Jump Box Recommendations

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

NCSU Dad

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 24, 2017
Posts
174
Location
OBX NC
Our Class C is powered by a Ford V10. I’m looking for recommendations for a jump box that does not have unnecessary capabilities like a radio, etc.

Thanks!
 
I’m looking for recommendations for a jump box
I am curious about the need for one? In the 9 years that we owned our first motorhome and 14 years that we owned the second one I never had an occasion to jump-start either one. Lots of folks do own one of them, but I find myself wondering how often most of thee get used? I did carry a long, quality set of jumper cables and in fact I have kept a set in every automobile that I have owned for at least the last 30 years. As I look back, most of the use of them has been to help other folks that had a problem, most recently at a local restaurant.
 
They can also be used to charge most any device or power a lap top computer. I bought mine when we started camping in a Dodge minivan that has a 12 v invertor on board. If we drained the battery in the woods I would be able to get the van started. Cheap insurance.
 
I bought the cheapest one Harbor Freight had years ago and have used it probably 4 times to start various cars / trucks. Always had plenty of power.
I use it more for a portable power source for tinkering and testing things.
 
I bought this one in 2013. Still works. I've never had to replace its battery. A new battery for it costs about $60.


I had another one that came from WalMart. It lasted about 7 years and then started leaking acid. I thought about replacing it's battery but I found it's electronics were fried.

The JNC has a built in wall wart charger, a voltage gage, and cables. All easily replaced.

I use it to power our towed aux braking system In addition to jump starting various cars.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I got one of the small Lithium boxes from Horrib...er. Harbor Freight..
Though I've not PERSONALLY needed it... I'v'e jumped a few cars.
Amazingly effecive.
How well it will work on a Big Block Ford.. I do not know but suspect it just might get the job done.
NOTE Motor homes have a built in Jump starter (button on dash) so if all else fails, and it did for me once on my Class A.

I jumped the Generator.... Let it run for a bit, then hit the E-start button (Aux start or Emergency start or Boost) and VAROOM.
 
The "need" for it is like the need for insurance. It's a needless expense until the day when it's a lifesaver. But if you have a motorhome, it has two sets of batteries, so maybe jumper cables is all the insurance you desire. And most of them have a built in boost or emergency start button too.

None of those small jump boxes have enough capacity to start a totally dead battery. They are designed to boost a battery that is too low to function on its own, not to substitute for a battery at zero volts.
 
None of those small jump boxes have enough capacity to start a totally dead battery. They are designed to boost a battery that is too low to function on its own, not to substitute for a battery at zero volts.
I have two lithium jump packs of different makes that will start either of my cars vigorously (Chevy Tracker and Ford Bronco II) with completely dead (0 volt) batteries. Both have parasitic loads that drain their batteries completely flat if they sit unused for more than a week. The secret is they will only supply power for about 30 seconds before shutting off, so the car has to start within this time. But they can repeat this cycle several times before they have to be recharged.

I've also used them on neighbors cars with completely dead batteries, the other secret is you have to push the sensing bypass button to energize the alligator clips. Normally the clips are dead until they sense some voltage from another battery.

My older Harbor Freight lead acid jump pack will run a small 12 volt air compressor long enough to inflate a couple of tires but won't crank a car with a completely dead battery. When I opened it up I found it was simply a 7 amp-hour gel cell (not AGM) similar to what's found in computer UPS's that are intended to be drawn down over several tens of minutes, not seconds.
 
I've had an Anti-gravity brand fro year. Never needed to use it myself, but have started others vehicles with it. AG was one of the first ones made. Mine has to be over 12 years old and still running strong. I have the XP1 and have started standard V8's with it.
They make a model XP10 heavy duty that will start diesels and large V8's
 
I have one of the small lithium battery jump packs. I haven't really needed it yet myself for an unexpected jump start, but once was able to help someone else at an event when their car wouldn't start.

This is the one I have. It does have a tire inflator in it which I have found quite handy.


These are so small (and not very expensive) so it's kind of reasonable to try to have one with you in whatever vehicle you are driving.
 
Go to youtube or use your favorite search engine and search "Project Farm Jump Starter" - This guy tests all kinds of tools and has 3 years of jump starter tests. You can also skip to near the end of his videos to get to the test results charts if you're not too interesting in the actual testing. E.G.

 
Last edited:
I have two lithium jump packs of different makes that will start either of my cars vigorously (Chevy Tracker and Ford Bronco II) with completely dead (0 volt) batteries.
I guess I "stand corrected" then. None of the ones I've seen/used were capable of starting from less than around 6-7 volts. Of course, much depends on the starting load of the engine - a big block V8 or a diesel takes a lot more cranking energy than a 4 cylinder compact car engine. A Chevy Tracker certainly fits the later category.
 
I have one of these. With a totally dead battery, the instructions say,and it's my experience correct, hook up the jump box and wait 10 minutes or so to start the engine. Otherwise the load on the lithium jump box is so great it can overload the box electronics, which disables the device until it is detached so it may correct itself.
They have been known to explode from an overload.
 
I am curious about the need for one? In the 9 years that we owned our first motorhome and 14 years that we owned the second one I never had an occasion to jump-start either one. Lots of folks do own one of them, but I find myself wondering how often most of thee get used? I did carry a long, quality set of jumper cables and in fact I have kept a set in every automobile that I have owned for at least the last 30 years. As I look back, most of the use of them has been to help other folks that had a problem, most recently at a local restaurant.
Kirk yeah I need to pick up a set of jumper cables. My problem is I don't like asking for help. That's why the jump box is a good idea for someone like myself.

I went out to start our MH and found the battery dead. I'm guessing the battery was 2 years old at the time. Lucky it was parked in our driveway so I put a charger on it. After a full charge the battery test OK. Since then I keep a battery maintainer (CTEK - 40-206 MXS 5.0 Fully Automatic 4.3 amp Battery Charger and Maintainer 12V) connected when parked. The battery still tests OK with a load tester so I'm trying to stretch its life out before buying a replacement.

Thanks for all of your replies!
 

Attachments

  • Battery Maintainer.jpeg
    Battery Maintainer.jpeg
    46.8 KB · Views: 1
Last edited:
If our MH ever requires a jump-start, I'll call my Good Sam ERS. I use my jump box around the farm mostly. I've even used it to power my 15G weed sprayer.
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
131,670
Posts
1,382,731
Members
137,455
Latest member
MtnRV
Back
Top Bottom