I am having problems with my alternator in my 2001 chevy silverado 1500 4.8l ls extended cab with 2wd my alternator went out n i lost all my light and gauges and im woundering if i use a battery charger to charge the battery to 100% will it alow me to drive home im about 20 miles from home when this happend n was able to make it safely to a friends house along the way but i cant leave my truck here because of very strict HOA rules n it need to be out tonight n i cant afford to have it towed home either cuz im on a fixed income any ideas on what i can do to make it home safely n cheaply i only have $20 to my name n my friend has no money either to help and i dont know anyone with a truck that could help me pull it home plus its midnight and i will have no lights either

 

Well sounds like you're up sh*t creek without a paddle.

Yes, you can charge your battery and start/drive the truck. How far is impossible to know, it will really depend on the health of your battery. A weak battery wont last you long at all, a good sturdy battery might just get ya there. It will sure put a hurting on your battery though, and isn't safe to attempt because you can loose power at any moment while driving. This means you'll loose power steering, brake booster, the ability to accelerate. I wouldn't attempt it.

Be safe, eat the HOA fines, get some quick cash around to get an alternator put on, or tow it home. You can replace trucks/parts/money, you cant replace human lives.