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Tomcheryl View Drop Down
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Joined: 24 Apr 2018
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Posts: 16 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Dead battery
    Posted: 07 Jul 2018 at 10:49pm
Thank you everyone   
We will definitely be working on this problem when we get back home. We only use the battery to run the fridge while we are traveling otherwise it is always on propane. I thought it was not safe to have the propane turned on while traveling. And while dry camping the fridge is always on propane, tent camping for almost 20 years has made us very conservative with our battery use.
Our TV is a Nissan frontier crew cab 2014 v6.
We are back on the road tomorrow and I will have the fridge turned completely off
Hopefully that will solve the problem even so I will definitely make a point of trying all the suggestions made.
Thank you again I appreciate all your help and knowledge!!!!!
Life is short,it’s time to roll
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6417 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Jul 2018 at 8:43am
Traveling with propane is not a problem. I have been doing it since we bought our 179 with the exception of our first trip where I tried the battery and ran it down. I had put bug screens on all the openings for refrigerator, water heater, and furnace so it isn't even an open flame (screens act as a flame arrestor). I have not had any problems doing so. The only problems i have are keeping it cool enough when the ambient temperatures are in the 90's. It just can't stay cold enough. 
StephenH
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ouR escaPOD mods
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mjlrpod View Drop Down
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Posts: 1221 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Jul 2018 at 9:52am
I have that exact tow vehicle, except its a 2015. My Frontier puts out 14.2 amps from the 7 pin, the few times i checked. I always run on battery when i travel. I have never come close to draining the battery. Quite frankly when I get to where i'm going, I always get 2/3 full, from battery indicator panel. That is the highest reading you can get I think, unless you plug in to something. I would throw a meter on your T.V. plug in. Pin number 4 (located at approx 1 o'clock) is your 12v supply, and pin 1 (approx 7 o'clock) is your ground. Your meter (set to d.c. volts) should read above 12 volts, propably high 13's or low 14's. I think traveling with propane on could be risky. Maybe only 1 in a thousand chances of something bad happening, but the one time it happens, it could really screw up your day. 
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jato View Drop Down
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Posts: 3325 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Jul 2018 at 5:38pm
We have never traveled using the battery for the fridge, always propane.  Guess that is because when my folks got their first pop-up in the 1960's my dad hooked up propane to a small fridge that he installed in the camper.  When they upgraded to a Shasta in 1971 it came with a fridge and again, dad always used propane while en route.  Never an issue nor have we ever known of anyone who has ever had a problem using propane for the fridge while en route.  I like the fact that since we boondock a lot, both our batteries read 100% full upon reaching our destination for the day.  And if we are in a national park for a week, we easily will get 6 days minimum from both batteries, in the mountains when night temps are below 50.  We expect much more if going during warmer temps.
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jato View Drop Down
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Posts: 3325 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Jul 2018 at 5:44pm
StephenH, when temps are that warm, we position our 177 so that the fridge is on the shady side during the afternoon and early evening, this helps a bit, but you probably already know that.  Also, does your fridge have 2 muffin fans?  Ours does and since positioning the bi-metal switch as high as possible above the cooling fins, the fans come on sooner and run more often, resulting in a bit cooler temps inside during those 'warm' days of summer.
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'17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost
Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake
"...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6417 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Jul 2018 at 8:31pm
Mine came with one muffin fan. I added two small fans that are mounted to the top cover to blow hot air out. I also have a fan inside the refrigerator to circulate heat. None of that helps in got weather. When it is in the 90's or higher, it is hard to get it even into the high 40's inside the refrigerator. Sometimes, we do not have a choice in how to position the 179 so sometimes we may get shade in the afternoon and sometimes sun.

The only reliable refrigeration I have available is the Envirocooler Free Piston Sterling Cooler I picked up at our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore. It will keep right around 4C (about 39F) even in ambient temps in the 90's. It only starts to struggle when the temps get close to 100F. Even then, it still holds close to 4C, maybe getting up to 5C or 6C.
StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

ouR escaPOD mods
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marshel View Drop Down
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Posts: 11 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Jul 2018 at 1:45am
If your Frontier didn't come with a factory tow package, there are two relays that need to be installed to make the wiring fully functional. Even if you have the factory tow, it'd be worth checking them if you're not getting voltage at the proper pin. 
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Tomcheryl View Drop Down
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Posts: 16 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Jul 2018 at 11:52pm
Well thanks again.   We have been off line for a little while. Turning the fridge off during towing solved the battery drain issue. We had shore power at every stop so I would crank the temperature of the fridge up. Everything stayed nice and cold.
I will still check our TV when we get home , I think something’s fishy there.
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Tars Tarkas View Drop Down
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Posts: 1452 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jul 2018 at 2:13am
Nothing fishy. Traveling with the fridge on battery will often drain it. Always travel with the fridge on propane. It is not a safety issue.

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