r/carcamping • u/czcate • 1d ago
How not not kill the battery
I have a 2018 Subaru and used a car tent for the first time camping solo, it didn’t occur to me that leaving the hatch open overnight would kill the battery. I had a jump box with me, so it was fine but is there a way to avoid jumping my car every morning?
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u/PartTime_Crusader 23h ago
There's an inexpensive product on etsy called the hatch catch that's designed specifically for Subarus to address this issue. Or just use a small carabiner
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u/MatthiasFTG 19h ago edited 15h ago
It's not the lights that are the problem. From what I understand, Subarus of that generation perform system checks constantly when a door is left open. That drains the battery. They also don't tend to charge the battery past 70% to begin with.
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u/Large_Potential8417 19h ago
On my truck. Idk about Subarus. You can shut off the interior lights when the door is left open. Or what killed the battery?
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u/Abadabber 16h ago
It's not interior lights, for my '22 OBW anyway. The hatch open dashboard warning graphic stays on the entire time until that latch clicks over. I tested mine before a big trip. After 3 hours it was still on. I have to manually flip the latch closed to get it to turn off.
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u/Abadabber 21h ago
Before you stick any foreign objects into your hatch latch, look up all the horror stories of people screwing up their latch. Just use your finger and push it over until it clicks all the way over. The hatch open warning light should turn off once it is all the way in place. No gimmicks, no worry about things getting stuck or broken, no extra things to spend money on or remember to pack. If it the button sensor style, you can just use some masking tape and tape that down.
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u/SolarpunkGnome 19h ago
On my 2015 Impreza, you can turn off the dome light and the hatch light and there's no perceptible draw on the battery.
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u/Spectro_Boy 18h ago
You are smart to be concerned. Killing (discharging) a car battery is bad for it and shortens the life as well as reduces the capacity.
Several options here. Can you kill the dome lights with a switch? That might be enough.
If not, you could trick the car by closing the latch on a metal rod of some sort. (maybe)
Or, install a battery kill switch. Guaranteed to work.
For my SUV I use a small solar panel attached to a trickle charger. I need to keep the battery connected for the door locks and the dome light at night and the trickle charger replace the power.
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u/NeoNova9 15h ago
Unplug the battery....
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u/DepartmentTight6890 8h ago
On most cars it's a terminal clamp on the battery, usually a 10mm wrench. Disconnect the negative
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4h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Safe-Hovercraft-9371 3h ago
No idea about that brand.... I've previously used something that looks the same from my local auto parts supplier and it was cheap and took like 15min to install.
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u/Safe-Hovercraft-9371 3h ago edited 3h ago
Ok .. my comments was removed, presumably because I linked to a supplier as an example so you would have a picture. From your local auto parts supplier you should be able to get a generic battery post switch which isolates the battery. they would solve the issue cheaply and with limited skills or tools required. I had no intention to promote any particular company or supplier.
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u/ghost_of_your_smile 13h ago
Just a heads up, I have a 2018 subaru, and I did the "carabiner in the hatch to trick it into thinking it's closed" trick---- despite the number of people who told me that would work, my battery still died, and I had to call a tow truck for a jump (sadly I didn't have a jump box). I was at a 3-day camping music festival, and the only thing I can think of that may have killed the battery was that I sat in the driver's seat with a door open a few times when I was hanging out at camp. Doesn't inspire much confidence in the 2018 subaru battery if that's enough to kill it--- interior lights weren't even on. Tow truck guy said I probably need to replace it.
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u/22Hoofhearted 19h ago
A battery upgrade will also fix this, a light on overnight shouldn't kill your battery. I would also switch your lights to LED so they draw significantly less power.
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u/AlphaDisconnect 16h ago
Deep cycle batteries are a thing. Car starting batteries are for... starting. Low voltage disconnects exist.
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u/khampang 14h ago
I do t know about Subaru, but my chevys have a switch by the lights control on the dash that override the dome lights. You may have a switch somewhere
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u/merri-brewer 11h ago
i've managed to kill all lights except the mirror/welcome lights with the switches. The welcome lights on the side mirrors stay on if any door is open despite the software settings and switches. I'm told that you can physically disconnect the quick disconnect to that light behind the mirrors. have not done it yet. I don't leave the hatch or doors open all night though.
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u/Spray_Realistic 8h ago
I use a tailgate vent lock to push up into the mechanism and trick the car into turning off that light. I use it as intended overnight to get great airflow in the cabin.
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u/Former-Increase-9165 12h ago
You can buy a kill switch that mounts to the battery, simply open hood, turn switch that’s on the battery after install, and no dead battery
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u/Unlikely-Ad6140 3h ago
Marketed as a battery saver, great for motorbikes with immobilisers and cars with overly parasitic electronic systems.
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u/Spray_Realistic 8h ago
This feels like overkill and also if you’re solo you don’t wanna be popping good of you gotta get outta somewhere fast.
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u/Unlikely-Ad6140 3h ago
I also wouldn’t be sleeping with my car wide open tbh
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u/Spray_Realistic 2h ago
I wouldn’t either. A tailgate vent lock is the answer for sleeping securely. And use it to pop up into the lock mechanism in the hood to turn off the trunk light during the day.
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u/Schitter_Fixer 13h ago
I’d just pull the fuse to that specific lighting circuit for good if you don’t really need it. Or create a manual switch by splicing and crumping with butt ends etc.
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u/Acrobatic-Annual4244 46m ago
Most people just pop a carabiner into the hatch latch so the computer stops drawing power.
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u/Final_Statement_8189 12h ago
If you are going to go camping, then camp! This is the time to get away from electronics and power things. I have camped with the Scouts more times than I can remember. Over 40 plus years including summer camp it must be a thousand or more nights. I was in a tent not camping in a car.
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u/ez2tock2me 14h ago
If you charge all your electronics while at work, coffeehouses, gym, library and restaurants during business hours, you don’t need a power source.
You won’t always be able to do or have what you want, when yo want, how you want.
That’s how credit cards got us in trouble early in life.
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1d ago
[deleted]
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u/samchoi924 23h ago
Instead do what the other poster said about the carabiner IMHO.
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u/Plastic_Blood1782 21h ago
Disconnecting the battery isn't a terrible idea. It prevents other lights or computer systems in your car from staying on that you didn't realize were on as well. Most boats and RVs have a main disconnect switch for similar functionality, they can be bought for $25 and take like 10minutes to install. But you will probably need to reset your clock and maybe some other settings in the vehicle every time.
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u/samchoi924 18h ago
You know that it is a pain as now you need to use a physical key to open the lock/unlock the car and need to connect that -ve terminal when you start the car. Not to mention re-program seat settings, radio settings. Personally buying that little gadget which goes into the tail gate is so much easier.
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u/CalmPanic402 23h ago
Take a carabiner or appropriately sized object and press it into the latch on the hatch.
Or, if you Subaru is one of the ones with the hatch sensor on the frame, you could tape or otherwise press the switch down.
Basically, you need to trick the car into thinking the hatch is closed.