# Jump starter



## molly 2 (Jan 4, 2018)

Has anyone used the car jump start packs, the type that is about the size of  mobile phone ,some  claim to start up to 4 litre diesel engines any recommendations .:camper:


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## molly 2 (Jan 4, 2018)

hairydog said:


> My recommendation is to sort out the problem rather than waste money on jump start packs. You should never need to jump start a vehicle, unless it has a fault. So spend the money on fixing the fault!


not really the answer I was looking for .


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## listerdiesel (Jan 4, 2018)

How difficult is it to have a well-maintained vehicle where the battery is kept up to charge?

I've never needed such as gadget, but my jumper leads and tow rope get well-used to help others out.

Peter


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## Lee (Jan 4, 2018)

molly 2 said:


> not really the answer I was looking for .



I'm with you Barry, I haven't any experience of these and it would be good to hear from anyone who has.


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## n brown (Jan 4, 2018)

trouble is, you may only know you have a fault when you find your battery's flat
at which point you may be glad you have a starter pack


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## molly 2 (Jan 4, 2018)

Flat batterys can be a problem for people that store their vehicles in compounds, especially in winter When solar panels do very little.


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## molly 2 (Jan 4, 2018)

n brown said:


> trouble is, you may only know you have a fault when you find your battery's flat
> at which point you may be glad you have a starter pack


that is very true a battery can be fine today but dead tomorrow,
in winter  flat batterys recovery call outs go through the roof in bad cold weather .


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## molly 2 (Jan 4, 2018)

They are also useful for charging Mobil phones and running other devices .


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## jeffmossy (Jan 4, 2018)

molly 2 said:


> They are also useful for charging Mobil phones and running other devices .



And also boost your leisure battery in emergency :idea:


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## alcam (Jan 4, 2018)

listerdiesel said:


> How difficult is it to have a well-maintained vehicle where the battery is kept up to charge?
> 
> I've never needed such as gadget, but my jumper leads and tow rope get well-used to help others out.
> 
> Peter



Twice with fiat ducatos , both less than a year old , I've had to call out the breakdown people because of a flat battery . 
No fault found , problem never occurred again . So , in answer to your question Peter , quite difficult


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## Tonybvi (Jan 4, 2018)

I purchased an Anti-Gravity XP10 power pack 2 years ago as I have a small diesel tractor as well as a diesel 2 wheel tractor.  Both of these are rarely used and whenever I went to start them up (eg to power the snowblower and plough) the batteries were flat.  Rather than buy new batteries I thought it’d try the power pack.
What an excellent piece of kit.  The pack will easily start either of these machines several times over without losing much charge.  I also use it when away to charge iPad and mobile phones many many times over as well as the tyre inflator accessory which will easily inflate to 90psl.
Not cheap but highly recommended.
Tony


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## campervanannie (Jan 4, 2018)

Lee said:


> I'm with you Barry, I haven't any experience of these and it would be good to hear from anyone who has.



Sue Daisymini has one and has used it on her van and her car recently she thinks they are great for the size


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## molly 2 (Jan 4, 2018)

hairydog said:


> But the starter pack will be flat too. Been there, done that.


That dose sound like a maintenance issue.


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## molly 2 (Jan 4, 2018)

hairydog said:


> A leisure battery that has run flat will need about 130Ah of charge to refill it. These devices can deliver less than 1Ah. So unless you have a score of them, you'll gain little benefit.
> 
> If you have a car or ride-on mower stuck with a flat battery, they can be useful. But starting a diesel engine of 2 litres or more? No chance!


I think a little research on you part is needed.


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## campervanannie (Jan 4, 2018)

hairydog said:


> A leisure battery that has run flat will need about 130Ah of charge to refill it. These devices can deliver less than 1Ah. So unless you have a score of them, you'll gain little benefit.
> 
> If you have a car or ride-on mower stuck with a flat battery, they can be useful. But starting a diesel engine of 2 litres or more? No chance!



I beg to differ Daisymini has a 2.8 Mercedes's engine in her MH and she has started it twice with one she bought from lidl or Aldi so they will start a big engine.


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## Deleted member 5816 (Jan 4, 2018)

I have had one a few years now I have never needed it on our current van I did on the last van though, I have used it to start several vans and cars with no problems I have used for our Ipad whilst away. My unit has a couple of sub outlets and a 12v outlet plus a 19v laptop outlet. And a torch. The unit Lidl has on offer at present looks a decent item.

Alf



molly 2 said:


> Has anyone used the car jump start packs, the type that is about the size of  mobile phone ,some  claim to start up to 4 litre diesel engines any recommendations .:camper:


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## Obanboy666 (Jan 4, 2018)

Tonybvi said:


> I purchased an Anti-Gravity XP10 power pack 2 years ago as I have a small diesel tractor as well as a diesel 2 wheel tractor.  Both of these are rarely used and whenever I went to start them up (eg to power the snowblower and plough) the batteries were flat.  Rather than buy new batteries I thought it’d try the power pack.
> What an excellent piece of kit.  The pack will easily start either of these machines several times over without losing much charge.  I also use it when away to charge iPad and mobile phones many many times over as well as the tyre inflator accessory which will easily inflate to 90psl.
> Not cheap but highly recommended.
> Tony



Ditto,
Only used it twice in anger on other people’s vehicles but I use it every trip out to charge ecigs, iPads, iPhone, mifi etc, etc.
Wouldn’t venture out without it especially in the winter months.


