins with engine running at about 1000 rpm disconnect and start up your van will probably need ign switched on to activate cig lighter socket.

Ring Car2Car 2700 12v Battery Charger Car To Car | eBay


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## bartman (Oct 31, 2016)

As was said earlier in this thread, car to car chargers like the Ring can also be used to transfer power from your leisure battery, assuming that it's in a better state than the vehicle battery.


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## trevskoda (Oct 31, 2016)

Im lucky my relay with both starter and service are under the hood so a big croc clip will join both up.


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## delicagirl (Oct 31, 2016)

i carry a decent thick long pair of jump leads.  this means i can charge my leisure battry to/from my engine battery if any of my batteries die and i can also help someone else if their batteries are dead  -  jumper leads are a darn sight cheaper and light weight than some of the recommended devices on this thread.

whatever we carry there is a risk of something  breaking down in the wild .....  we cant mitigate against all "what-ifs"

the lovely andy-janet recently discovered that in my van i have a wired-in heavy duty battery charger, so if i were to go to a camp site i could just hook up, and plug in, and the 4 batteries in my van would get a charge ....   brilliant......


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## Obanboy666 (Oct 31, 2016)

My neighbour recently bought one of these, he hasn't had to use it to start his car yet but uses it for phone and laptop charging when camping.

Antigravity Batteries - Micro-Start XP10


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## delicagirl (Nov 1, 2016)

Obanboy666 said:


> My neighbour recently bought one of these, he hasn't had to use it to start his car yet but uses it for phone and *laptop* charging when camping.
> 
> Antigravity Batteries - Micro-Start XP10



this device really interests me.   i have an old laptop and yesterday  i wrote on it in the van for 4.5 hours and the batteries went down from  12.95 to 12.45. In the winter with poor solar input this will be a problem if i want to be out for a long time to work.   if i were to use the laptop's own battery as power, it only lasts an hour. 

reading the blurb on this device it sounds as if i could use it to power my laptop (as opposed to using the batteries in my van)  -  but how long would it power my laptop for and would there be any advantage to using it, as presumably, i would have to recharge this device   -  but how would i do that ?

a new laptop which uses a lot less power would be around £500 and i am looking for cheaper alternatives - i only need a laptop for Word, Excel and one or two games.....


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## jagmanx (Nov 1, 2016)

*Look at HP Stream devices*



delicagirl said:


> this device really interests me.   i have an old laptop and yesterday  i wrote on it in the van for 4.5 hours and the batteries went down from  12.95 to 12.45. In the winter with poor solar input this will be a problem if i want to be out for a long time to work.   if i were to use the laptop's own battery as power, it only lasts an hour.
> 
> reading the blurb on this device it sounds as if i could use it to power my laptop (as opposed to using the batteries in my van)  -  but how long would it power my laptop for and would there be any advantage to using it, as presumably, i would have to recharge this device   -  but how would i do that ?
> 
> a new laptop which uses a lot less power would be around £500 and i am looking for cheaper alternatives - i only need a laptop for Word, Excel and one or two games.....



They will easily do what you want.
Only 32GB hard disk but that should do you
Store all your documents piccies etc on an external HDD and or use google drive.

I bought a 2nd hand one with a 14in Screen from laptops direct for about £170.
Refurbished HP Stream 13-C102NA 13.3" Intel Pentium N3050 2GB 32GB Win10 Laptop - Laptops Direct
Very good battery life. Lice and light etc ideal for MH
Also get a 12 to 19V  (£18) adapter so you can charge it off the battery maybe whilst running


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## Nesting Zombie (Nov 1, 2016)

Well, I Posted back at the beginning of this thread & showed my faithful unit, and after Many years service it's time for a new one, I could just replace the internal battery, & replace the Croc Battery Connections, But I use the Unit a lot almost Daily infact, mainly for it's Light, Cig Socket & ofcourse inverter to charge my Laptop,,,So it probably warrants a quick re read of this thread, and I'm hitting the interwebby Thingymajig to make my choice for a New one.
Thinking about it,,I've actually used the Starting Facility & Compresser MUCH more for Other peoples vehicles than I have for my own !.


