Modern cars — and modern crossover SUVs in particular — are often used by their owners for much more than just getting from point A to point B. Versatility and the ability to handle outdoor activities are partly why buyers are drawn to SUVs, with their hatchback designs making them great for tailgating before a ball game or even turning one into your home away from home while car camping on a road trip.
Whether you are turning your SUV or hatchback into a makeshift home while venturing off the beaten path, using the rear cargo area as a work area, or just hanging out, the rear of the vehicle can be an extremely useful space. However, leaving the rear hatch or tailgate open for long periods can draw enough power from the battery to leave it completely dead, leaving an owner stranded and in need of a jump start.
Fortunately for those who may have experienced this issue, car camping TikToker @lilaclaurels shared a simple solution that can save your car’s battery while camping or tailgating. The trick is to use an item to fool the car’s onboard sensors into thinking the tailgate is closed, thus avoiding the battery drain from leaving it open.
A simple but effective trick
While modern vehicles’ technological advances certainly offer many benefits, they can also be inconvenient. In the old days, you probably would have been able to leave a tailgate open all day without issue, but many modern vehicles have lights that come on when the tailgate is raised and sensors that detect whether it’s open, all of which drain the vehicle’s battery.
this changed the game for me tbh #carcamping#vanlife#nomadic not really #subaru#adventuring
This isn’t a big deal if you’re loading or unloading the car, but this constant draw can lead to a flat battery if you leave the tailgate open for long periods when camping or tailgating. This could be a major problem if you are car camping in an isolated area, but owners of the popular Subaru Crosstrek have an easy solution.
The Crosstrek has a sensor that checks whether the hatch is open, and as shown in the TikTok video, hooking a small carabiner to the latch of the Subaru’s raised tailgate can trick the car into thinking the hatch is closed. This will stop the sensor, rear cargo lights, or anything else from draining the battery.
Different tricks for different cars
While the trick in the TikTok video will likely work on most Subaru models, not all cars use the same tailgate mechanisms. Most likely, however, there’ll be a similar solution that works with other vehicles. On a Toyota RAV4, for example, owners have reported success using a flat-head screwdriver or another similar item to manipulate the switch that tells the vehicle whether the rear hatch is open or closed.
Beyond that, there are other ways to either stop or reduce the battery draw from an open hatch. Some vehicle owners recommend dimming or disabling interior lights, or even disconnecting the battery outright, if you plan to leave the tailgate open for an extended period, though the latter may lead to other issues as well.
Of course, power drain is just one of the many reasons that a car battery can go dead. If you plan to do a lot of car camping in isolated areas, it’s probably a good idea to add a portable battery charger to your packing list.
