Batteries/charger

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   I've read through archives on this and learned a lot but can't quite resolve my question.  
I'm having battery problems.  I was be plugged in with the monitor indicating the batteries were full.  Drove 1.5  hours with the fridge set to battery power and arrived with the monitor saying they were empty.

I bought this 2016 camper used and don't know how well the batteries were cared for (I bought it from second owners who'd had it a year and only used it, once so batteries could have just sat there unattended). My first thought was batteries are bad and not holding a charge.  Now I know from the forum that there is also a charger that could be bad. Any thoughts on how to tell which is the problem?

Thanks for advice.  :)

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EchoGale Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 10 Mar 2019 Location: FL Online Status: Offline Posts: 461	Topic: Batteries/charger Posted: 10 May 2019 at 9:28am
	I've read through archives on this and learned a lot but can't quite resolve my question. I'm having battery problems. I was be plugged in with the monitor indicating the batteries were full. Drove 1.5 hours with the fridge set to battery power and arrived with the monitor saying they were empty. I bought this 2016 camper used and don't know how well the batteries were cared for (I bought it from second owners who'd had it a year and only used it, once so batteries could have just sat there unattended). My first thought was batteries are bad and not holding a charge. Now I know from the forum that there is also a charger that could be bad. Any thoughts on how to tell which is the problem? Thanks for advice. :)
	Julie

furpod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group - pHp Joined: 25 Jul 2011 Location: Central KY Online Status: Offline Posts: 6128	Posted: 10 May 2019 at 9:46am
	If when you were plugged in, your monitor panel showed 4 lights, the converter/charger is working fine. If after 1.5 hours of driving your battery was depleted, I suspect a bad battery. BUT a single group 24 in good health, is only going to be good for a couple of hours of running the fridge, regardless.

EchoGale Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 10 Mar 2019 Location: FL Online Status: Offline Posts: 461	Posted: 10 May 2019 at 9:49am
	Thank you. That clears it up for me. I'm currently set up with two 12 volt batteries. So depletion after only 1.5 hours tells me my first hunch was probably right.
	Julie

podwerkz Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2019 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 966	Posted: 10 May 2019 at 9:57am
	Also, make sure you have power thru the 7-way plug to your charge line on the trailer.
	r･pod 171 gone but not forgotten!

StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6285	Posted: 10 May 2019 at 10:01am
	One other thing that could be happening is that the tow vehicle is not supplying power to the batteries. If that is the case, it is not surprising that the batteries are depleted when you arrive. What tow vehicle? Some of them require installing a fuse or breaker before they will supply power to the trailer. You could also check the battery meter when the vehicle is plugged in to see whether it is indicating that the battery is being charged when the tow vehicle is running. Better still is to use a digital volt meter to check and see if the outlet on the tow vehicle is supplying 12V power. A clamp-on ammeter that is capable of reading DC amperage would be better as you could see whether it is charging when the tow vehicle is running with the cable plugged in. I choose to run the refrigerator on propane when not connected to shore power. That way, my dual 6V batteries are charged when we arrive. I've not had good success trying to run on 12V power as I don't think the vehicle provides sufficient power to run the refrigerator and charge the batteries. By running the refrigerator on propane, I don't have to worry about it. That being said, take your batteries to an auto parts place, Batteries + Bulbs, or even Walmart and have them test the batteries. That will let you know if they are good or not.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

GlueGuy Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 15 May 2017 Location: N. California Online Status: Offline Posts: 2627	Posted: 10 May 2019 at 10:13am
	+ what StephenH says. The charging system on your tow vehicle needs to be relatively robust to keep the batteries charged when the fridge is on. If your 7-way was added on, it's possible the charge wire was not installed, or a fuse or relay is missing. You should be able to test this with a volt meter with and without the tow vehicle attached and running.
	bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost

lostagain Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2586	Posted: 10 May 2019 at 12:21pm
	+1 to both Glue Guy and StephenH. Your fridge uses a considerable amount of power when running on 12v, especially if it's warm outside and it is trying overcome the loss of cold inside due to the exterior warmth. In all likelihood, your 7 pin system does not have the charging wire size needed to adequately supply the power needs to your fridge. The voltage drop from the TV generator to the fridge is significant, unless you've installed a pretty heavy gauge cable in your TV to the fridge. The 12v power option is not really configured to run the fridge for extended periods of time. And, unless it's super hot outside, the amount of cold loss over short periods of time, if the fridge is pretty full, is minimal and it's hardly worth the bother to even use the 12v to keep the cold "topped off." It is far more efficacious to run the fridge on gas when traveling. If you are at a point where you can't run on gas, such as having to go through the Holland Tunnel at commute time or taking the Black Ball Ferry from Port Angeles to Victoria, then using the 12v system makes sense, but once on the other side, it'd be best to turn the gas back on. [Actually, I don't know whether you can carry a propane tank on the aforementioned Black Ball Ferry.]
	Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 10 May 2019 at 12:23pm
	The fridge in 12v electric mode uses about 10 amps so it should use about 15 amp hours in an hour and a half. Dual batteries should be good for at least 100- 150 amp hours. So, even if you’re not getting any charging from your tow vehicle you shouldn’t be running down your batteries that quickly. Either your batteries are damaged or they weren’t charged to begin with. They will appear to be fully charged as soon as you connect the charger. I suggest leaving the charger on them for at least 24-48 hours, checking and refilling them with distilled water as needed, and then trying again. If the problem repeats then it’s time to replace them. Dual 6v golf cart batteries connected in series are a better choice than two 12V batteries in parallel, if you do have to replace them.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

EchoGale Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 10 Mar 2019 Location: FL Online Status: Offline Posts: 461	Posted: 10 May 2019 at 1:51pm
	All so helpful! FWIW my tow vehicle is a bmw x3 with a factory tow package. The 7 pin plug does run the trailer lights etc an I was getting a notification in the car that there was too much draw on my battery, so it seems to me it is connected. From all that you've said I think I really do need new batteries and had already learned enough here to know that the dual 6 volts is the best option. Now i just need to fin them at the best price available. :)
	Julie

lostagain Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2586	Posted: 10 May 2019 at 2:32pm
	Check out Trojan dealers and Costco.
	Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost