Battery low after camping |
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MWFlyboy
Newbie Joined: 12 Apr 2017 Online Status: Offline Posts: 4 |
Topic: Battery low after camping Posted: 30 Aug 2018 at 11:29am |
Thanks for all the replies concerning our issue and for the spirited debate about propane use while in motion.
As is often the case, Occam's razor has proven that the simplest solution fixes the problem. It turns out that the battery cables were not tightened down enough at the battery. This resulted in actual battery voltage being about a volt higher than what was being registered by the trailer. On our trip this past weekend everything performed as it should! We returned home with a full battery. Again, thanks for all the input! Cheers, Matt |
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CharlieM
Senior Member Joined: 23 Nov 2012 Location: N. Colorado Online Status: Offline Posts: 1797 |
Posted: 20 Aug 2018 at 7:17pm |
It's been pointed out before but there are almost no
three way fridges over 5 cu.ft. in size. Hence most larger trailers and
all class C and class A rigs do not even have a battery option while
traveling. They run an propane and I can guarantee they are not turned
off at gas stations.
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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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Tars Tarkas
Senior Member Joined: 14 Jan 2013 Location: Near Nashville Online Status: Offline Posts: 1446 |
Posted: 20 Aug 2018 at 7:07pm |
This is an interesting topic. By all means, to each is own. I've looked pretty hard though and more or less, at least, invited other people to point to a rule about not using propane fridges while traveling or at gas stations. An official rule, issued by a state or federal agency or a law. I haven't found it and no one has pointed me to it. My opinion: there's risk to getting out of bed in the morning. It's all about risk assessment, which, barring clear statistical data, is pretty much a matter of personal judgement. Sure, there are stories about fires and deaths but there is also documented evidence of meteors striking the earth and destroying thousands of square miles and even wiping out a lot of the life on the planet. I still go outside and I run the fridge on propane while traveling. That's just me though. At this point I'm not sure I'd change my mind about the fridge even if someone uncovers a law somewhere... TT
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2010 176
FJ Cruiser |
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mcarter
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 07 Apr 2016 Location: Greenbrier, TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 3419 |
Posted: 20 Aug 2018 at 7:02pm |
T2,
I have not seen it on line. I think it is something I clicked on to receive when I signed up on the FR Forum. I get it once a week in email, a summation of posts on their forum, covers all RVs not just Pods. Pretty interesting as far as info. |
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Mike Carter
2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
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Tars Tarkas
Senior Member Joined: 14 Jan 2013 Location: Near Nashville Online Status: Offline Posts: 1446 |
Posted: 20 Aug 2018 at 6:49pm |
What FR newsletter? Is it accessable online? TT
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2010 176
FJ Cruiser |
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Olddawgsrule
Senior Member Joined: 20 Sep 2017 Location: New Hampshire Online Status: Offline Posts: 1014 |
Posted: 20 Aug 2018 at 1:52pm |
Question one: When at the campground have you switched the frig over to shore power? When I Boon-dock, frig goes over to propane. Frig draws far too much DC power to run on battery. Question two: Is your TV setup with a large enough alternator to run the Frig and charge the battery? Many are not.. And lastly (for now): What else are you running that is drawing power? Everything has to be considered here. Running the AC, Micro, Blender, Electric Heater, etc, etc... How much power are you drawing and what is left to charge the battery ('s).. To the balance of this thread: I run my frig on battery while traveling. Why? It works and my batteries get a charge as well. At 17mpg average towing (46 days), I'm happy with my setup. Rubert & Lily have been very good to me!
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288 |
Posted: 20 Aug 2018 at 1:40pm |
We'll have to agree to disagree on this.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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mjlrpod
Senior Member Joined: 27 Sep 2016 Location: Massachusetts Online Status: Offline Posts: 1214 |
Posted: 20 Aug 2018 at 10:06am |
I can understand the people that don't have a choice of using battery, or propane, choosing to travel with propane. I've done it once or twice when i forgot to switch over before getting on the road. But IF you have a choice, and you don't use battery, I would call that a poor choice. Most safety rules don't come about because something bad happens every time you do something. They come about because of the one in a million times something bad happens. Osha demands that safety glasses be worn to do some of the most ridiculous tasks. I worked in machine shops with flying chips everyday and never used to wear them. Did I get hurt? Nope. Was it a very good choice? Nope. I now know better, and I never enter a shop without them. I see people who advocate not using a sway bar all the time. What possible reason can anyone say you should "NOT" use a sway bar of some type.
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2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195 2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl I'll be rpodding |
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6288 |
Posted: 20 Aug 2018 at 9:25am |
I am well aware of the hazards of propane. In my younger days, I was a volunteer fireman. We did propane safety training which included getting up close and personal with propane fires such as a flaming "Christmas tree" being fed liquid propane by a tanker. We had three people, two with hoses and one in the middle whose job it was to reach the valve at the base of the "tree" and simulate turning it off, after which we had to back away from the fire without getting burned. It was pretty intense! We also had some house fires that involved making sure the bulk tanks up next to the house did not get too hot and to move them away so they would not explode. Boiling Liquid, Expanding Vapor Explosions (BLEVE) are very, very bad. Knowing all this, I would not risk using propane with the refrigerator if I thought it had a high probability of causing a fire. I would not be able to dry camp if I did not use propane for worry that something might go wrong. As it is, I sleep quite well with the refrigerator on propane and don't worry about using it on the highway, knowing that I do not have an open flame.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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Ghosthawk
Senior Member Joined: 01 Apr 2018 Location: Fargo ND Online Status: Offline Posts: 128 |
Posted: 20 Aug 2018 at 7:44am |
+ 1 to SH An open flame would be a candle burning on the outside of the pod. Inside the pod would not be an open flame until the door is opened. Last, just for kicks. Proven fact that almost all gas station fires are a result of static, not open flame.
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