Auxiliary or Backup Battery?

[Alan in AZ]

Anyone installed an auxilliary (or a backup) battery?

I have one in my Expedition now - installed myself - an Oddysey PC680MJ with a charging system and a heavy duty changeover switch. I will likely transplant this...

I don't have a new Explorer yet - so can't really evaluate in detail now- but looking to buy soon...

Not sure how this would mount in an explorer - less space available... maybe in the front wheel well on driver side in front of the wheel? (but would need to take the fender splash shields off to see if there is room) - anyone BTDT?

Biggest reliability issues for me - esp way offroad - are tire punctures (have a repair kit and inflator) and battery failure (bigger issue in AZ due to heat than in most places). I like to have a backup - just in case. I have found the portable battery units to be very unreliable for the money... won't do that again.

 

[Rick]

Hate to say it, but if you're considering taking a new Explorer offroad in AZ you should probably be looking at another vehicle altogether. The new Explorer is not an offroader by any stretch of the imagination. It's a capable on road all weather vehicle. Unless your definition of offroad is graded 2 lane "trails" this isn't the ride for you...

Just a friendly piece of advice to a fellow Arizonan.

 

[Rick]

 

[RTX]

I have to agree with Rick. The new explorer is a beefed up minivan and pretty much relegated to a Mall Queen in the ranks of 4x4s. I own it, I love it... but I wouldn't take it down a badly rutted dirt road let alone real off-road.

 

[Alan in AZ]

No - I do understand the compromises here - I'm trading both space and capability from my 4x4 Expedition on multiple counts - for comfort & fuel efficiency. There are places this won't go that I've been before & I'm OK with that. Most of my driving "offroad" is just bumpy dirt roads, needs bit more clearance - but hardly extreme - point is its often a long way from anywhere, and the biggest issues are as mentioned flats and battery failure. Some of these locations you are on your own - so best to be self sufficient.

Besides I already have the system on my expedition and I'm sure not going to leave it on there - it will probably only reduce the value anyway!!

What do you folks do for fire extinguisher mounting? I have 3 in my Expedition - bit extreme maybe but as a Scoutmaster - need to be equipped for camping as well as vehicle use. I have 1 x 1lb mini in the front console bin now (too small on new Explorer I think) and 2 x 2.5 lbs (1 is Halon) on each side of the quarterpanels at the rear. I haven't figured out yet where I will even fit 1x 2.5Lbs...

BTW I had seen that video - I do question what was going on a little - seemed really like it was running in 2WD front mode only... and those tires...

Also - I'd not call that 'stuck'... stuck to me is when you have to intervene to get moving - and not only could he reverse - he eventually made it passed that point anyway... to me he just temporarily lost forward traction... however I do agree - those were really pretty easy conditions.

 

[jrmexplorer]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=135d_imepQU

That video seems a little silly to me.

If you're going to go off roading in the Explorer, change the tires. Why is he using the stock 20" from the limited?
Not saying the 2011 is going to be a great off roading car, but using the stock Hankook 20s is just plain dumb. Those tires are designed for asphalt and for comfort, not running around on dirt trails.

 

[Rick]

He was showing that in the mud and sand mode vehicle progress had stopped. The vehicle could not get traction from a dead stop to continue on it's path. He had to back up and go over the "obstacle" with momentum in order to keep from getting "stuck". I think he did a good job of showing the limitation of the system. Had there been a locking differential in either of the axles, or if the computer biased the traction properly he would not have been "stuck" on such a lame "obstacle".

What he showed in that video is a real world situation. In a less than real world situation, Dodge shows that the Durango can pull the Explorer from a stand still with no problem at all. In that advertisement the Explorer's front wheels lock up and NO power is being transmitted to the front... or there is power, but not enough to overcome whatever internal mechanism is causing the wheels to lock. You can cry foul all you want, but until Ford comes out with an ad which shows the Explorer out pulling the Durango, I'll have to believe that what is shown in the Dodge commercial is accurate.