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## Tonybvi (Jan 4, 2018)

hairydog said:


> A leisure battery that has run flat will need about 130Ah of charge to refill it. These devices can deliver less than 1Ah. So unless you have a score of them, you'll gain little benefit.
> 
> If you have a car or ride-on mower stuck with a flat battery, they can be useful. But starting a diesel engine of 2 litres or more? No chance!



I have also used the power pack to start my 2.5litre diesel estate car which had a flat battery after sitting for 3 months with the alarm connected while we were away in the motorhome.  Not only did the pack easily start the car but the indicator lights showed no loss of charge on the power pack afterwards.  Nevertheless I plugged it in and within 15 minutes it was up to full power again.

So yes a good power pack will start a Diesel engine of 2litres or more - easily.

Tony


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## Houli (Jan 4, 2018)

*Car jump start pack*

I have one and find it great .I have two bad glow plugs that are seized into the cylinder head and will cost about £1000 to fix so this charger is ideal for cold and damp weather, never been stuck. It also great for any other 12volt device . This is a BRITPART XS PowerPack MULTI-FUNCTION JUMP STARTER.

Houli on Tour


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## alcam (Jan 4, 2018)

hairydog said:


> A leisure battery that has run flat will need about 130Ah of charge to refill it. These devices can deliver less than 1Ah. So unless you have a score of them, you'll gain little benefit.
> 
> If you have a car or ride-on mower stuck with a flat battery, they can be useful. But starting a diesel engine of 2 litres or more? No chance!



Never uncertain , seldom correct


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## Minisorella (Jan 4, 2018)

I've a feeling someone else got out of difficulty with one of these recently, as well as Sue. I looked at some online and they say they'll start a petrol engine up to 6L and a diesel up to 5L. There's already a recent thread about them somewhere on here.

A couple of months back, I bought a larger starter+compressor unit for emergencies but I've since heard a lot of good things about the smaller packs, so wish I'd known about those first.


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## carol (Jan 4, 2018)

hairydog said:


> But the starter pack will be flat too. Been there, done that.



That's just not correct. The starter pack is nothing to do with the battery! And batteries go flat for all sorts of reasons. I bought one and used it to start my van. So much easier than leads. Definitely recommend. Minisorella, think you're thinking of me! As someone else said, even after using it it was still fully charged. I think you're thinking of those big things Hairydog, as these are no weight at all.


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## molly 2 (Jan 4, 2018)

Minisorella said:


> I've a feeling someone else got out of difficulty with one of these recently, as well as Sue. I looked at some online and they say they'll start a petrol engine up to 6L and a diesel up to 5L. There's already a recent thread about them somewhere on here.
> 
> A couple of months back, I bought a larger starter+compressor unitg for emergencies but I've since heard a lot of good things about the smaller packs, so wish I'd known about those first.


The trouble with the old is They are heavy you would not want to drop it on your foot .:danger:


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## oldish hippy (Jan 4, 2018)

well just back feed lesuire battery to jump start it works


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## Minisorella (Jan 4, 2018)

molly 2 said:


> The trouble with the old is They are heavy you would not want to drop it on your foot .:danger:



...and break the other ankle! :rolleyes2:


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## Fazerloz (Jan 4, 2018)

If it gets you out of the crap once, its worth every penny. If not one of life's lessons. I have seen one start a Dodge Ram Diesel that had a flat battery.


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## Minisorella (Jan 4, 2018)

carol said:


> That's just not correct. The starter pack is nothing to do with the battery! And batteries go flat for all sorts of reasons. I bought one and used it to start my van. So much easier than leads. Definitely recommend. Minisorella, think you're thinking of me! As someone else said, even after using it it was still fully charged. I think you're thinking of those big things Hairydog, as these are no weight at all.



Yes, I had it my my head it was you Carol but then I doubted myself! I recall you said you'd forgotten you had it, it's so small and unobtrusive.


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## Obanboy666 (Jan 4, 2018)

hairydog said:


> But the starter pack will be flat too. Been there, done that.



Wrong ! Ensuring my starter pack is charged and ready to go is part of my checklist before heading out. When wilding which usually entails moving every day to a new location I recharge my starter pack if I’ve been using it for recharging items when on the move so always fully charged and ready for use.


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## witzend (Jan 4, 2018)

I,ve just read thru this thread and are we talking about 2 different item like the large jump starter pack and the usb booster


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## Fazerloz (Jan 4, 2018)

After doing a bit of digging there is a lot of crap and lies in what some of the manufacture's claim their products will do. I would do some homework before I bought one.


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## Deleted member 5816 (Jan 4, 2018)

No mine is a jump start pack. It also serves as a power pack with usb socket and a 12v and 19v outlets. If you read my posts I have started several vans and cars with it.

Alf





witzend said:


> I,ve just read thru this thread and are we talking about 2 different item like the large jump starter pack and the usb booster


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## Minisorella (Jan 4, 2018)

witzend said:


> I,ve just read thru this thread and are we talking about 2 different item like the large jump starter pack and the usb booster



I think we're all talking about something like this... although this one's got a compressor in the kit too.

