On board battery maintainer

[Ground_zero298]

I usually add a on board charger on all my play toys. Just getting around to the bronco now. I went with a Noco 10 on board. It is a battery maintainer, trickle,charge, zero volt repair unit.

My standard install is one plug outlet on the outside of the truck, then to the charger. On this one I wanted some power in the back also. So I went with a dual pigtail plug for this install. This gives me 2 outlets behind the fender, 1 for the charger, then one running to the back with a power strip.
This allows me to use everything in the truck while it's plugged in without fear of draining the battery. This setup is good for camping and storage. I have a cord on the wall in the garage, when I park the truck, I just plug it in.

Install is pretty simple, pull fender liner and flare, add 1 2" hole, mount plug housing. Then just mount your charger and plug it in. For the extension to the back I just dropped down to the drivers frame rail and took that back. Nothing is behind the panel in this location. The aluminum was thin and easy to drill.

My fender liners are dv8's and have quick release fasteners, oem's have the plastic push pins and will take a little longer to remove. Will the liner have to come all the way out to install? Maybe not if you can get you hand up behind it with removing a couple fasteners.

I did add nutserts instead of the hardware it came with. Make sure to put dilelectric grease in the plugs.

Outlet
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TLNQ328/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Maintainer
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08G3M697M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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[PWillette]

Clean install...Looks like the aluminum hole-sawed quite nicely

 

[RagnarKon]

NICE!!

I think you did this already—you got a lot happening near the battery so hard to tell with the photos. But just make sure you are on the other side of the BMS sensor so it knows that you are charging the battery.

I did something similar on an old F-150 and I put it on the wrong side of the BMS and it cause all kinds of weird nonsense.

 

[USAGUY]

. Looks super clean. Please excuse my niavete. How do you use this? To jumpstart yourself or other vehicles?
Thx

 

[RagnarKon]

This just went on today. I think I’m in the right side. I had a Noco wall unit with a pigtail hooked up prior.

Rest of the wiring is temp until I redo it all this winter to make it permanent with disconnects.

Yeah you're good. Nice install!

 

[swami37]

I just can’t understand why you think you need this. A typical agm battery is good for at least 2 years

 

[SigSauer226]

You drilled a hole in your fender to avoid having to clip a battery tender onto your battery?

I use battery tenders on all of my vehicles and toys that are driven in frequently. Any of my regularly driven vehicles don't need them. I have a cable wire to the battery with a plug that comes out in the grill that I can just do a quick connect to. Maybe it's just me but cutting a hole in my fender seems a bit excessive?

 

[Silence]

Same affect as a trickle charger i assume, but much easier access is the idea?

 

[Ground_zero298]

Same affect as a trickle charger i assume, but much easier access is the idea?

Correct. It’s a trickle charger also. Just plug a cord in and it works. No box to carry around. It’s always with you. Second plug end has a separate purpose coming in the future.

 

[Neps]

Clean installation.

But, I'm lazy and just connect up front like a block heater, or open the hood and run the cord like the Cadi in your photo

 

[swami37]

It’s a play truck. It’s sits for weeks at a time and has a high electrical load. It’s always good to have a full charge anytime I take it out.

When I go out playing at night I’m pulling close to 70!amps just for my lights.

Gotcha…that makes sense
Enjoy its a great looking Bronco

 

[nwGTS]

It's your Bronco. Do what you will, but this is overkill IMO.
I use trickle chargers on all my cars and route a capped line to an easy spot to access outside the vehicle.

Genuine curiosity, why not just keep a capped female plug with easy access behind the front grill like a traditional block heater's cable?

 

[nwGTS]

Your only looking at half of it. That plug on the outside has a dual tail on the inside. One is feeding the charger other ones running to the back of the truck. A simple 1 plug setup to run everything in the truck at night. So worse case if I can’t find a plug in for the night, if I need one, I can plug my Honda generator in.

Okay, yes I did miss that back half. That second use case is then independent of the Noco trickle charger and could be done without it, but may as well kill two birds.... just thinking out loud. So you have 110 running to the back. Do you have a mounted power strip inside or just a free floating female end for when you need it?
I like the idea!

 

[nwGTS]

Will be run to a large power bank that will feed the voltage. Then that will be fed by solar and alternator with the option of plug in when available.

When the zombies come I'll ping you just so we're clear.
Thanks for the walk through!

 

[BlueOvalBandit]

I just can’t understand why you think you need this.

So he can tell people he has a prototype plug in hybrid Bronco and park in the EV only spaces at the front of the malls. OP is playing 4D chess.

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