Solar Charger

Not using the truck much yet. Gizmos causing battery drain. Picked up a 20w solar charger with ciggy plugin. The truck has three ciggy type ports. Manual says cig lighter only works when key is on. Assuming that is true for all. So, question is, is the solar charging when plugged in to any or not? I was hoping it would be that simple but maybe not.

 

Not going to work. It’s relay triggered creating an open circuit when ignition is off. In other words it’s disconnected from the battery.

You could install a higher output alternator. About to buy this:
LActrical High Output 300 Amp Alternator For Toyota Tundra Pickup Truck 5.7L 4.6L 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2007-2019 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z5FS6WV?_encoding=UTF8

 

Charge the battery and then put this on it. I have this on my camper battery and it works very well and it has been 2 years.

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/nature-power--12-volt-solar-battery-maintainers-2-pack--19187608

 

Typically you need some type of MTTP to connect solar to a battery otherwise you run the risk of overcharging.

 

OK. Thx guys. Cruzer. High output alt. already installed. Problem is you have to use it to make it work. Not using the truck much. Cameras, security system, remote start, these are the gizmos I was talking about. And the constant draw problem. Was hoping the panel was just plug and play as advertised. Not thru the ciggy plug. I have used the supplied direct connectors to the battery and just have it parked on the hood for now. Will get around to running it inside sometime. Maybe.

 

Battery tender makes a version that plugs into the OBDII port - that's always on, but limited to low amperage. No experience, but I did spend some time looking for options for my mom's vehicle - she doesn't drive much these days.