Suaoki Car Jump Starter Battery 600A 18000mAh with Air Compressor, Green: Amazon.co.uk: Car & Motorbike


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## Minisorella (Jan 4, 2018)

This is the bigger, heavier gizmo I bought in October before I realised how good the smaller ones were! The little ones do the same job at a fraction of the size/weight.
12V PORTABLE CAR JUMP STARTER AIR COMPRESSOR BATTERY START BOOSTER CHARGER LEADS: Amazon.co.uk: Car & Motorbike


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## campervanannie (Jan 4, 2018)

Minisorella said:


> I've a feeling someone else got out of difficulty with one of these recently, as well as Sue. I looked at some online and they say they'll start a petrol engine up to 6L and a diesel up to 5L. There's already a recent thread about them somewhere on here.
> 
> A couple of months back, I bought a larger starter+compressor unit for emergencies but I've since heard a lot of good things about the smaller packs, so wish I'd known about those first.



The one Sue has is tiny and has lots of leads and accessories all in a small case.


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## campervanannie (Jan 4, 2018)

Minisorella said:


> I think we're all talking about something like this... although this one's got a compressor in the kit too.
> 
> Suaoki Car Jump Starter Battery 600A 18000mAh with Air Compressor, Green: Amazon.co.uk: Car & Motorbike



That’s like Sue’s but she paid nothing like that and as stated she started her engine with a completely flat battery twice without any issue


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## Deleted member 5816 (Jan 4, 2018)

So has mine plus there is a 19v takeoff for laptops a 1a usb and a 5a usb outlet and a set of leads for just about every ipad / tablet / mobile phone and camera sockets,  plus the jump leads for connecting to a  van / car battery 

The lidl unit on sale now at £35 is not too bad

Alf

Lidl Portable Jump Starter Ultimate speed upbs 8000 with Powerbank accessories test advice customer reviews price instruction manual technical data - lidl parkside powerfix florabest silvercrest




campervanannie said:


> The one Sue has is tiny and has lots of leads and accessories all in a small case.


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## Tonybvi (Jan 4, 2018)

campervanannie said:


> The one Sue has is tiny and has lots of leads and accessories all in a small case.



Sounds just like my excellent Anti-Gravity XP10 power pack.  Only about 7” x 3” x 1” complete with all leads in a neat little case.  Jump starts, torch, usb charger, 12v output, 19v output, etc etc.
Wouldn’t be without it.
Tony


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## Deleted member 58274 (Jan 4, 2018)

*Jumper*



campervanannie said:


> The one Sue has is tiny and has lots of leads and accessories all in a small case.


Hi, so which one has Sue got ? I fancy one with all the outputs/leads as a handy portable backup power source for mobile/laptop etc....Maja


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## molly 2 (Jan 4, 2018)

Tonybvi said:


> Sounds just like my excellent Anti-Gravity XP10 power pack.  Only about 7” x 3” x 1” complete with all leads in a neat little case.  Jump starts, torch, usb charger, 12v output, 19v output, etc etc.
> Wouldn’t be without it.
> Tony


The anti gravity xp 10 looks  the business but reflects in the price .


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## Fazerloz (Jan 4, 2018)

Alf said:


> So has mine plus there is a 19v takeoff for laptops a 1a usb and a 5a usb outlet and a set of leads for just about every ipad / tablet / mobile phone and camera sockets,  plus the jump leads for connecting to a  van / car battery
> 
> The lidl unit on sale now at £35 is not too bad
> 
> ...



Lidl claim it is ok for up to 1.6ltr Diesel 2.0 litre petrol.  I would say a claimed starting current of 80A not enough for the average MH. You can forget peak current. I would think for a 2.5 diesel something like 150A starting current would be req. The  good ones seem to be producing over 200A starting current but cost more than £30. A little indicator been the size of cables to the clamps on them.
Model: UPBS 8000 A1current 
Type of battery: LiFePO4
Battery capacity: 8000 mAh,
3.2–3.4 V
Charge cycles: 1500
Charge duration: up to 8 hours
Peak current: 200A
Starting current: 80A
Operating temperature: 0–60°C
Voltage: 12 V
Input voltage
(charging port): 5 V /1A
Output voltage
(output USB): 5 V /1A/2A


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## Deleted member 5816 (Jan 4, 2018)

Mine  was under £40 8 years ago I will get it out of of the van to tomorrow this looks similar

Shopitnow Portable Car Jump Starter ,12V 50800mAh Car Jump Starter Power Bank Charger Emergency Battery Booster Pack Power Bank Battery Charger with USB Charging Outputs and Three Light Black: Amazon.co.uk: Car & Motorbike


Alf



molly 2 said:


> The anti gravity xp 10 looks  the business but reflects in the price .


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## Fazerloz (Jan 4, 2018)

Tonybvi said:


> Sounds just like my excellent Anti-Gravity XP10 power pack.  Only about 7” x 3” x 1” complete with all leads in a neat little case.  Jump starts, torch, usb charger, 12v output, 19v output, etc etc.
> Wouldn’t be without it.
> Tony



Impressive. The price reflects it.

[video=youtube;gSb4ejEJKGg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSb4ejEJKGg[/video]


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## mistericeman (Jan 4, 2018)

They must be rubbish ....the hairy one said so ....

Frankly from personal experience, the days of lugging a jump start pack around with a big lead acid battery inside are long gone ....

Modern battery technology has moved on a great deal in a very short space of time, some of these emergency jump start packs will start some pretty big engines without breaking a sweat including my mates dirty big 4 x 4 tractor after being sat in a field since last January .


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## Fazerloz (Jan 4, 2018)

Alf said:


> Mine  was under £40 8 years ago I will get it out of of the van to tomorrow this looks similar
> 
> Shopitnow Portable Car Jump Starter ,12V 50800mAh Car Jump Starter Power Bank Charger Emergency Battery Booster Pack Power Bank Battery Charger with USB Charging Outputs and Three Light Black: Amazon.co.uk: Car & Motorbike
> 
> ...



If that does what it says in the specs Alf, its a good buy.


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## campervanannie (Jan 4, 2018)

maja07 said:


> Hi, so which one has Sue got ? I fancy one with all the outputs/leads as a handy portable backup power source for mobile/laptop etc....Maja



She got it from either Lidl or Aldi not sure which but you can charge phones etc and it has a torch and it started her van from completely flat .


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## Deleted member 5816 (Jan 4, 2018)

Up to now is started a few cars and several motor caravans I have only used for ipad and camera charging and powering a usb fan. But it's nearly 8 year old.

It looks similar to the one in the link and the same spec. Buy one and see you can always return to Amazon.

Alf




Fazerloz said:


> If that does what it says in the specs Alf, its a good buy.


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## Deleted member 58274 (Jan 4, 2018)

*Ideal*

....think I'll get half a dozen instead of panels n batts LOL  Maja


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## Fazerloz (Jan 4, 2018)

Alf said:


> Up to now is started a few cars and several motor caravans I have only used for ipad and camera charging and powering a usb fan. But it's nearly 8 year old.
> 
> It looks similar to the one in the link and the same spec. Buy one and see you can always return to Amazon.
> 
> Alf



Stop it. I spend enough of my own money without you spending it.


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## colinm (Jan 4, 2018)

hairydog said:


> My recommendation is to sort out the problem rather than waste money on jump start packs. You should never need to jump start a vehicle, unless it has a fault. So spend the money on fixing the fault!





listerdiesel said:


> How difficult is it to have a well-maintained vehicle where the battery is kept up to charge?
> 
> I've never needed such as gadget, but my jumper leads and tow rope get well-used to help others out.
> 
> Peter





molly 2 said:


> Flat batterys can be a problem for people that store their vehicles in compounds, especially in winter When solar panels do very little.



Due to a load of unfortunate circumstances, today was the first time I've been able to start my x250 for (a few days short of) 4 months, batteries where a little low, but it started first time with no problems, solar might not be able to keep up with heavy demand at this time of year, but it should keep batteries from failing.


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## Chris356 (Jan 4, 2018)

It all depends how flat your battery is! One guy did a demo on one the fool connected the positive of the pack to the positive of the battery and the negative to the  disconnected negative lead so his Vw t5 battery wasn't connected to the van as soon has he turned the key to crank position the pack set on fire


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## harrow (Jan 4, 2018)

Chris356 said:


> It all depends how flat your battery is! One guy did a demo on one the fool connected the positive of the pack to the positive of the battery and the negative to the  disconnected negative lead so his Vw t5 battery wasn't connected to the van as soon has he turned the key to crank position the pack set on fire



Yes the lithium battery would see it as a short circuit and hence, bang.

:wave:


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## Deleted member 5816 (Jan 4, 2018)

I've got one it works OK I am happy with it.
Several other members got one they are happy with them,

Some members aint got one so they rubbish them that have,  well you cant win them all

Alf






Fazerloz said:


> Stop it. I spend enough of my own money without you spending it.


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## mistericeman (Jan 4, 2018)

Alf said:


> I've got one it works OK I am happy with it.
> Several other members got one they are happy with them,
> 
> Some members aint got one so they rubbish them that have,  well you cant win them all
> ...



Nail hit firmly on the head there Alf.....


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## trevskoda (Jan 4, 2018)

Very few wagons have a flat battery,they are about down 20% when you cannot start engine and just hear solinoid clic,hence the we power packs will give power to start.
But if the big starter battery is down 50% or less then its got no mission.
A gran picking up kids at our school left her lights on and returning to big jeep it was as dead as a doo doo,chap jumped out his car with one of these we jobies and said this will start it,no mission and i had to jump start her of my van after letting my wagon run for about 5 mins at 1500 rpm.
Truth is these will only work if you starting battery is just on the edge,other wise car makers would be fitting them in loo of big heavy batterys and saving weight,just look at the cranking amps required to start engines compared to what these we units give out,never mind the cable sizes,try getting 400cca down them.


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## Deleted member 5816 (Jan 4, 2018)

Trev to quote this as an example we need the make of the  wee Jobbiqe you saw you yourself are always complaining of people generalizing.
It could have been a rubbish Robbie or a flat as a card Jobbie for all we know.
Mine works OK. I know that i have used it.
However if the battery was faulty or knackerex then that's another matter.
Each time you use such a Jobbie it will be different it may not be the battery just the driver.

