Does a 12 Volt Power Outlet have to be Installed to use Blue Ox Patriot on a 2014 Honda CR-V

Question:

Do I really need to install an additional 12v outlet to power the BRK2016? I believe the only reason to pull the fuse recommended in the owners manual is to prevent discharge of the battery because the key is in the accessory position. If I have a charge cable between the coach and the towed car wouldnt this alleviate the need to pull the fuse and enable use of the existing power connections in the console or dash?

asked by: Tom F

Expert Reply:

I do believe that on the 2014 Honda CR-V you only have to pull fuses if you are towing the vehicle for 8 hours or more without stopping to let it run so that the alternator can charge up the battery. Consult the owners manual to confirm.

If you ran a charge wire to the vehicle battery it would provide a maintenance charge but would not charge up the battery. You still might get some battery drain but not nearly as much as if you didn't have a charge wire attached.

The fuse that needs to be pulled is the Accessory Radio Fuse. I do not know if this fuse has anything to do with the power outlets in the vehicle. The owners manual does specifically say not to plug anything into the power outlets when flat towing due to battery drain.

So you could either add a charge wire like you said or you can install an alternate 12 volt outlet that would still draw power from the battery.

And a third option is to use a different braking system like the SMI Stay-IN-Play DUO, # SM99251, which does not require a power outlet and costs a little less than the Patriot braking system.

expert reply by: Michael H