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ouR escaPOD mods

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StephenH View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote StephenH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: ouR escaPOD mods
    Posted: 16 Jan 2020 at 9:12am
Originally posted by Olddawgsrule

Good to see on your WFCO you can swap out the charger portion.. Mine's integrated, not seperate.

My assumption is pretty basic; If I could charge from the TV before, I should still be able to now. I've been able to get plenty from my alternator, actually used to run the frig on Battery & recharge while driving. I keep the frig on propane now.. just keeping it simple and seems to run much better on propane. 

I found my ghost draw as 220ma. The running ma does fluctuate. That draw you see sounds about right to me though 400ma sounds high (believe my highest read seen was 280ma)
What power center do you have? If it is a WFCO 8955, you should be able to replace the converter section.
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ouR escaPOD mods
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Olddawgsrule View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Olddawgsrule Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jan 2020 at 9:07am
Good to see on your WFCO you can swap out the charger portion.. Mine's integrated, not seperate.

My assumption is pretty basic; If I could charge from the TV before, I should still be able to now. I've been able to get plenty from my alternator, actually used to run the frig on Battery & recharge while driving. I keep the frig on propane now.. just keeping it simple and seems to run much better on propane. 

I found my ghost draw as 220ma. The running ma does fluctuate. That draw you see sounds about right to me though 400ma sounds high (believe my highest read seen was 280ma)
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote offgrid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jan 2020 at 8:57am
In the 179, water weight in the gray water tank is worse than in the fresh tank. Not only does axle weight go up but frame loading immediately behind the axle (where the gray tank is) is significantly higher than on the tongue or in the area where the fresh water tank is. We have at least one member whose frame has failed at that spot. Also, water in the gray tank reduces tongue weight, making sway more likely.

So, if you’re worried about carrying too much water and you have a 179 or another rpod with that tank arrangement, it’s more important to eliminate it in the gray tank than in the fresh tank. Whenever I have convenient access to a dump station I empty the gray and black tanks and refill the fresh tank, even if they are only partially empty/full.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Toyanvil Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jan 2020 at 8:35am
I carry three 6 gal Igloo water containers in the bed of my truck, to keep the weight off the trailer. 
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Post Options Post Options   Quote StephenH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jan 2020 at 8:24am
Okay. I do not have solar. While towing, the TV should provide some charge. It remains to be seen whether that will be adequate. I also have a generator. I replaced the main board in the WFCO 8955 power center with the WF8950L2-MBA, which is made to charge Lithium batteries. It is only two-stage. The Bulk charging mode is 14.6V and the absorption stage is 13.6V. There is no float stage as the LiFePO4 only has about a 3%/month self-discharge rate. I have noticed on the monitor that there seems to be a very small (@0.2 to 0.4A) current on the meter, whether that is charging or discharging, I can't quite tell. It is likely the parasitic power draws of the CO/LP detector, etc. that exist no matter what type of battery is installed. The new MBA is expensive, but is needed to make sure that the battery is charged properly and is not continuously fed a float charge.

Now that the batteries are out of the way, I want to build a platform in that space to carry my spare propane tank and a gasoline container. Together, they will be a fraction of the weight of the two batteries. Alternately, I may remove the Stromberg-Carlson Trailer Tray and put the Harbor Freight box down where the batteries were. That will make it easier to get things in and out. I haven't made a decision on that though.

Bryan at ExpertPower has been very helpful with technical information. He told me that I should be okay with the vehicle charging as is, so I will observe that before going into some expensive charging solution that may not be needed.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Olddawgsrule Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jan 2020 at 8:00am
I may have just missed it, but your intent is to charge DC/DC & Solar? Or do you plan to replace the WFCO?

I also have my LiPo battery here, just too cold of even thinking about putting it out there right now.
Curious.. I'm thinking to leave my WFCO (since I'm rarely on shore-power) and DC/DC & Solar as my main recharge. 

As you noticed (and I'm concerned about) is the LiPo & the WFCO playing together when on shore-power. I'm concerned of cycles and how not getting back to 100% (with the WFCO) will effect this. 

P.S. I have a warranty claim in on the tongue frame now and still awaiting Lippert's decision. I totally agree about the weight of my dual 6's on that frame. 

Best of! Safe Travels!
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Post Options Post Options   Quote geewizard Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jan 2020 at 7:21am
Originally posted by offgrid

I do a lot of dispersed camping in the national forests, as well as use State and federal primitive campgrounds. Most of my favorites have no water, some have hand pumps, and one or two have pressure water but no way to attach a hose to the faucet. After having to drag the trailer out to find water a couple of times, now I just fill the fresh water tank as a matter of course so I don’t have to worry about it.


Likewise here.  Always.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote offgrid Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jan 2020 at 5:14pm
I do a lot of dispersed camping in the national forests, as well as use State and federal primitive campgrounds. Most of my favorites have no water, some have hand pumps, and one or two have pressure water but no way to attach a hose to the faucet. After having to drag the trailer out to find water a couple of times, now I just fill the fresh water tank as a matter of course so I don’t have to worry about it.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote StephenH Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jan 2020 at 12:02pm
Many times when we are on the way somewhere, we stay at Walmarts, Cracker Barrel, or similar places that have no hookups. We are planning on heading toward Alaska this year. When we leave, I fill the tank with known quality water so we have a source we can trust.Edit: We do boondock a lot in this sense. We have used our R-Pod for travel, not for just going to a destination to stay, so we need the water supply to travel with us if we are going to be on the road for several days. We've been across the US 3 times which is 5 days each way.
StephenH
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ouR escaPOD mods
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DavMar View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Quote DavMar Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jan 2020 at 11:00am
Yes, annotations to your photos would be very helpful to everyone who views and tries to follow your mods such as the Li-battery. The diode is only a suggestion just in case you find out you have a problem with back flow of current. I can more then understand your desire to loose weight since you must do allot of boon-docking camping and in my opinion the tongue of trailers is not as strong as allot of people wish. Though I do question why you travel with your fresh water tank full? It has been my experience that even primitive Federal or State campgrounds they have water available and if your hesitant about drinking it just carry a few gallon jugs of known fresh portable water.
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