Ark Pak - Questions and Queries

pdxfrogdog

Adventurer
Not yet and I don't need to be lectured on the subject.

Yet you have come here, typed up detailed complaints and have stated I would not recommend the battery... all prior to taking the basic step of calling a toll free number which is helpfully posted on the top of the 1st page of their website. I hope you find the sense of catharsis you seek with these posts.
 
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moabian

Active member
I spoke with them on the phone over 2 weeks ago about the problem. That is when they told me they would send a new battery. They have not. No response to emails asking for a tracking number or shipping date since. How I choose to contact them is irrelevant. The bottom line is that they indicated there were problems with some of their batteries "shipped last Spring." I assume they have fixed those problems...but have no way of knowing. My Odyssey battery worked in the ArkPak for about 2 years...and still works. The $900 Battle Born battery failed twice in less than a year and is still useless. Would you recommend it?
 

pdxfrogdog

Adventurer
I spoke with them on the phone over 2 weeks ago about the problem. That is when they told me they would send a new battery. They have not. No response to emails asking for a tracking number or shipping date since. How I choose to contact them is irrelevant. The bottom line is that they indicated there were problems with some of their batteries "shipped last Spring." I assume they have fixed those problems...but have no way of knowing. My Odyssey battery worked in the ArkPak for about 2 years...and still works. The $900 Battle Born battery failed twice in less than a year and is still useless. Would you recommend it?

The reason I'm engaging in this dialog, is that I read your original complaint and thought to myself: Wow, that's a really different experience than I've had with Battle Born.

Most of my interactions have been via telephone support and all have been positive. I figured after reading your account: Wires got crossed somewhere in the communications or inside the company... he should call them!

In the end it's obviously your choice on how to proceed. You indicated how I choose to contact them is irrelevant. Maybe. It ain't working to your satisfaction yet. I just find it odd that you seem unwilling to be proactive about solving your problem with the vendor, but you will come here and complain that the vendor is acting in bad faith with you. Particularly when you haven't taken what I feel are sensible and relatively low effort steps to call them since your emails aren't having the desired effect.

The warranty page describes a process for replacements, returns and refunds. What you describe they offered doesn't follow that process. Not saying it didn't happen, just suggesting maybe your arrangement didn't make it to the warranty dept. Who knows, maybe they are waiting for a battery to be returned before shipping out a replacement... it's pure speculation on my part. My point is consider Hanlon's razor: Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity (on Battle Born's part).

If you do come to a final conclusion that they are not honoring the warranty, by all means please tell us. That would be really good consumer info to disseminate. If you have already come to that conclusion, I would suggest (based on what you have shared to date) that you aren't trying hard enough.

...and since you asked: Would I recommend a Battle Born battery? Based on my experience: Yes! It's a great piece of tech and in my experience it does what they say it will do. I'm sorry your experience to date has been different, but I think you can still affect that outcome.
 

moabian

Active member
I haven't read the warranty page and your speculation is wrong. Battle Born isn't a massive company with convoluted communication procedures between departments...which I see as a great reason for dealing with them. When I spoke with them on the phone on Jan. 24, they initially said they would send me a shipping box so I could return the battery to them for service. Within seconds, he said that Sean was "standing right next" to him and advised that they would "make it easy" on me by sending a new battery to me and that I could use that box for returning the defective battery. Now that is great customer service, I thought. Still waiting... but plan to call them again on Monday. I've run my own business for 42 years and have stayed in business, in part, because when I tell my clients something, they can count on it being done...and I've never ignored an email from a client, much less numerous emails.

In my emails, I have simply asked for an estimate of a shipping date and/or a tracking number, 3 or 4 times. No response. If they responded that the battery replacement shipment would have to be approved by two lawyers, four departments and the company dog and would ship in 2 days, 2 weeks, or 2 months, I would make plans accordingly and most likely would not have posted anything. But when there were problems on two occasions with their battery (one possibly heat-related and the other cold-related), and they did not follow through on what they said, and they stopped responding to emails, I posted something about the experience. Their website has indicated that the battery has been in stock since my initial conversation with them...and I received the first battery 2 days after placing the order.
 
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pdxfrogdog

Adventurer
Glad to hear you are planning to call them, moabian. I hope you are able to get satisfaction concerning your non-functioning battery, if not with the company. As I have said a couple times before, let us know what the final outcome is.
 

moabian

Active member
One month after Battle Born promised to ship a new battery to me to replace the apparently defective one I received last Spring, it finally arrived. Sean at Battle Born blamed the delay on "staffing changes." Hopefully this battery will work without issue in the ArkPak.
 

dirtlimo

Observer
Just picked up a Flexopower camping kit and I would like to use it to charge the Arkpak. The moment I insert the Anderson plug the pak starts to beep 4 times. Is this some over voltage protection? I think the panel works up to 19.2v. So is using these 2 items together not possible?
 

pdxfrogdog

Adventurer
Just picked up a Flexopower camping kit and I would like to use it to charge the Arkpak. The moment I insert the Anderson plug the pak starts to beep 4 times. Is this some over voltage protection? I think the panel works up to 19.2v. So is using these 2 items together not possible?

Are you putting panel voltage right into the ArkPak? I would think you need to have a solar controller in between the panels and the arkpak or you will do damage.
 

pdxfrogdog

Adventurer
Camping kit has a controller.

Not sure what it's complaining about then. I believe the anderson connector on the arkpak bypasses the internal charge controller so it should be OK... might have to drop Ark an email or give them a call. They aren't very diligent about checking for posts here, unfortunately. They host a support forum on their main website (Australia) but at least stuff gets answered there: http://www.arkcorp.com.au/boards/forum/1/portable-power
 

dirtlimo

Observer
My only other idea is that fell below 11V or something. I hooked it up to AC last night and its back to 100%. So I guess ill try it again today with the fridge hooked up. Thanks for the input PDX!
 

Brett From Ark

Supporting Sponsor - ARK
Hi to all

just wanted to advise that i will be at the overland west 2018 show details are below

Join us May 18 – 20, 2018 for
Overland Expo WEST at
Ft. Tuthill County Park, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA

FRI 9-5, SAT 8-5, SUN 8-3

https://www.overlandexpo.com/tickets-west/

i will be on GFA trailers stand number F13 check out there website

they have kindly invited me on there stand so if you have any questions about Ark Products or your want to see the product in person just let me know

https://www.gfatrailers.com/ark

take care and look forward to see you all there

Rgards

Brett from Ark
 

Brett From Ark

Supporting Sponsor - ARK
Hi to all

just wanted to advise that i will be at the overland west 2018 show details are below

Join us May 18 – 20, 2018 for
Overland Expo WEST at
Ft. Tuthill County Park, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA

FRI 9-5, SAT 8-5, SUN 8-3

https://www.overlandexpo.com/tickets-west/

i will be on GFA trailers stand number F13 check out there website

they have kindly invited me on there stand so if you have any questions about Ark Products or your want to see the product in person just drop by the stand

https://www.gfatrailers.com/ark

take care and look forward to seeing you all there

Rgards

Brett from Ark
 

mep1811

Gentleman Adventurer
I plan on using my ArkPak in my Porsche Cayenne as a dual battery setup. I have the DC to DC charger but would like a better charging system. I am thinking of using a smart solenoid and connecting to the ArkPak with the Anderson plug .

My question is since the Anderson plug is rate 50 amps would connecting to the terminals a better solution? The alternator is rated at 220 amps.

Can I use the negative post of the car battery terminal as the solenoid ground? Thanks
 

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