As I have said air have one it works I am happy with my wee jobbie the next time I use it I will as for a report or statement from the person and report back with photos.

If you don't have one you are in a difficult position to advise about them.

Alf
P.S. batteries are getting smaller all the time.




trevskoda said:


> Very few wagons have a flat battery,they are about down 20% when you cannot start engine and just hear solinoid clic,hence the we power packs will give power to start.
> But if the big starter battery is down 50% or less then its got no mission.
> A gran picking up kids at our school left her lights on and returning to big jeep it was as dead as a doo doo,chap jumped out his car with one of these we jobies and said this will start it,no mission and i had to jump start her of my van after letting my wagon run for about 5 mins at 1500 rpm.
> Truth is these will only work if you starting battery is just on the edge,other wise car makers would be fitting them in loo of big heavy batterys and saving weight,just look at the cranking amps required to start engines compared to what these we units give out,never mind the cable sizes,try getting 400cca down them.


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## stonedaddy (Jan 4, 2018)

*Have a look*



molly 2 said:


> Has anyone used the car jump start packs, the type that is about the size of  mobile phone ,some  claim to start up to 4 litre diesel engines any recommendations .:camper:



Hi Baz I was that impressed with Carols I looked them up. I did put it on another thread somewhere not long ago. The one I was most impressed with is the one that Minisorella (Jenny) posted earlier. I bought it and I am sure it was £49.99 but next time I looked it was £59.99 tonight I have looked and its £69.99 so it looks like it jumps £10 every other week. It is still cheaper than Amazon sell them which Jenny's link goes to. This one is on eBay. I can only go on what they wright up about it and it says it will start a 5L diesel 22 times. Weather that's true or not who knows. I must say it might be small but it sure is heavy. You also get the usb ports, lap top port, a torch, and a little bonus of a tyre pump. It all comes in a little compact case. I have still not had cause to use it to start any engines but a mate came round the other week with his van with a leak he wanted me to look at. He also said his leisure battery would not operate anything. So I got my new gizmo out put it on his LB and all his lights came on in the habitation area and lit it up like a Xmas tree. I took it off after about 10 minutes and his battery stayed charged up and everything was working as normal. 
Here is the latest link.

12V 600A POWER PACK CAR ENGINE STARTER JUMP START BATTERY BOOSTER+AIR COMPRESSOR  | eBay

.... Tom ....


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## Asterix (Jan 4, 2018)

stonedaddy said:


> Hi Baz I was that impressed with Carols I looked them up. I did put it on another thread somewhere not long ago. The one I was most impressed with is the one that Minisorella (Jenny) posted earlier. I bought it and I am sure it was £49.99 but next time I looked it was £59.99 tonight I have looked and its £69.99 so it looks like it jumps £10 every other week. It is still cheaper than Amazon sell them which Jenny's link goes to. This one is on eBay. I can only go on what they wright up about it and it says it will start a 5L diesel 22 times. Weather that's true or not who knows. I must say it might be small but it sure is heavy. You also get the usb ports, lap top port, a torch, and a little bonus of a tyre pump. It all comes in a little compact case. I have still not had cause to use it to start any engines but a mate came round the other week with his van with a leak he wanted me to look at. He also said his leisure battery would not operate anything. So I got my new gizmo out put it on his LB and all his lights came on in the habitation area and lit it up like a Xmas tree. I took it off after about 10 minutes and his battery stayed charged up and everything was working as normal.
> Here is the latest link.
> 
> 12V 600A POWER PACK CAR ENGINE STARTER JUMP START BATTERY BOOSTER+AIR COMPRESSOR  | eBay
> ...



If you read further down the ad in the specs,it states 3.5L diesel,not 5L as suggested in the headline.


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## Minisorella (Jan 5, 2018)

Asterix said:


> If you read further down the ad in the specs,it states 3.5L diesel,not 5L as suggested in the headline.



There seem to be 2 different models of more or less the same thing... I agree the blurb for both is often completely mixed up.

One has peak of 600Amp with 18000 mAh capacity which will start a diesel up to 3.5L. This is the one Tom and I linked to that seems to always come in the kit with the compressor.

The other one I've seen has a peak of 800A with 20000 mAh capacity and that's the one for a 5L diesel... it's the same price as the other one but without the compressor...
Suaoki 800A Car Battery Power Booster Jump Starter Start Rescue Pack 20000mAh UK  | eBay


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## stonedaddy (Jan 5, 2018)

*As stated*

You can only read the write ups and like I said who knows. But if it gets you out of an unexpected battery failure it should be well worth it. I must say I did not realize there was two models. 
.... Tom ....


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## jagmanx (Jan 5, 2018)

*Thanks to all*

Particularly
Tonybvi
Jennie
and Stonedaddy

The more expensive on (Tonybvi) is no doubt better
The other 2 look to do the job

I prefer
The stonedaddy item with the compressor as it will start my under 3500kg vehicle....
And it comes with a compressor
Maybe good enough to pump the tyre up enough either to get to a tyre repairer

OR simply to get you to a better place to await rescue

I have a big Maplin Yellow box which is similar and has done the job  (x2) but it is heavy and cumbersome and takes up unnecessary room in the locker.
It also does not have direct usb power (although 12V sockets)

As I presume all (except maybe 1) members realise...no good keeping it in MH whilst in storage ,,,,,regular mains charging once a month at home will mean it is always "ready to go"

The usb function is particularly useful to charge items at night without impacting the LB
Indeed the flashlight also good if sitting outside


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## rockape (Jan 5, 2018)

n brown said:


> trouble is, you may only know you have a fault when you find your battery's flat
> at which point you may be glad you have a starter pack


 well said, bought the big one in Lidl three weeks ago,  always carry truck jump leads in my transit as a matter of course. Just waiting for the right moment to be a smug twxt to use it , hopefully on some one else.


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## trevskoda (Jan 5, 2018)

Alf said:


> Trev to quote this as an example we need the make of the  wee Jobbiqe you saw you yourself are always complaining of people generalizing.
> It could have been a rubbish Robbie or a flat as a card Jobbie for all we know.
> Mine works OK. I know that i have used it.
> However if the battery was faulty or knackerex then that's another matter.
> ...


Yes alf batterys are getting smaller as my new car has a tiny we thing in it,but the starter pack i saw was charged full but the battery in the jeep was in my opinion bu--ered,so in truth it took my big van battery to get her to go,bet they never got it started next day mind.
As i said they will start a car/van if the battery is on the edge %80 ,but not if its down much futher,it will then require a longer input from charger or jump from other source & 5/10 mins to pull the flat battery up to starting power.:wave:


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## jagmanx (Jan 5, 2018)

*Yes*



trevskoda said:


> Yes alf batterys are getting smaller as my new car has a tiny we thing in it,but the starter pack i saw was charged full but the battery in the jeep was in my opinion bu--ered,so in truth it took my big van battery to get her to go,bet they never got it started next day mind.
> As i said they will start a car/van if the battery is on the edge %80 ,but not if its down much futher,it will then require a longer input from charger or jump from other source & 5/10 mins to pull the flat battery up to starting power.:wave:



Same with my maplin box
Connect it up and wait for the onboard battery to get a boost before trying to start !


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## trevskoda (Jan 5, 2018)

Minisorella said:


> There seem to be 2 different models of more or less the same thing... I agree the blurb for both is often completely mixed up.
> 
> One has peak of 600Amp with 18000 mAh capacity which will start a diesel up to 3.5L. This is the one Tom and I linked to that seems to always come in the kit with the compressor.
> 
> ...



And the peak power is only for a second or two,where as it may take 30 sec to two mins to heat glow plugs and crank cold engine into life.


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## trevskoda (Jan 5, 2018)

jagmanx said:


> Same with my maplin box
> Connect it up and wait for the onboard battery to get a boost before trying to start !



That fine if the battery is just down 20% or less,anything lower where the van lights have been on all night then you have no chance.


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## Deleted member 5816 (Jan 5, 2018)

Mine is going on 8 years old and still going strong.

Alf



hairydog said:


> How old was the device? Wait till it's a year or two old.


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## Reevsie (Jan 6, 2018)

*Mine worked fine.*

I was parked up last year when I saw a MH being jump started by another MH. After 20 minutes of trying and failing thay gave up. I remebered I bought one of these packs 4 months before at the NEC. I had unpacked it and charged it when i got it and put it away. I waled over with my little gizmo thinking I woudl now see how much money I had wasted as I did not think it would work. Connected it up and waited about 20 seconds till the lights all showed green. Turned the ignition and the MH fired up straight away. We all stood there in amazment. 
It was a Fiat 3.0 Auto. 

So for me it worked much better than I thought.


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## carol (Jan 6, 2018)

Can we all agree it's a thumbs up for them? Even Hairydog must be thinking twice!


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## wildebus (Jan 6, 2018)

This is the best one I found that would also work with bigger engines.  All the specs in the post below. Price around £55.

Jump Starter Prize

Bought from Amazon last month to give away as a forum freebie.


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## Deleted member 58274 (Jan 7, 2018)

*Laptop*



stonedaddy said:


> You can only read the write ups and like I said who knows. But if it gets you out of an unexpected battery failure it should be well worth it. I must say I did not realize there was two models.
> .... Tom ....


All please notice, the second one doesn't have laptop charging output....Maja


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## jagmanx (Jan 7, 2018)

*A valid remark*



maja07 said:


> All please notice, the second one doesn't have laptop charging output....Maja



However laptops can be recharged the next am from a 12V to 19V adapter from either LB with Solar or EB.
I have found laptops recharge much more quickly when not in use.
Of course you can also use a 12V to 19V adapter from the powersource as well

I would prefer a compressor and can do without the laptop functionc:

But horses for courses


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## Deleted member 5816 (Jan 7, 2018)

I could be wrong but i cannot see the compressor much use on the high PSI of many camper tyres. You cannot compare it with the top end Ring units.

As you say horses for courses

Alf




jagmanx said:


> However laptops can be recharged the next am from a 12V to 19V adapter from either LB with Solar or EB.
> I have found laptops recharge much more quickly when not in use.
> Of course you can also use a 12V to 19V adapter from the powersource as well
> 
> ...


