Dead toad - windshield wipers?

[bpaikman]

We hadn't fired up the toad for 3 days - all pull-theoughs. Today it was dead on arrival. New-ish battery (last year). Bob thought he noticed the windshield wipers started when we jumped it. How long would it take wipers to kill a battery?
(we went into town and got a new battery).

 

[Texas Clodhopper]

Most likely your ignition key would need to be in the on position for the wipers to work and I really believe you would have noticed the wipers working in your rear camera.

 

[Boat Bum]

Look at the windshield, should see evidence of dry wiping.

 

[bpaikman]

Look at the windshield, should see evidence of dry wiping.

no there's no evidence of dry wiping. It was not the windshield wipers.
We found out what it is. I had a new radio with backup camera installed a couple years ago and we've discovered that now the radio runs constantly. We must've hit a bump somewhere - I don't know - but normally with accessories on (lights and radio turned off), only the brakelights and turn signal will function. Now the radio is on, and can't be turned off in 'acc'. We'll have to have it looked at when we get to our destination. Neither of us are electronics savvy.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

So I chose to get progressives spy device to try and lower my premium!!! The device plugged into the obd2 port. This story is about how much of a load is required to kill a battery! In my case about 2 weeks I guess! And not much!!!

The battery? only a few months old agm, oversized for the truck!!! Replaced the old because I blamed the battery, but it turned out to be that little piece of c##p.

Point to be made is you travel with the acc on parasitic loads are therefore turned on!!! Put a battery maintainer in the vehicle, and forget about it!!!

 

[Diesel Pusher]

You could run a hot wire from coach to tow'd vehicle (typically pin 7) to trickle the battery.

 

[bpaikman]

You could run a hot wire from coach to tow'd vehicle (typically pin 7) to trickle the battery.

we figured out how to turn the radio off while driving ...we think.....We're also turning off and removing the key at night.
The backup cam/radio was a bad installation job and it's a terrible radio (Planet Audio I'm looking at YOU). (rant following) I would never use that place again (and that is why we don't have dash cams on any of our vehicles because I don't trust the one place in our town that can do it.).
I'll do some serious research when we get back home - find someplace in Houston area - get that mess fixed.

 

[Wemustrv]

You could run a hot wire from coach to tow'd vehicle (typically pin 7) to trickle the battery.

Diesel Pusher, that is exactly what I put on my F150 toad very small device mounted by the battery and powered by the power off 7 pin connector on the coach

 

[bpaikman]

We'd run with that toad in acc for hundreds of miles in the past, and no dead battery, but I recall one other incident several years sgo - we left the lights on .... Dead battery
Tell me about this trickle device (Bob's still asleep - I'm an early riser). Where do I buy one, how to hook it up - does it take 'skills', do anyone have a photo?

 

[Kevin D Pem]

@Joe Hogan likely has a link for you