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bhamster View Drop Down
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Posts: 165 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Battery charge from TV
    Posted: 08 May 2013 at 12:41am
Originally posted by techntrek

A tip to help ensure you'll get a charge on the pod's battery going down the road - use the gas mode on the fridge instead of the 12 volt mode.  The fridge will pull over 10 amps through that charge/power pin on the Bargeman, causing a voltage drop and therefore less (or no) charge on the pod's battery, especially if it is already low. 

Sorry to always be the one to disagree with you, but with properly sized wires you shouldn't lose more than 0.25V. So as long as your alternator is putting out over 14V then you're still charging even with the fridge on. And most alternators put out 14.2-14.5V, so it shouldn't be a problem. Of course it will be less charge as you mentioned, but still an option if you prefer the safety of turning off your gas down the road.

If you do decide to use LP mode TURN IT OFF when refueling. It is an ignition source.
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Keith-N-Dar View Drop Down
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Posts: 1447 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2013 at 5:12am
Originally posted by furpod

Originally posted by Keith-N-Dar

[


Don't think so.. the fuse is to protect the charging circuit, and the relay is to tell the truck NOT to drain it's battery by sending 12v to the trailer when the engine is off. Been there, done that a whole bunch of times. Neighbor paid to have her brake controller installed, and that was all the truck did until I installed the relay and fuse. this was about two weeks ago on a '09 F250.
 
I don't plan to argue about it, but the owners manual for my truck confirms what I said.  So do the instructions on the bag.  And from the start my 12V was hot to the trailer.  I still have the bag and. contents.  I had the the factory brake controller installed on mine.   Maybe 09 250s are different.
 
Nuff said on this.  Have a good evening.
[/QUOTE]
Not arguing.. just stating as did you, what I have seen and done.. It could be yours is different because of the factory controller...?
[/QUOTE]
 
I hd the dealer add the factory controller after I bought the vehicle.  I measured the power out the plug when I got home the first day, before the controller was installed.
Keith-N-Dar
Boris & Betty (Boston Terriers)
2011 R-Pod 177
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hogone View Drop Down
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Posts: 1060 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2013 at 7:53am
wow.  according to the instructions in the bag which contains the relay and fuse; it is for the battery charge system which is a 10 gauge wire with a maximum allowable current of 11.5A.  it also states that the it is hot with key in run mode.
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bhamster View Drop Down
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Posts: 165 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2013 at 10:16am
Originally posted by hogone

wow.  according to the instructions in the bag which contains the relay and fuse; it is for the battery charge system which is a 10 gauge wire with a maximum allowable current of 11.5A.  it also states that the it is hot with key in run mode.

Really? What size is the fuse? I think mine has a 40 amp fuse.
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furpod View Drop Down
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Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2013 at 11:18am
Sometimes these threads wander.. LOL.

But we tow in 12v fridge mode. We also PRE COOL our fridge and contents. So far our longest "get on the road" drive has been 6 hours.. our trailer batteries were at 100% when we got there.

When we first got our pod I did a lot of DMM tracking of the batteries/12v system. My guess is, when it's only maintaining the temperature, the fridge cooling system doesn't actually run all that much.

We are doing a one shot, 8+ hour pull to NC next month, I intend to some monitoring on that trip.
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hogone View Drop Down
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Posts: 1060 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2013 at 5:35pm
oh ya crank the fridge up prior; froze food in the fridge two weeks ago, always turn on high to start; fuze is B630; 30 amp i assume, i don't see any diff in temp between gas and battery when traveling; longest round 8 hours
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hogone View Drop Down
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Posts: 1060 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2013 at 5:38pm
meant longest 1 way- 8 hours
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techntrek View Drop Down
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Posts: 9062 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 May 2013 at 10:00pm

I precool and often use the 12 volt mode on the road (unless I'm going to be dry camping, then I travel on gas so I don't have to change in-camp), but I know my charge line is big enough.  If my battery is full.  My suggestion was a rule of thumb if you aren't sure or your battery is low.  

Remember the choke point is the ground wire.  Everything on the camper ends up going through that - running lights, battery charging, fridge, brakes, brake lights.  That is where the voltage drop will ultimately come from even if your +12 volt charge line is sized right.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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