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## jagmanx (Jan 7, 2018)

*I agree*

That such compressors are limited
But they should/may  give enough inflation so you can move.
 Maybe slowly to a better place for either a tyre change or a to a garage with proper air


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## Deleted member 5816 (Jan 7, 2018)

As we travel on the North Yorkshire Moors and Dales all year round in a lot of places down narrow roads I carry a large air inflation plus my Rind tyre inflator as help is hard to find in such places this was one reason I bought the jump start pack in the first place.

Alf




jagmanx said:


> That such compressors are limited
> But they should/may  give enough inflation so you can move.
> Maybe slowly to a better place for either a tyre change or a to a garage with proper air


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## mistericeman (Jan 7, 2018)

Alf said:


> As we travel on the North Yorkshire Moors and Dales all year round in a lot of places down narrow roads I carry a large air inflation plus my Rind tyre inflator as help is hard to find in such places this was one reason I bought the jump start pack in the first place.
> 
> Alf



Part of the reason I fitted onboard air (as well as being able to have ridiculously loud train horns lol )


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## REC (Jan 7, 2018)

Previous thread about these powerpacks may be of interest,@molly2 . I remember as it highlighted that I had paid quite a lot more for mine than others! Very pleased with our RoyPow and use it a lot for off grid charging of tablets etc. Does not have laptop charger though. Bought it when we were having intermittent problems with the battery which the garage could not find the cause. Of course, they found what was wrong once we bought the pack!

https://www.wildcamping.co.uk/forums/motorhome-chat/66469-lidl-charger-jumper.html?highlight=Roypow


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## Deleted member 5816 (Jan 7, 2018)

Having limited space in a smaller PVC there is a limit as to what we carry, I would certainly have a similar item if room. The flat tyre and Battery problems are properly the most worry for off beat wildcampers like you, some of the places we stay we may never see another vehicle overnight or even all day. I have a solar tyre pal monitor a brilliant piece of kit only had one puncture while I have had it but I did get plenty of advance warning. At present parked on NYM with a distant view of A1 and A19 but no one passed us for an out 3 hours. Bitter cold but warm weak sunshine no wind Eber on Rickover warm as toast.

Alf




mistericeman said:


> Part of the reason I fitted onboard air (as well as being able to have ridiculously loud train horns lol )  View attachment 60434


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## ricc (Jan 7, 2018)

hairydog said:


> Nope. I am dubious about how effective they are, except when the flat battery is only a bit flat, but more importantly, I think they are a waste of money that would be better spent on fixing whatever problem caused the battery to go flat.
> I would recommend a good set of jump leads as a standby for emergencies. They never need charging.



jump leads are useless if you havnt got another vehicle with a good battery,,,,fine on a campsite , maybe not so clever wilding miles from anyone else.


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## carol (Jan 7, 2018)

hairydog said:


> Nope. I am dubious about how effective they are, except when the flat battery is only a bit flat, but more importantly, I think they are a waste of money that would be better spent on fixing whatever problem caused the battery to go flat.
> I would recommend a good set of jump leads as a standby for emergencies. They never need charging.



I've got a good set of jump leads too. Btw, sometimes the problem is human error, not the battery. Surely it's happened to us all at some point in our life!


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## Linda (Jan 7, 2018)

Jump leads are useless when the van is parked nose in in front of garage....we tried to push it off the drive to jump start but in the end put the battery charger on.

Also pushing the car as it didn't start after 3 months away....

Think we could do with this gadget!


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## harrow (Jan 7, 2018)

Linda said:


> Jump leads are useless when the van is parked nose in in front of garage....we tried to push it off the drive to jump start but in the end put the battery charger on.
> 
> Also pushing the car as it didn't start after 3 months away....
> 
> Think we could do with this gadget!


If your van is in the garage why not use a smart battery charger that safely keeps the battery topped up ?

:idea::idea::idea:


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## trevskoda (Jan 7, 2018)

harrow said:


> If your van is in the garage why not use a smart battery charger that safely keeps the battery topped up ?
> 
> :idea::idea::idea:



There should be one built into van,unless its donkys old.


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## trevskoda (Jan 7, 2018)

Linda said:


> Jump leads are useless when the van is parked nose in in front of garage....we tried to push it off the drive to jump start but in the end put the battery charger on.
> 
> Also pushing the car as it didn't start after 3 months away....
> 
> Think we could do with this gadget!



There must be some juice or a dash light before trying to push start any car from when altanators came about,old dynamo no prob.


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## mistericeman (Jan 7, 2018)

trevskoda said:


> There must be some juice or a dash light before trying to push start any car from when altanators came about,old dynamo no prob.



Push starting..... 

That's what starting handles were for.... ;-)


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## molly 2 (Jan 8, 2018)

mistericeman said:


> Push starting.....
> 
> That's what starting handles were for.... ;-)


once had a boat with a lister deisel engine  no starter, de compress and crank


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## molly 2 (Jan 8, 2018)

hairydog said:


> If you had a battery that flat, you would probably need to remove it to charge it fully in any case. Getting the engine started is one thing, but refilling the battery would take many, many hours running.


why can't you fully charge a battery in situ ?.just disconnect it and use a smart charger .


