Battery Charger for Maintaining the Charge on a 2005 Ford Excursion Diesel with 2 Odyssey Batteries

Question:

Hello, I have a 05 Excursion with the powerstroke 6.0 with 2 Oddeysey batteries. I leave up north sometimes at cabin and need a charger I can leave it to keep them charged up. What is the difference between the CTek and NOCO chargers? I am going to install it under the hood so needs to be water safe. Also, if have 2 batteries does 1 charger do both batteries and be able to condition them and all or is it better to get 2 chargers or. Any info would be appreciated.

asked by: Jeff

Expert Reply:

The Redarc In-Vehicle BCDC Battery Charger # 331-BCDC1225D is designed to charge an auxilliary battery form the vehicle alternator output or from the starting battery on the vehicle. This charger would not work for your application unless you have a solar panel that can be ran to the yellow input wire of the # 331-BCDC1225D charger. In that case the solar power can be used to help maintain the vehicle batteries and keep them from overcharging while you are away from the cabin for extended periods.

If you are looking for an application to use with available 120 volt electricity, to keep your batteries charged at all times, you could use the NOCO Genius Mini # 329-GENIUS5, to keep the batteries charged while you are away. You could install the charger under the hood, it is waterproof, and then plug it in when you leave to keep the batteries charged. Connect the charger to the positive terminal of the main starting battery and the negative terminal of the other battery, both batteries will be charged fully and maintained.

I have the NOCO Genius Mini charger and it is a great little unit. I have revived several batteries, from our tractor to our riding lawn mower, all of which I would normally have had to replace because they were not holding a sufficient charge to start the motor after sitting for a while. These batteries now work like new batteries again. The only downside to the Genius Mini charger is charging time.

I would recommend installing the unit in a protected area under the hood, to protect the unit from the elements as much as possible.

expert reply by: Robert G