Of course there is the problem of lack of approach angle. When I hear that some of our members are scraping their front ends on parking curbs I just

Do what you will, but remember, ya heard it here.

 

[jrmexplorer]

He was showing that in the mud and sand mode vehicle progress had stopped. The vehicle could not get traction from a dead stop to continue on it's path. He had to back up and go over the "obstacle" with momentum in order to keep from getting "stuck". I think he did a good job of showing the limitation of the system. Had there been a locking differential in either of the axles, or if the computer biased the traction properly he would not have been "stuck" on such a lame "obstacle".

What he showed in that video is a real world situation. In a less than real world situation, Dodge shows that the Durango can pull the Explorer from a stand still with no problem at all. In that advertisement the Explorer's front wheels lock up and NO power is being transmitted to the front... or there is power, but not enough to overcome whatever internal mechanism is causing the wheels to lock. You can cry foul all you want, but until Ford comes out with an ad which shows the Explorer out pulling the Durango, I'll have to believe that what is shown in the Dodge commercial is accurate.

Of course there is the problem of lack of approach angle. When I hear that some of our members are scraping their front ends on parking curbs I just

Do what you will, but remember, ya heard it here.

Rick,
At 2:21 in the video he clearly says that he has it in "mud/rut" mode. According to Ford's website: "Mud: For slippery, muddy conditions. Allows wheel spin for momentum build" Seems the system was operating as it should and it was more operator error. Had he switched to sand mode which is " For deep sand and rutted conditions. Optimizes torque for increased traction" it would likely have been fine. THe mode he was on seems like it was designed to spin the wheels like that. I didn't see that he tried to change the selector to a different mode or anything like that.

I guess before declaring the thing a disaster I would have liked to have seen him try different settings as I know they produce different results.

see: http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=32417

 

[Rick]

I would sure like to see some "offroad" videos from our members... We're now on the third model year and I have yet to see my first.

 

[Alan in AZ]

Yes - real life offroad examples would be good - or maybe Ford was right and owners aspire to offroad but never actually get there.. (I'm sure this isn't true!)

Anyway maybe we can start a new thread...

BUT - back on topic - any aux batteries?? or space for one?

Alan

 

[corkey]

let's see if this fits here, 2 nd gen pulls an 06
think you could get there in a new one ??

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150383849820165

 

[Rick]

Winching doesn't count:

 

[corkey]

He got in there by himself, in 4wd , but fell through the snow crust and i had to drive 75 miles to go get him out, that is why the winch,,

 

[IZwack]

BUT - back on topic - any aux batteries?? or space for one?

I'm sure if you look under the vehicle, you'll find some space for an aux battery - you just have to fabricate the necessary bracket to support the aux battery.

 

[corkey]

if you put on Optima under there it could lay sideways , and not hang down as much too ,

 

[Rick]

You could also run two 6v Optimas which are thinner and may be easier to find a spot for.

 

[jrmexplorer]

You could also run two 6v Optimas which are thinner and may be easier to find a spot for.

Question: Why an aux battery? What does that do?

 

[IZwack]

Question: Why an aux battery? What does that do?

answer:

Anyone installed an auxilliary (or a backup) battery?

Biggest reliability issues for me - esp way offroad - are tire punctures (have a repair kit and inflator) and battery failure (bigger issue in AZ due to heat than in most places). I like to have a backup - just in case.

 

[Alan in AZ]

Question: Why an aux battery? What does that do?

Nothing - until the first battery dies - then it gets you home.

This is likely a bigger issue in Arizona due to extreme heat - batteries sometimes die just instantaneously... from perfectly fine to turn the key and nothing...

 

[jrmexplorer]

answer:

Yeah, I read that, but I was wondering if there was a little bit more to it - e.g., that offroading stresses the battery a lot, or something to that effect. Is this common? etc... etc...

Mostly it's my tired brain trying to come up with other things to avoid doing work.