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## molly 2 (Jan 8, 2018)

hairydog said:


> I used to have a motorhome with a Lister diesel engine. It had two 100AH starter batteries, and it had a pre-heater which was s sort of diesel-powered flame thrower that heated the inlet manifold. It produced impressive amounts of smoke but it did work.
> 
> Getting the engine to start in cold weather felt like a small victory.


 was it based on a dumper truck :cool1::cool1:


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## Linda (Jan 8, 2018)

Our van is left plugged in but Unbeknownst to us a wire on the battery charger in the van broke.  We weren't aware that it wasn't charging until we were ready to drive to a meet!

It only took about 45 mins to give it enough power to start through a trickle charger.

Our car is automatic so not push started just pushed off the drive to get to the battery!


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## mistericeman (Jan 8, 2018)

Could always go back to the days of cartridge start.... [video=youtube_share;4K1OPmYbaDg]https://youtu.be/4K1OPmYbaDg[/video]


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## mistericeman (Jan 8, 2018)

Or...... [video=youtube_share;IACjOvyx5hs]https://youtu.be/IACjOvyx5hs[/video]


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## Deleted member 5816 (Jan 8, 2018)

Complete with Morris Dancers, smart move there 

Alf




mistericeman said:


> Or...... [video=youtube_share;IACjOvyx5hs]https://youtu.be/IACjOvyx5hs[/video]


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## trevskoda (Jan 8, 2018)

Ah the good old coffman starters.lane:


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## eddyt (Jan 8, 2018)

hairydog said:


> I used to have a motorhome with a Lister diesel engine. It had two 100AH starter batteries, and it had a pre-heater which was s sort of diesel-powered flame thrower that heated the inlet manifold. It produced impressive amounts of smoke but it did work.
> 
> Getting the engine to start in cold weather felt like a small victory.



hii
   my 1994 fiat ducato 2.5 engine still has that inlet manifold diesel pre heater.


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## trevskoda (Jan 8, 2018)

eddyt said:


> hii
> my 1994 fiat ducato 2.5 engine still has that inlet manifold diesel pre heater.



The first comp engines had a bowl around and just below the inlet pipe,this you places a oily rag and lit,when burning you cranked over sucking in hot air and pos a bit of flame,bingo engine starts.


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## Deleted member 68397 (Jan 9, 2018)

*In my humble and limited experience.....*

In my experience, and we have used these smart chargers a lot, we found the more compact ones do struggle to start a bigger vehicle engine, if at all.
We use them for our quads, bikes and the cars but not suitable for the MH or the Dayvan.
Unfortunately, though we try to keep our MH in peak condition, there are as most of us admit, times when a booster charge can be useful, if not for ourselves, maybe for someone less fortunate as ourselves at that point in time.
Although the larger boosters are more expensive and heavier they can be used as a mobile power source, for lights, USB, power tools etc, so not entirely superfluous to like minded people.
Slainte, Growlie69


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## alcam (Jan 9, 2018)

molly 2 said:


> Has anyone used the car jump start packs, the type that is about the size of  mobile phone ,some  claim to start up to 4 litre diesel engines any recommendations .:camper:



Bet when you started this thread you didn't think it would run to 11 pages ?


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## trevskoda (Jan 9, 2018)

Over time one finds there are things beyond talking about.
Generators, gas sys,battery chargers,batterys themselves,led lights,computors linux  tethering modems or any other fancy boxes,otherwise everything goes.:scared::lol-053:head down now.


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## wildebus (Jan 26, 2018)

wildebus said:


> This is the best one I found that would also work with bigger engines.  All the specs in the post below. Price around £55.
> 
> Jump Starter Prize
> 
> Bought from Amazon last month to give away as a forum freebie.



Ref the above post, I haven't yet posted this off (waiting for the address to send to).

Reason for mentioning it I went to start my van this morning and wouldn't turn over enough to start up (looked at Victron BMV... 11.9V).
Happened to have a loose charged 100Ah Wet Cell Battery in the back so connected that up with some jump leads I have knocking around ... no good (jump leads did look quite poor quality TBH)
So as I had the jump starter still, thought I may as well use that ...

Connected up. (Had 90% of charge in device according to display). While connected had a quick look at BMV ... 13.2V.  Turned the key... Immediate startup :wacko:   (And charge in device dropped to 88%)

So a definite thumbs up from me using it on my 2.8L Diesel.  (I'll have to see if the prize winner fancies a cash prize instead  )


FYI, The specs are:

*Unit Specifications Summary:*
Battery capacity: 14400mAh
Peak current: 600A
Start current: 300A
Cycle life: 3000 times
USB output: 5V/1A/2.1A
Outlet input: 12V=300A Autostart outlet and 12V/15V/16V/19V=2A/3.5A/3.5A
Size: 170*79*32mm(6.6*3.1*1.2in) 
Weight: 1KG





PS.  I know my battery probably needs renewing plus got the tacho ticking away 24/7 using some power.


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## molly 2 (Jan 26, 2018)

alcam said:


> Bet when you started this thread you didn't think it would run to 11 pages ?


and still counting


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