NOCO GB40 jumpstarter for overlanding – essential gear for your 4×4 reviewed.
The NOCO Genuis Boost PLUS GB40 is something we’d had our eye on for a few months and we finally pulled the trigger on it as a jump starter is a crucial piece of kit to have when you’re out and about, so is the GB40 a good jump starter for overlanding?
First up the GB40 is a mid range jump starter and works fine on the right vehicle, it’s not a powerhouse so for larger rigs you might want to upgrade to a more heavy duty model.
What you get is a small and compact unit ideal for stowing away in the toolbox or in a random storage pocket in your 4×4. The build is also impressive, it’s rugged, feels right and shouldn’t take any harm being bounced around and engine bay.
Charging the unit itself is simple enough, you have a USB in port for charging the GB40 and a USB out port for charging electronic devices [phone/laptop etc] The beauty being that when you’re out on the trail and you’ve just jumped yourself out of trouble you can charge the unit on the go to bring ot back up to capacity should you need it again.
Indicators are clear as are the buttons and ports, you also have a 100 lumen LED light built in should you need it at night.
The NOCO GB40 will start petrol engines – up to 6 litres, diesel engines – up to 3 litres and claims 20 jump starts on a single charge – this however is highly variable as we found five jumps to be more accurate on our 2.4 petrol Audi, if you have a power hungry vehicle you will get fewer jumps, having said though and the fact you can charge the GB40 from your vehicle USB port, how many jumps to do you really need?
One other thing to add is the additional safety feature that is present throughout the NOCO range and that is that the crocodile clips have protection against reverse polarity and sparks, particularly good especially if you are under the bonnet at night.
How to Use the NOCO GB40
Attach the NOCO GB40 to your vehicles battery terminals
Press the ‘Power On’ button, LED lights will come on indicating how much charge is left in the GB40
With the GB40 attached to the battery, start the vehicle.
With the engine remove the crocodile clips and you’re ready to go.
Our Conclusion
A drained battery can happen to the best of us and for any number of reasons so having a jump starter is peace of mind especially when you’re out in the middle of nowhere. The NOCO is a compact, rugged little unit at 1000amps and will get you out of trouble, just don’t expect it to last more than a handful of jump starts if you have a power hungry rig.
For the price you can’t really go wrong given that NOCO is a respected brand name on the market, yes there are cheaper units out there but why risk it – it could be long walk home…
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