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## shaunr68 (Nov 1, 2016)

delicagirl said:


> this device really interests me.   i have an old laptop and yesterday  i wrote on it in the van for 4.5 hours and the batteries went down from  12.95 to 12.45. In the winter with poor solar input this will be a problem if i want to be out for a long time to work.   if i were to use the laptop's own battery as power, it only lasts an hour.
> 
> reading the blurb on this device it sounds as if i could use it to power my laptop (as opposed to using the batteries in my van)  -  but how long would it power my laptop for and would there be any advantage to using it, as presumably, i would have to recharge this device   -  but how would i do that ?
> 
> a new laptop which uses a lot less power would be around £500 and i am looking for cheaper alternatives - i only need a laptop for Word, Excel and one or two games.....



Alternatively for 184 quid you could add a couple of hundred watts of solar panels or a couple of additional leisure batteries, or a combination of the two.


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## hellsbells67 (Nov 1, 2016)

*Power pack*

I have one of these power packs cost me £69 but I have a2.4 diesel engine it starts it straight away and uses 1 to 2 percent of the battery it also has USB points so you can recharge your devices I think it's a good piece kit and worth the investment you just never know


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## delicagirl (Nov 1, 2016)

thanks to all who are addressing my computer issue....   if i buy this charging device as described in OP -   how do i recharge that if i use it to fuel my laptop.......


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## trevskoda (Nov 1, 2016)

delicagirl said:


> i carry a decent thick long pair of jump leads.  this means i can charge my leisure battry to/from my engine battery if any of my batteries die and i can also help someone else if their batteries are dead  -  jumper leads are a darn sight cheaper and light weight than some of the recommended devices on this thread.
> 
> whatever we carry there is a risk of something  breaking down in the wild .....  we cant mitigate against all "what-ifs"
> 
> the lovely andy-janet recently discovered that in my van i have a wired-in heavy duty battery charger, so if i were to go to a camp site i could just hook up, and plug in, and the 4 batteries in my van would get a charge ....   brilliant......


Your engine battery should once started charge the les batts and make sure your on board charger is a float rather than a old type constant charger or over time the batts will boil and degrade.


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## delicagirl (Nov 1, 2016)

trevskoda said:


> Your engine battery should once started charge the les batts and make sure your on board charger is a float rather than a old type constant charger or over time the batts will boil and degrade.



trev  -   i have 4 batteries and they are all linked together and are all good quality.    i dont know if my onboard charger is a float/constant  cos its too difficult to get at without removing the gas fire......   

What i dont get is    -   if i buy this gizmo  that OP recomends  for  £180+   -   and i use it to plug my laptop into and type away for hours and hours then the gizmo will surely need re-charging   surely ?     (even tho it is a recharging gizmo) 

how many hours can i use the gizmo to type  ? 

how do i recharge the gizmo once i have finished   typing and the gizmo's battery is low......


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## trevskoda (Nov 1, 2016)

delicagirl said:


> trev  -   i have 4 batteries and they are all linked together and are all good quality.    i dont know if my onboard charger is a float/constant  cos its too difficult to get at without removing the gas fire......
> 
> What i dont get is    -   if i buy this gizmo  that OP recomends  for  £180+   -   and i use it to plug my laptop into and type away for hours and hours then the gizmo will surely need re-charging   surely ?     (even tho it is a recharging gizmo)
> 
> ...



Very ex bit of kit at that price,if you have that many batterys you should be ok down to 12.2v without any problem,but i would buy a cheep big jump starter with a cigy socket on it and use a 12v to 19v adoptor which will give a hour or two before requiring a charge from van when on the move again.By the way these jump start units have just a small motorbike battery inside them with about 17/19 amps of power.


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## mark61 (Nov 1, 2016)

delicagirl said:


> trev  -   i have 4 batteries and they are all linked together and are all good quality.    i dont know if my onboard charger is a float/constant  cos its too difficult to get at without removing the gas fire......
> 
> What i dont get is    -   if i buy this gizmo  that OP recomends  for  £180+   -   and i use it to plug my laptop into and type away for hours and hours then the gizmo will surely need re-charging   surely ?     (even tho it is a recharging gizmo)
> 
> ...



Recharge via cigerette lighter socket when driving. What the specs don't say is how long it takes to charge from flat.


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## trevskoda (Nov 1, 2016)

I think at 180 bucks id buy another big battery for van and a isolator switch to cut it from others when using l/top and then reconnect when on the move again to charge up,a £55/75 les battery would do saving dosh.


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## andyjanet (Nov 1, 2016)

trevskoda said:


> Very ex bit of kit at that price,if you have that many batterys you should be ok down to 12.2v without any problem,but i would buy a cheep big jump starter with a cigy socket on it and use a 12v to 19v adoptor which will give a hour or two before requiring a charge from van when on the move again.By the way these jump start units have just a small motorbike battery inside them with about 17/19 amps of power.



Don't forget delicious has a weight problem ( with her van ) so we need to find a solution that won't be heavy, and will give her extra power for her laptop, Collette does your laptop have a removable battery I know it's quite old but you might be able to get a larger capacity battery and also have a spare that's precharged before you leave home, we have a leaf blower for home and just bought a larger capacity battery that is amazing compared to the one that was with it when we purchased it, andy


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## delicagirl (Nov 1, 2016)

trevskoda said:


> I think at 180 bucks id buy another big battery for van and a *isolator switch to cut it from others* when using l/top and then reconnect when on the move again to charge up,a £55/75 les battery would do saving dosh.



this might be the answer trev - cos one of my 4 batts is on its own and has its own dedicated 12v ciggie socket, so maybe i could isolate that one and only use that for the laptop.   i dont want another battery  - as weight wise  i think having 5 batts would be  a bit OTT  - even by my standards !!!!!

i am taking the van in for an "electrical  survey" on the next sunny day  to see how the solar system is actually connected and how much power its drawing and storing  ....


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## mistericeman (Nov 1, 2016)

How long do you need to be running the laptop for at a time ....with 4 batteries linked together you should have oodles of power ....


we have 3 100ah batteries linked and we seem to have plenty of capacity for running the inverter .


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## delicagirl (Nov 1, 2016)

andyjanet said:


> Don't forget delicious has a weight problem ( with her van ) so we need to find a solution that won't be heavy, and will give her extra power for her laptop, Collette *does your laptop have a removable battery* I know it's quite old but you might be able to get a larger capacity battery and also have a spare that's precharged before you leave home, we have a leaf blower for home and just bought a larger capacity battery that is amazing compared to the one that was with it when we purchased it, andy



i dont know -   i will look at the model and google it or ask my local IT man who i bought it off.  Thanks for the idea though


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## delicagirl (Nov 1, 2016)

mistericeman said:


> How long do you need to be running the laptop for at a time ....with 4 batteries linked together you *should have oodles of power ....*
> 
> 
> we have 3 100ah batteries linked and we seem to have plenty of capacity for running the inverter .



i was typing for 4 hours today   - in that time the batteries went from  12.9 to 12.4.         with 4 batts - you are right  - i should have oodles of power -  its a real puzzle  - thats why i am taking it for an electrical MOT. 

in the wild i  would like to be able to type 4-6 hours for 2-3 days  before moving on.. 

i have an inverter but i don't use it cos i dont have any equipment with 3pin sockets in the van.   what do you use your inverter for?  if i am not using mine and its switched off,  could it be draining power ??


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## Nesting Zombie (Nov 1, 2016)

NOT EVERYONES CHOICE

But WHOO HOO !!!. I'm a VERY happy chappy !.

I am now a Proud owner of a Ring RPP265 for £130.
Same sort of thing as I had before (As my first post) but with a bit of an up grade in Inverter, & Engine Starting capabilities. But at the sacrifice of the Compresser !.
It's on charge as I type...


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## mistericeman (Nov 1, 2016)

delicagirl said:


> i was typing for 4 hours today   - in that time the batteries went from  12.9 to 12.4.         with 4 batts - you are right  - i should have oodles of power -  its a real puzzle  - thats why i am taking it for an electrical MOT.
> 
> in the wild i  would like to be able to type 4-6 hours for 2-3 days  before moving on..
> 
> i have an inverter but i don't use it cos i dont have any equipment with 3pin sockets in the van.   what do you use your inverter for?  if i am not using mine and its switched off,  could it be draining power ??



Shouldn't be draining power with inverter switched off.... 

As far as our set up is concerned.... 

3x 100ah leisure batteries linked together charged via a Durite voltage sensing automatic split charge relay AND 2 X 100w Biard solar panels and a charge controller. 
they power a Maplin 1000w modified sine wave inverter powering several double switched sockets that in turn run a 750w microwave/700w kettle/laptop charger/750w toaster and a small slow cooker. 

