Having repeatedly killed the factory battery during the installation, it would not hold a good charge. So, after having to boost it too many times I said "enough of that" and replaced it with an Optima yellowtop.
Even still though, in winter I have problems. Too often I would again find the battery unable to turn over the engine on cold mornings if I didn't plug in or left the truck parked for several days.
The thing is, I only live 9 minutes from work and most days that is as far as I go. So with the heavy current draw of starting the truck, then the steady draw of the stereo playing, the seat warmers, etc, 9 minutes of alternator juice is just not enough to keep a good charge on the battery.
Finally realizing what was happening, I decided to correct this issue. I found a
weatherproof maintenance charger, mounted it under the hood, cut off its power cord and spliced it into the cord for the block heater.
So now, on cold nights when I have to plug in, I charge the battery at the same time. As an added bonus, I get a light showing me the connection is good!
