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Juniper49 View Drop Down
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Joined: 16 Sep 2014
Location: Colorado
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Posts: 23 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Battery life
    Posted: 15 Oct 2014 at 9:25pm
I am a new RPOD owner and wondered about the battery life. We took a one week trip and then parked it at our home for 3 weeks. Now, the battery is dead??? Is there something that drains the battery without being used? Do others disconnect their battery between trips?
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Joined: 19 Nov 2009
Location: Oshawa, Ontario
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Posts: 767 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Oct 2014 at 9:51pm
Originally posted by Juniper49

parked it at our home for 3 weeks. Now, the battery is dead??? Is there something that drains the battery without being used?

Well, the propane detector is hard-wired into the system and can't be turned off.  It'll drain your battery in about 2-3 weeks.  Although, I'd argue it was in definitely in use and carrying out its function.

Do others disconnect their battery between trips?

Some simply disconnect one of the battery leads.  Some (like me) have installed a battery cutoff switch on or around the battery box.  Some plug-in their r-pod while its sitting idle at home and allow the converter to maintain a charge.
Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150
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Juniper49 View Drop Down
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Joined: 16 Sep 2014
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Posts: 23 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Oct 2014 at 9:28am
Thanks so much. Its do nice to be part of a community of RPOD owners willing to help each other. It beats being turned away from the local RPOD dealer...
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techntrek View Drop Down
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Joined: 29 Jul 2009
Location: MD
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Posts: 9062 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Oct 2014 at 12:17pm
If you do disconnect the battery from the pod, make sure at least every 30 days you reconnect the battery and plug in the pod overnight (then disconnect the pod and the battery).  Even with no load at all, batteries self-discharge, and if you don't keep a lead-acid battery charged up it will sulphate which will eventually ruin it.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Fishflies View Drop Down
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Joined: 28 May 2014
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Posts: 5 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Oct 2014 at 10:11am
So if I have two batteries in parallel ,how long should it last if I had only my fridge on. Curious because returned from trip and had power at camp. Notice when parked in drive way it was at 3/4 power and with in eight hours panel light was empty on panel for power. We've only had this 178 six months and power converter has been replaced and motor for pop out and microwave replaced due to an electrician wire my house wrong out side. Has been wire right and noting else is blowing up. LoL but everything else has been replaced. Now is there some thing else that is making it loose power so fast in eight hour ?
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Hayduke View Drop Down
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Joined: 03 Apr 2012
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Posts: 68 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Oct 2014 at 10:18am
Your fridge is a big power draw on 12v and can drain your batteries in that short amount of time.  You should only run your fridge on battery power to maintain temp after it's already cold and only if your batteries are being actively charged (ie: by your TV while driving)
2012 177 HRE
2017 Tacoma Double Cab
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Fishflies View Drop Down
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Joined: 28 May 2014
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Posts: 5 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Oct 2014 at 10:20am
Originally posted by Fishflies

So if I have two batteries in parallel ,how long should it last if I had only my fridge on. Curious because returned from trip and had power at camp. Notice when parked in drive way it was at 3/4 power and with in eight hours panel light was empty on panel for power. We've only had this 178 six months and power converter has been replaced and motor for pop out and microwave replaced due to an electrician wire my house wrong out side. Has been wire right and noting else is blowing up. LoL but everything else has been replaced. Now is there some thing else that is making it loose power so fast in eight hour ?
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Fishflies View Drop Down
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Posts: 5 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Oct 2014 at 10:21am
Sorry forgot to mention I only had the frigid on to keep the food good until cleaned out. 
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CharlieM View Drop Down
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Posts: 1797 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Oct 2014 at 11:16am
The Pod fridges draw 10+ amps from the 12V source, so in 8 hours it will completely discharge to the point of damage a typical 24 series battery and essentially discharge two 24 series paralleled batteries. If you're going to leave the fridge running for more than an hour or so without shore power, switch to gas.

One other point about the little four light monitor panel. The four lights do not mean percentage of charge. The top light indicates the battery is being charged. The second light indicates the battery is full but not being charged, not that it is only 75% charged. The other two lights mean who knows what, but the lowest light probably means recharge is required.
Charlie
Northern Colorado
OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD
PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD
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hogone View Drop Down
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Posts: 1060 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Oct 2014 at 12:49pm
curious charlie; if the top light means battery is being charged; then why for the first 3+ days of my dry camping trip did the light stay at the top and i was not charging the battery or hooked up to anything?  i guess i thought it was kind of what you debunked...% of charge.  hogone
Jon & Pam
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