Battery life |
Post Reply | Page 123> |
Author | ||
Juniper49
Newbie Joined: 16 Sep 2014 Location: Colorado Online Status: Offline Posts: 23 |
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?
|
||
Outbound
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 19 Nov 2009 Location: Oshawa, Ontario Online Status: Offline Posts: 767 |
Posted: 15 Oct 2014 at 9:51pm | |
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.
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
|
||
Juniper49
Newbie Joined: 16 Sep 2014 Location: Colorado Online Status: Offline Posts: 23 |
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...
|
||
techntrek
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059 |
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
|
||
Fishflies
Newbie Joined: 28 May 2014 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5 |
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 ?
|
||
Hayduke
Groupie Joined: 03 Apr 2012 Location: Salt Lake, UT Online Status: Offline Posts: 68 |
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 |
||
Fishflies
Newbie Joined: 28 May 2014 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5 |
Posted: 21 Oct 2014 at 10:20am | |
|
||
Fishflies
Newbie Joined: 28 May 2014 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5 |
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.
|
||
CharlieM
Senior Member Joined: 23 Nov 2012 Location: N. Colorado Online Status: Offline Posts: 1797 |
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 |
||
hogone
Senior Member Joined: 09 Apr 2013 Location: St. Louis Online Status: Offline Posts: 1042 |
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
2013 RP177 2010 F150 2017 HD Streetglide 2009 HD Lowrider CHEESEHEAD |
||
Post Reply | Page 123> |
Forum Jump | Forum Permissions You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot create polls in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum |