I need HELP!!!: Electrical Issues

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Electrical Issues

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Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: I need HELP!!!
Forum Discription: Perplexed/need help with a problem - ask here
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15841
Printed Date: 09 May 2025 at 3:22pm
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Topic: Electrical Issues

Posted By: SnL
Subject: Electrical Issues
Date Posted: 12 Sep 2023 at 11:58pm

Hello all!

First time caller long time listener. A little about us, Me and my wife own a 2017 r-Pod 177 and love it! We definitely don’t get out asmuch as we’d like but are trying to take it more often aswell as doing some of our own maintenance going forward.

With that said, we are in need of the Podders Council!!! I apologize if this sounds like multiple problems 😬 I’m hoping “all together” this will start to make sense to some of you.

Sometime last year we noticed that our bathroom light had stopped working, not a big deal we just used a pop light in the meantime. More recently I finally took it apart before ordering a new light and discovered the light was fine (once hooked up to an outside power source) but the bathroom wasnt getting any power to the light… all fuses seem fine, we flicked breakers etc no change.

This past campout we went to turn on fridge the day before leaving so I could fill it up beforehand and the Dometic fridge would not work when set to shore power…we were able to tow with it on Battery mode and propane while camping worked fine too but still not on shore power (15@ home, 30@ camp). I tested batteries (we have 2 deep cycles installed up front behind propane tank and 1 doesn’t seem to hold a charge anymore.
On top of this the outlet beside the bed (lower) and on wall beside stove do not work either, only the tv outlet and bench (converter side) seem to be working fine. Should be of note the converter side of bench seems to be only outlet with a “trip-reset” 🤷🏻‍♂️

Phew sorry for long post and thanks in advance 😅

Replies:

Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2023 at 5:30am

Greetings SnL,

Hopefully you have: a voltmeter, or a multi-tester, or a friend who is an electrician who can chase these problems down. First question I have is in regard to your batteries you state you have a pair of deep cycles, are they 6v or 12v and if 12v are they run together or independently of one another?

The fridge as you know needs 12v to run the mother board so if it is running on both battery and propane mode the only obvious issue I see here is either the plug is disconnected on the back side of the fridge, you don't have power at that outlet, or the 120v lines going from the plug to the motherboard on top of the Dometic has worked its way loose. Here is where you need to use your voltmeter, multi-tester, friend - test all your fuses - sometimes they may appear to be good to the eye but the voltmeter may show otherwise - one or a few may not show continuity across the contacts. Next check to make sure you have power running to each of the fuses with your voltmeter - possibly a loose wire or two at the converter - open your bench seat that is above the converter and look for any obvious loose wires, ect. Also get under your 177 and look for any damage to the wiring, mice or rodents (squirrels) maybe got hungry and started feeding on a couple wires. The other place to look for this kind of damage is under your sink on the slide, open your access panels (yes it is a mess of wires under there! - I have a 177 as well) and with a flashlight look for any damage to the wiring. Have not personally experienced any of these problems but this is where I would start. Please report back with any findings and if nothing pans out we will progress from there.

We have owned our 177 since March 2011 and have had a lot of great experiences with it for the 45,000 plus miles traveled. IMHO it is the best floor plan and easy to maneuver, verses all the 'bigger' ones out there going from the 179 up to the double axle models.

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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: StephenH
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2023 at 7:10am

Don't forget to check the switch for the bath. I've had switches that got a bit of dirt in them and needed to be exercised a number of times before they operated properly. That doesn't address the refrigerator, but it might be the problem with the light.

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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: JR
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2023 at 7:55am

I have a 179 / 2019 and the bathroom light on mine has 2 off on switches. One on the light itself and the second on the wall by the tank level monitor, outside light switch, and thermostat. Both these switches have to be in the on position for the light to work. Then + to jato and SH. Hope this helps.

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Jay

179/2019

Posted By: SnL
Date Posted: 15 Sep 2023 at 10:41am

Salutations Jato,

Sorry for the late reply weeks been crazy and I had some caulking to finish up before the rain comes and no time to look into the actual problems haha.

With regards to the batteries they are 12’s and they’re looped together. I’m not really sure why we went with that and not 2 6’s but anyways. And I have a multimeter and thanks for direction i will start working my way thru the fuses individually and inside/outside wire’s hopefully tomorrow I can troubleshoot abit 🤞🏻

That’s great to hear your 177 is still going strong! Yes we love the layout aswell and came to same conclusion you must have.

Will report back soon…

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2017 Forest River r-Pod 177

Posted By: SnL
Date Posted: 15 Sep 2023 at 10:43am

Thanks StephenH I will check this too, the actual switch on light seems good but maybe it’s the one beside door that’s not connecting..

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2017 Forest River r-Pod 177

Posted By: SnL
Date Posted: 15 Sep 2023 at 10:48am

Thank you JR yea I always forgot to do both 🤦🏻‍♂️but the inside wires to light had no power going to them from the switch by thermostat so I’ve gotta prove further back unfortunately.

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2017 Forest River r-Pod 177

Posted By: SnL
Date Posted: 20 Sep 2023 at 7:53pm

Ok FINALLY got to some troubleshooting.

So I “had” x2 12v deep cycle batteries, 1 was bad but the other seems fine so I’m just hooked up to 1 currently. I have removed and tested every fuse and flipped all breakers and throughly checked all wires underneath and in bench seat with converter all checks out.

I’ve reset the only gfic I can find which is on side of bench beside converter and tested all outlets, the bathroom light gets no power neither does the bedside, kitchen or outside outlets….Iam just noticing sitting here quietly I hear a very faint crackly/scratchy noise randomly behind the microwave it sounds like 🤷🏻‍♂️

Any and all advice welcome, thanks again

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2017 Forest River r-Pod 177

Posted By: SnL
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2023 at 3:48pm

UPDATE: ***SOLVED***

RV tech solved the problem, chalking it up to my gfic reset being “sticky” and not fully resetting the system. Now everything works fine including the fridge.

Thanks for the advice earlier everyone

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2017 Forest River r-Pod 177

Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2023 at 4:39pm

Great News! Glad to hear all is well. I have seen this more than a few times and usually find this when the gfi will not reset, even when plugged into 120 shore power. If you decide on another 12v battery be certain to run each one independent of the other. Only run together if they are of the same age as your older one will run the newer one down and shorten the life of it if they are wired to run together.

I run mine separate from one another. The oldest one was put into service in April 2011 - a 12v Interstate group size 24 deep cycle. The newest one (just over 3 years old) is a beast, a Trojan T-1275, a heavy weight at 85 lbs. but puts out 160AH which is great for a boondocker who is offgrid a lot. No solar or generator is utilized either.

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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."