trickle charge 12 volt

[Tim-in-CA]

Just curious, why does this method only work great if the vehicle is garaged?

I keep a window open to run the Battery Tender cable so I don't have worry about weather. Otherwise, you would have to take actions to mitigate. Others provided their solutions in the aforementioned thread.

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[tjrivian]

I keep a window open to run the Battery Tender cable so I don't have worry about weather. Otherwise, you would have to take actions to mitigate. Others provided their solutions in the aforementioned thread.

Ahh, I did not realize that the battery tender had to be PLUGGED INTO THE WALL. I thought the battery tender had a battery itself(that you'd periodically recharge by bringing it into your house to recharge), and was just dumping a bit of charge from it's battery into the 12V car battery. Please forgive my ignorance.

 

[Tim-in-CA]

Ahh, I did not realize that the battery tender had to be PLUGGED INTO THE WALL. I thought the battery tender had a battery itself(that you'd periodically recharge by bringing it into your house to recharge), and was just dumping a bit of charge from it's battery into the 12V car battery. Please forgive my ignorance.

They do make a version with a solar panel, but I have no experience with that type

 

[Herb]

I believe another option is to wire a trickle charger to 12V "cigarette lighter" plug and use the socket in the gear tunnel. You will have to set the delay timer for your outlets (110V and 12V run off the same timer) or they shut off soon after exiting the vehicle. Max delay time is 3 days, so it doesn't work for every case. The outlet is protected with a 20A fuse (don't ask how I know).

 

[gultin]

I use an OBD 2 port adapter to my Battery Tender for my Gen 1 (single 12V battery) R1S. Prior to connection, my R1S would have a VD of 1 to 2% (sometimes more) per night and would wake up every few hours. Now, it sleeps for 12-24 hrs or more and the VD is around 0.2 to 0.4%. This method works great if the vehicle is garaged.

https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-081-0154-DL-Connector-Maintainers/dp/B007KJ2RZK

There is a very LENGTHY thread (29 pages!) discussing all the possible solutions to resolve VD, keeping the 12V battery topped up (even when new) seems to be the solution for Gen 1 vehicles.

https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/...ly-solved-or-hacked.31506/page-23#post-621430

@Tim-in-CA which battery tender product do you use plugged into the wall? Curious what it's specs are. Also, do you know if this approach would work for Gen1 with dual 12V batteries?

 

[Tim-in-CA]

@Tim-in-CA which battery tender product do you use plugged into the wall? Curious what it's specs are. Also, do you know if this approach would work for Gen1 with dual 12V batteries?

i purchased:

https://www.amazon.com/Deltran-Battery-Tender-Power-Plus/dp/B016S7NHWQ

and

https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-081-0154-DL-Connector-Maintainers/dp/B007KJ2RZK

I believe others have had success

 

[gultin]

i purchased:

https://www.amazon.com/Deltran-Battery-Tender-Power-Plus/dp/B016S7NHWQ

and

https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tender-081-0154-DL-Connector-Maintainers/dp/B007KJ2RZK

I believe others have had success

Thanks @Tim-in-CA! I had a chance to try both of these Battery Tender products (3 Amp tender and OBD adapter) and it appears to work with my Gen 1 with dual 12V. Over last night I only lost 1 mile over a 12-hour period, whereas otherwise it is typically a 2-3 mile loss overnight at these temperatures. The best part was that it just took under a minute to setup and similarly quick to remove. I'll monitor this over a few more nights.

Out of curiosity, I also tried a 30 watt solar panel with MPPT behind my windshield, which also seems to work through the OBD adapter and showed a full charge within 10 minutes. This was also super easy to setup, and the panel stays securely tucked behind the A pillar, without the need for any additional securing. This took under a minute to setup and take down.

Here's the solar panel in case anyone else is interested.
https://a.co/d/f2J3cSJ

Assuming this works well, I plan to use the 3 Amp tender + OBD at home, and the solar+OBD on camping trips.

 

[IGR]

This looks like a great idea with the solar panels, unfortunately won’t be as effective for those who have tints.
If let’s say tints block 50% light would that still be enough juice to maintain 12v battery?

 

[gultin]

This looks like a great idea with the solar panels, unfortunately won’t be as effective for those who have tints.
If let’s say tints block 50% light would that still be enough juice to maintain 12v battery?

My windshield is actually at a 70% tint, and it charged up the 12V fine from inside the windshield, on a bright/sunny day. So I'm hopeful.

 

[IGR]

My windshield is actually at a 70% tint, and it charged up the 12V fine from inside the windshield, on a bright/sunny day. So I'm hopeful.

Thats good to know! thanks.

Someone should integrate solar into center speaker grill/mesh. And have it trickle charge all the time.

 

[HyperionMark]

I just did my first test through the OBD and virtually no vampire drain during a 2 and a half day span. And measured about 1.6 kWh from the wall to run the tender. Let's call that a savings of about half of overall electricity.

 

[HyperionMark]

I just did my first test through the OBD and virtually no vampire drain during a 2 and a half day span. And measured about 1.6 kWh from the wall to run the tender. Let's call that a savings of about half of overall electricity.

 

[DayTripping]

The solar might be a great option. Anyone calculate if we'd really need the 30w one or would the 20w version work?

 

[gultin]

The solar might be a great option. Anyone calculate if we'd really need the 30w one or would the 20w version work?

I debated the 20W vs 30W and went with 30W, assuming that Rivian's 12V power draw is higher than the typical modern ICE vehicle, for which most folks seem to be happy with 20W.

Still early testing for me, but the 30W panel appears to be charging the 12V even on cloudy or partly sunny days.

 

[DayTripping]

I was planning on leaving it in the truck all the time so the size is something I wanted to consider. Here are the sizes for reference of the Suner Power solar cells. 30W - 18.9"L x 15.3"W x 0.15"H = 289 sq in 20W - 15.9"L x 13.1"W x 0.12"H = 208 sq in So basically, the 30W is almost 6" wider if you flip the orientation. Its width is about the same as the 20W's length, and then comparing the other dimension it is 5.8" longer. If I can get by with a smaller one, it would be easier to stow it in the truck. I am going to mock up a piece of cardboard and see if the 30W is at all unwieldy.

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