R-pod Owners Forum Homepage

This site is free to use.
Donations benefit a non-profit Girls Softball organization

Forum Home Forum Home > R-pod Discussion Forums > Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed: Something killing the battery everything appears
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Calendar   Register Register  Login Login

Topic ClosedSomething killing the battery everything appears - Event Date: 10 Jun 2020 - 13 Jun 2020

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <12
Author
Message
StephenH View Drop Down
podders Helping podders - pHp
podders Helping podders - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 29 Nov 2015
Location: Wake Forest, NC
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6288
Direct Link To This Post Calendar Event: Something killing the battery everything appears
    Posted: 17 Jun 2020 at 2:36pm
I should have thought of the breakaway switch also. Confirm it is on the tongue. The cable that connects to your hitch along with the chains has a black plastic pin attached to one end. This needs to be all the way inserted into the little box on the driver's side of the A frame. When it is pulled out, the brakes are applied full power. That will drain the battery for sure!
StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS
Back to Top
Erinschmidt_44 View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 16 Jun 2020
Location: AK
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 9
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jun 2020 at 12:11am
It was pulled out.
Back to Top
Erinschmidt_44 View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 16 Jun 2020
Location: AK
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 9
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jun 2020 at 12:23am
It was pulled out. Im trying to get it back in but im having a hard time.
Back to Top
Erinschmidt_44 View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 16 Jun 2020
Location: AK
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 9
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jun 2020 at 1:25am
I feel so stupid right now because i think i may have driven back from a camping trip with that pin out; meaning the breaks in the rpod were activated right? I got the pin back in but i dont know if its safe to hook up the battery now. I totally have scared myself.
Back to Top
offgrid View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 23 Jul 2018
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5290
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jun 2020 at 5:07am
No worries, nothing terrible or unrecoverable has happened. Everyone makes mistakes to start out with, there are lots of new systems to learn. 

There is no reason at this point to think that you haven't fixed your battery discharge problem. Go ahead and reconnect your battery and recharge it fully, then disconnect from shore power. Do that early in the day and monitor its status over the course of the day, just to be sure that you haven't missed anything. And do disconnect it or leave it on shore power while stored, as others have said there are some "phantom" loads you can't otherwise get rid of that will discharge your battery over time.

On to the brakes. Yes, there is quite possibly damage there if you drove very far with them engaged. As trailer brakes are a critical safety system it needs to be checked out before any more travel. Are there signs of overheating? Burned paint on the drums? Smoke or smell while you were driving home? If yes then pull the drums, do a brake inspection and bearing repack. 

If there's nothing obvious then reconnect the trailer and brake controller and go to an empty parking lot. Test the trailer brakes by rolling through the lot at about 5 mph and engaging the manual slide of the brake controller so that you're stopping your rig with trailer brakes only. Does the rig stop smoothly? No grabbing or strange noises? If that checks out then find an empty roadway where you can drive at around 30-40 mph and do the same manual stop a couple of times. Then pull off and see if both brake drums are hot (they should be hot from stopping the rig but not smoking hot) to the touch. 

If that checks out you're probably OK for the moment, but I would still be pulling the drums, doing a full brake inspection, and repacking wheel bearings before making any longer trips. 
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
Back to Top
Erinschmidt_44 View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 16 Jun 2020
Location: AK
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 9
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jun 2020 at 11:36am
Ok thanks so much!
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <12

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 9.64
Copyright ©2001-2009 Web Wiz