Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks: battery life and slide out

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battery life and slide out

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Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=11711
Printed Date: 27 Jun 2025 at 1:45pm
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Topic: battery life and slide out

Posted By: cgarb
Subject: battery life and slide out
Date Posted: 10 Jun 2018 at 5:22pm

Our 2 twelve volt batteries were switched out for 2 six volt ones. They were supposed to last a lot longer and since we dry camp, that seemed a good thing. However, they don't seem to be holding the charge as well and we are concerned about losing electricity and not being able to move the slider out and in during a trip. Is there a manual way to do that if the battery dies? Any other suggestions?

Also, does anyone recommend a particular light weight generator to take along for emergencies like that?

Thanks!

-------------
Carol
177 HRE rpod
2014 Honda Pilot

Replies:

Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 10 Jun 2018 at 5:48pm

Yes, there are a couple of style of slides that work differently manually. I'll let someone else get into that but if it's a battery issue you can just hook your car battery to the Pod batteries with jumper cables. You can charge your Pod batteries that way, but you can certainly run the slide in or out.

-------------
2010 176
FJ Cruiser

Posted By: john in idaho
Date Posted: 10 Jun 2018 at 6:28pm

check the water level in each battery. If it is a Trojan battery, distilled water is added until it touches the white ring under the cap. They are hard to get to because of the bulge on the front of the Pod. May need a flashlite and a bulb syringe or 50cc plunger syringe. Carry a digital volt meter so you can keep track of your battery charge. When you get down to around 12.3 volts you are about 50% discharged. Time to hook up the generator. I have to add water about twice during the summer but we live in an arid climate.

I have a Honda 1000 left over from tent trailer camping, and a 2000 for the pod.

Posted By: FrayAdjacent
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2018 at 3:55am

What size batteries? You may not be getting any more capacity out of two 6V batteries.

As an example, two 100Ah 6V batteries will not get you 200Ah at 12V. You'll only get 100Ah. Most people don't understand that.

Convert to power, it's easier to understand. 6V X 100Ah = 600 Watt Hours

Get two of them, and you have 1200Wh.

Now take a 12V 100Ah battery. 12V x 100Ah = 1200Ah.

6V batteries really only had advantage in being able to put out huge amounts of current... and our campers really don't need that. I run a 100Ah 12V AGM battery and a 100W solar panel. That combo will pretty much run most things without going too flat.

I don't have my 176 quite yet, but I am really curious how much juice it really takes to extend and close the slide out. Since I do a lot of boondocking, I take my 2200W generator.... it would make short work of the slide out, I bet!