Fairly regular routine is park up after driving to camp and stick couple of microwave chinese/Indian meals in microwave to heat up (spring rolls warmed first then crisped up on top of toaster ;-)) 
then beer etc till morning (and running of Eberspacher) 
Get up boil couple of kettles of water for two rounds of a Lyons coffee bag in a large mug each.... before microwaving bacon/porridge/or toast for breakfast... 
without the low voltage alarm going off on the inverter then probably move off and mooch around (Solar is doing little at all at the moment) 

So if you're not able to run laptop pretty much all day off three batteries.... 
then there's summat amiss.... what sort of order are the batteries in?


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## Obanboy666 (Nov 1, 2016)

delicagirl said:


> this might be the answer trev - cos one of my 4 batts is on its own and has its own dedicated 12v ciggie socket, so maybe i could isolate that one and only use that for the laptop.   i dont want another battery  - as weight wise  i think having 5 batts would be  a bit OTT  - even by my standards !!!!!
> 
> i am taking the van in for an "electrical  survey" on the next sunny day  to see how the solar system is actually connected and how much power its drawing and storing  ....



I watch loads of tv, charge iPad, iPhones and ecigs and manage with one x 110 amp battery.
Me thinks something is sadly amiss with your setup considering you have 4 batteries.


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## delicagirl (Nov 1, 2016)

mistericeman said:


> Shouldn't be draining power with inverter switched off....
> 
> As far as our set up is concerned....
> 
> ...



i had one leisure battery and one engine battery when i bought the van.  i replaced both these old batteries with new ones - each 100A.   i then had a 100A solar panel  fitted (and an inverter which i hardly ever use).  Shortly after i  fitted a third leisure 100A battery which was   linked to the second solar fed battery.   At that point i had a split relay fitted so that all four batteries would be on the same circuit  - but the person fitting it screwed up b using totally inadequate cabling, and the solar panel failed.   i was imminently going to ROI for 2 months and had to act quickly, so had another panel glued to the top of the first one, and had a reliable knowledgeable person fit the split relay wiring, which  has been fine ever since.

But to complicate matters even further, there is still some of the original japanese 110v wiring in the van, and there is also a 240volt 3 gang extension cable connected to a EHU hook up socket at the back of the van to allow me to go onto campsites and recharge the on-board big yellow battery charger which andyjanet here worked out would allow me to charge up all 4 batteries whilst overnighting on a site - which it does.

its a nightmare of a van electric wise !!!!!   but i love it  -  but need more power.......


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## badgerdid (Nov 2, 2016)

When i had a flat battery i just connected the two + terminals on my leisure charger relay together, just needs a 10mm spanner and started off the leisure batteries, simples, no need for jump leads etc. Im going to fit a battery switch to connect them together if it happens again to make it easier. I have 16mm cable going to and from it so plenty thick enough.


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## delicagirl (Nov 3, 2016)

mark61 said:


> Recharge via cigerette lighter socket when driving.* What the specs don't say is how long it takes to charge from flat.*




they phoned me back this afternoon after my email enquiry several days ago and the answer is  8 hours....


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## molly 2 (Nov 17, 2016)

Lithium starter packs on Aldi special  7500 mh £49 :blah:


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## jagmanx (Nov 18, 2016)

*Yes these are good*



hairydog said:


> I can assure you that using a smartphone instead is not a viable alternative: I've tried it. The screen size and the limitations of the apps make it a VERY frustrating experience.
> 
> You can use an Android tablet and bluetooth keyboard, but a decent tablet will cost £200 and a decent keyboard another £20 and will not be all that much less power-hungry than a good refurbished laptop, and will be a lot less pleasant to use. However, a tablet is lighter and more portable.



I bought an HP Stream
Refurbished HP Stream 13-c055sa Celeron N2840 2GB 32GB SSD 13.3" Windows 8.1 Laptop in Blue - Laptops Direct
Upgraded to win 10
Disk is fast but limited capacity so I use google Drive and external HD for Data (x2)
2 advantages of the latter 
1 backup
2 Independent of Device

They have long battery life and IMHO are ideal for travelling.., small and light with a big enough screen and keyboard.

I like my tablet for GPS Mapsme etc but for Spreadsheets or WP a tablet is too much like hard work !


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## Robmac (Nov 19, 2016)

molly 2 said:


> Lithium starter packs on Aldi special  7500 mh £49 :blah:



Bear in mind Bazz/Carol, suitable for petrol engines up to 3 litre or diesel up to 2 litre.


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