Dometic Frig RM8501
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Topic: Dometic Frig RM8501
Posted By: Grenna
Subject: Dometic Frig RM8501
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2020 at 11:51am
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Will my Dometic Frig RM8501 work on Battery power and power from my tow vehicle while towing? ------------- Grenna |
Replies:
Posted By: RoverPod
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2020 at 1:05pm
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Your refrigerator will work on battery power from your rPod's battery. Whether or not your rPod's battery gets charged from your tow vehicle while towing depends on your tow vehicle and how it is wired. What you are using to tow with? ------------- 2017 F150 XLT SuperCab 2020 rPod 180 |
Posted By: Grenna
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2020 at 1:36pm
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2016 Nissan Frontier 6 cyc ------------- Grenna |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2020 at 2:03pm
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If you have a voltmeter or know someone who does go to the Bargman plug (7 pin connector) where you hook up the pigtail of the pod to. The spade connector at the 11:00 position is your 12 volt feed and the spade connector opposite that (5:00) is your ground. Hook up to those with your voltmeter. With your Nissan running you should read 13.7 volts. If not, you will have to get it checked out or wired so that you can power your refer while traveling. Many here just travel down the road with propane. Legal and safe in all 50 states. ------------- 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: Grenna
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2020 at 2:08pm
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Propane then sounds like the way to go, thanks. ------------- Grenna |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2020 at 2:25pm
I can do so now because I ran a separate power circuit with a battery isolateor in order to charge the LiFePO4 battery with a DC to DC charger. It provides enough power that I can now both charge the battery and run the refrigerator. I could not do that before. 2010 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab 4x4 LE ------------- 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: Pod People
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2020 at 4:01pm
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The fridge WILL run on battery power--but not for long! It is the least efficient way to operate. Most people use propane unless connected to shore power. Further, most tow vehicles will not be able to give a substantial charge to the pod while driving. It is totally acceptable and safe to use propane except in limited situations, like tunnels, ferries, and other enclosed places. Vann ------------- Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179 https://postimg.cc/0zwKrfB9"> 
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Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2020 at 4:39pm
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The vehicle charge system is designed to charge the vehicle battery. It can't independently charge an auxiliary battery and allow an overcharge of the vehicle. It's not set up that way. There is a 12volt source in the 7 pin. It does supply 12V to the TT, but it is not regulated by the TT battery it is regulated by the TV battery. They sell add on auxiliary battery charging systems, several companies make them (REDARC), they are not cheap. The bottom line is your TV is not designed to charge two different batteries, it charges the TV battery and supplies a 12V source thru the 7 pin. ------------- Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2020 at 5:26pm
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I run my fridge on 12V while towing all the time. If you have adequate wire size running to the 7 way connector it should be fine. To maintain the rPod battery and run the fridge you will need 10 gauge or larger wire to keep the voltage drop low enough that the rpod battery doesn't get discharged. When you stop for the day you should change the fridge over to propane right away. Or, you can leave it on propane all the time except for a few bridge tunnels as others have noted. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2020 at 5:43pm
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I do the same as you OG. I don't expect the TV battery to keep the TT battery charged, when I arrive I have a deplenished TT battery. However it keeps the TT reefer powered. When I arrive I switch to propane or camp ground power. ------------- Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2020 at 6:08pm
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mcarter,the voltage drop I get while running the fridge towing is only about 0.5V so my battery stays pretty much fully charged as long as the TV engine is running and the alternator is producing current. I'm almost always boon docking so it doesn't take long to discharge the batteries once stopped so the first thing I do is switch to propane when I arrive at a campsite. Operating on propane while towing solves the problem but I've had a couple of other RV's in the past where the propane has blown out in the fridge while on the road so I've lost confidence in doing that. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2020 at 7:02pm
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OTOH, I have never had the flame blow out while we have been traveling. Perhaps the bug screens help. ------------- 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: jato
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2020 at 8:10pm
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That is the first I have heard of the propane flame blown out while traveling down the road. We also have added screens to the 2 panels to keep out bees, spiders and the like but for the first 6 years of ownership I didn't and for the 20,000 + miles of travel, never had that issue. Since then, with screens in place for the past 4 years same result. Overall for the past 10 seasons and 35,000 + miles of travel - we always use propane while traveling (and almost always as we camp as we usually boondock) and have never had the flame blow out on us. ------------- 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: Pod People
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2020 at 8:50pm
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I agree that flame blow out has never been a problem for us in 2 different pods-our original 173 and our current 179. We also had screens on the exterior vents. We have always traveled with the fridge on propane. Vann ------------- Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179 https://postimg.cc/0zwKrfB9">
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Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 15 Nov 2020 at 8:52am
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I also have a Nissan Frontier, and I always used the battery option to run the fridge to tow when I had my 172. My longest time towing on battery was about 9.5 hours on my way to, and from D.C.. I then spent the night boon docking at a casino, before returning home. My battery was fine. You don't want to run the fridge on battery once you stop towing. Immediately switch to propane, unless you can plug into shore power. I would not worry about it at all. ------------- 2017.5 Rp-172 2020 R-pod 195 2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl I'll be rpodding |
Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 15 Nov 2020 at 9:20am
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+1 to MJ and OG, when traveling I run the fridge on 12Vs. No issues. As long as vehicle is plugged in a running the fridge is fine, also recommend you disconnect and switch to propane or shore power when stopped. ------------- Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
Posted By: Dirt Sifter
Date Posted: 15 Nov 2020 at 9:48am
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I'm with jato on the propane. While covering less than half the miles he's traveled and using five different TT over a number of years and some very windy conditions, we've not had the propane fail. On the newer TT's I have gone 5 hrs. with refrigerator off and all was ok. To some extent, it depends on the type of camping you'll be doing as to just how important that fully charged TT battery is. ------------- Greg n Deb 2020 195 HRE '07 Tundra 5.7L., '17 Tacoma 3.5L. Both with tow packages 1 Puggle, 1 Chihuahua support staff |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 15 Nov 2020 at 9:53am
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For the record, the on the road fridge flame blowouts I've experienced were not in rpods or the rm85xx fridge, and I'm not suggesting it will. Its just my personal experience from other rv's I've owned, but its the kind of thing that makes one never want to repeat the experience. Its not fun getting to your destination after driving hours through a hot desert and finding all your perishables have to be thrown out.  So, I use electric on the road. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: fwunder
Date Posted: 19 Nov 2020 at 3:35pm
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I have experienced flame out on my fridge several times. I came up with a couple of solutions. Both work very well. 1) 100 Watt solar panel on TV to augment 12 supply while towing.    2) Baffle for fridge flame   ------------- 2014 RPod 178 => https://goo.gl/CV446f - MyMods and Buying Habits 2008 4Runner Limited 4.0-liter V6 Yes, those are wild ponies dining on grass while dumping tanks! |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 20 Nov 2020 at 7:09am
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Fridge blow outs do happen.. I am on 3 different marques forums, Airstream, Lance and here. It has been reported by owners in all of them. No real rhyme or reason to it, and owners with identical setups do not report identical issues.
That said, it has never happened to us. We had robust batteries, and a good charging system, and the Pod fridge did fine on 12v. Pretty sure we never towed on gas with it, but the 'stream and the Lance do not have that option, so we run on propane. Around 20k miles combined, no flame outs, no spoiled bacon. Many owners who suffer from flame out do a baffle seems to be a solid answer. ------------- |