Dead batteries?
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Topic: Dead batteries?
Posted By: E&JOlson
Subject: Dead batteries?
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2019 at 6:05pm
| Over the winter, my battery boxes (two 6 volt batteries in series) filled with rainwater. Now I can't get my power jack to operate. After recharging the batteries, other 12 volt accessories (bathroom fan) are operating. Any suggestions for getting the power jack working again? |
Replies:
Posted By: Raven729
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2019 at 6:39pm
| I’m curious what others have ran into. I had my 2018 180 stores for a month and the battery was dead. The power jack would t work. Thank god for the manual option. Even now after driving for almost 3 hours the battery reads 1/3. Seems odd. |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2019 at 7:13pm
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If I am leaving the pod sit for more than 1 week I disconnect the battery (s) otherwise phantom draws will continually drain them, even more so during the colder winter months. Get a hydrometer and see what your specific gravity reads. Fully charged and you should read 1.275. If you read 1.225 or below you are discharged and need to charge. Best way is to trickle charge with 2 amp charger or something close to that range.
------------- God's pod '11 model 177 '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." |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2019 at 7:27pm
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E&JOlson, The battery boxes filling with water won't hurt anything unless the battery tops were flooded. If your batteries weren't left discharged for a long period they ought to be fine. If you leave the batteries on shore power for awhile and they show full charge and the jack still won't work then I'd suspect the jack is the problem not the battery. Raven728, sometimes tow vehicle charging can be pretty limited. Be sure your electrical loads are all off especially your fridge, and try charging your battery on shore power for a day or so to see if you can get it to indicate full charge, If not then it is probably toast. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2019 at 8:38pm
Check the cable connections on both ends. Take them off, clean them with a file or wire brush, etc., and try again. TT ------------- 2010 176 FJ Cruiser |
Posted By: Jholler
Date Posted: 22 Mar 2019 at 8:45pm
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There is an inline fuse on the power wire for the jack, check that. ------------- 2015 rpod 179 2014 Ram ecoDiesel HFE 2009-ish Chihuahua https://ibb.co/S3qvZKG"> 
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Posted By: E&JOlson
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 11:59am
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I checked the fuse first thing as it has “blown” before when using the jack. I had the Pod on shore power (120v) all winter.
I put the batteries on a charger and they are reading okay. Still no response from the jack. |
Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 2:38pm
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If you hook up your bargman connector, your power jack should work even if you have no battery at all. Try hooking up and if it doesnt work, the problem is the jack. ------------- 2017.5 Rp-172 2020 R-pod 195 2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl I'll be rpodding |
Posted By: Jholler
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 4:02pm
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There also may be corrosion on the bolts mounting the jack to the tongue. That's where it's grounded, so it would explain. The jack not working. ------------- 2015 rpod 179 2014 Ram ecoDiesel HFE 2009-ish Chihuahua https://ibb.co/S3qvZKG">
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Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 7:34pm
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+1 to Jholler. Check the bolts for the jack as they serve as the ground. If there is corrosion, there is no connection and the jack won't work. As for the battery boxes, drill a couple of 1/4" holes in the bottom of the battery box. I did that the first time I found water in there. If water drains, there is no way for it to accidentally flood the battery if a cell cap is loose. Also, I agree with an above comment about disconnecting the battery if it is not being used and the RPod is not plugged in. I installed a battery cut-off switch (see my mods for picture) for this purpose. Since my RPod sits in our driveway plugged in when we are home, the only time it gets used is when I drop it off for service where it won't be plugged in. ------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: Jholler
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2019 at 8:29pm
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If the ground turns out to be the problem, a short 10ga wire with ring terminals run from a mounting bolt to the propane tray hold down bolt will provide a solid ground. ------------- 2015 rpod 179 2014 Ram ecoDiesel HFE 2009-ish Chihuahua https://ibb.co/S3qvZKG">
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Posted By: E&JOlson
Date Posted: 24 Mar 2019 at 9:07am
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Thanks everyone for your helpful suggestions.
I will try to clean the battery terminals and the power jack connections to the hitch frame. Still hoping I don't have to replace the batteries. |
Posted By: Shane
Date Posted: 24 Mar 2019 at 2:12pm
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As far as the battery draining after you let it sit for a week or two I would add a battery disconnect like I have, that way you can disconnect the battery so it will not drain. But make sure you turn the disconnect back on so that way when you hook you tow vehicle it will charge the batteries. ------------- ENGINE 55,TRUCK 44,BATALLION 12 |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 24 Mar 2019 at 2:19pm
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The battery will still self discharge and stratify when disconnected over a period of time which depends on how warm or cold it is where you are. If its warm as short as a few weeks, if cold as long as a few months. So, best bet is to leave it connected to the charger or a solar module/charge controller if you can, or remove it and put it on a trickle charger. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: wvanauken
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2019 at 8:31pm
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I would check the switch. Not sure what type of switches they are using on the tongue for the jack and the small led light switch next to it, but my LED switch failed and the dealer replaced it. Seems that there is a potential for moisture contamination on the front of these when pulling in the rain. I also had moisture contamination in the front oval work light. The dealer replaced this also. ------------- 2019 R-pod 180 2008 Toyota Tundra |
Posted By: wvanauken
Date Posted: 25 Mar 2019 at 8:41pm
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I checked the for parasitic draw on my trailer with everything turned off and it was about .25-.50 amps which is significant. The battery does supply voltage to the CO/propane detector and memory/display for the radio. Not sure what else could be drawing current. At any rate, I did what StephenH did and installed a battery switch. I also drilled holes in the battery box too for drainage. ------------- 2019 R-pod 180 2008 Toyota Tundra |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2019 at 5:46am
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0.25 is in the normal range ppl here report. 0.5 is high. If its that much then something is probably still on somewhere. TV booster is one possible culprit. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: wvanauken
Date Posted: 26 Mar 2019 at 9:43am
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TV booster was off. Probably more on the .25 amp range. Still significant and can draw the battery down. Battery switch does the trick. Thanks. ------------- 2019 R-pod 180 2008 Toyota Tundra |