A/C, Outlets & 12v
Printed From: R-pod Owners Forum
Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
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=3561
Printed Date: 21 Jun 2025 at 4:19am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.64 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: A/C, Outlets & 12v
Posted By: TRICERA-POD
Subject: A/C, Outlets & 12v
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2013 at 2:28pm
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Ok I have the unit home now and I am going through the paces while in the drive way. And I have a few questions for you all since my dealer is closed today and will think about this all night if I do not asked now.
While running off 12volt battery only the lights work. Is this normal? For some reason I thought I could have lights and electrical outlets running off the battery. I am sure the A/C draws to much juice to run off the battery, but as I am new to the R/V world I figured I would ask. When I hook up my unit to the power running from the house everything runs ok. Oh yes, I am already working on a mod to my unit. Pictures when I am done, but so far I removed the television above the bed, as we do not like a tv when we are on the road. I am closing off the area (above the bed) where the tv was to make storage for clothes and what ever else we may want to store. Still plenty of head room ------------- Carl & Sandee 2013 R 177 2012 Titan |
Replies:
Posted By: Anthony Valenzano
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2013 at 3:36pm
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AC outlets and the Air conditioning only work when shore powered. You'd need an DC-AC inverter to have 120VAC power from 12VDC battery. Lights are 12VDC, along with the furnace, bathroom fan, water pump. |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2013 at 3:38pm
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Outlets, A/C, microwave, electric element in the water heater, and in most models the television only run when plugged into an outside 120 volt AC source. Lights, exhaust fan, fridge, water heater, water pump, and LP detector all work from 12 or 120 volts (only use propane for the fridge and water heater when running only on battery). As you said, most of the stuff I list as 120-volts only require way too much energy to run from batteries. Theoretically you could run the A/C with about 8 batteries and an inverter... for about 8 hours. Just to give you an idea of how much energy they use. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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Posted By: Podsible Dream
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2013 at 3:38pm
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Hi Tricera-pod, The frig will work on 12V as well as the lights and fantastic fan, so will the furnace fan, but i might be wrong with that. Both frig and furnace will draw down your battery quickly. The propane sensor is also 12v. From what I hear there are no 12v outlets, even on the new one. A number of us have added 12V outlets at various places, fairly easily to tie into a 12v line. A search for 12v outlets should bring up a how-to. We use 12v auto fans in summer when dry camping to get a breeze inside. The power center is a converter, 120to 12 volts, not an inverter, 12 to 120 v. Some have installed an inverter to run a cpap machine or household appliances. ------------- Chris and Walt '10 RP-171 'Free Spirit' '13 Dodge Durango Crew 5.7 L Hemi V8 |
Posted By: TRICERA-POD
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2013 at 5:14pm
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Thank you all for the information. After awhile I figured that what you told me was the case, I just wanted to be sure I was on the right track or I did something to ole Tricera-Pod.
We will not be doing any dry camping this year, at least I don't think we will, way too hot in the southern states we will be visiting. ------------- Carl & Sandee 2013 R 177 2012 Titan |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2013 at 5:19pm
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One of the nice things about adding 12v outlets is the ability to charge ipads, phones, etc, when 120v's aren't available, or when you forgot your wall wort, but have the car charger in the TV.. or so it would seem..
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Posted By: TRICERA-POD
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2013 at 7:27pm
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OK something new for me. What's a wall wort? ------------- Carl & Sandee 2013 R 177 2012 Titan |
Posted By: kymooses
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2013 at 7:37pm
Leave it to Furpod to use an odd terminology. Haven't heard that one used in a long time myself. To my previous knowledge and use a wall wart would is an external power supply, usually in it's own casing that you'd power game consoles, modems, and routers usually have them. Your laptop or small portable DVD player would have that type of adapter. I'm sure you're familiar with them but possibly not the vernacular!  ------------- https://calendar.google.com/calendar?cid=cnBvZC5zcG90dGVyQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ - RPod Rallies https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1W1foQXGtrjf8aYly1uh0b-bHPfI&hl=en_US - RPod Owner Map |
Posted By: Burt
Date Posted: 02 Jun 2013 at 7:38pm
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"Wall Wart" is a nickname for those little black things you plug into the AC outlets in your house or RPOD to change AC to DC. It is basically a small transformer. If you use one, be sure to use the one for your appliance or else verify that it can handle the amperage of whatever you are plugging in to it. This is why you should use the one meant for whatever appliance you are converting energy for. Also, be aware that wall warts have many different insertion connectors and they are all about the same size...another reason for using the one meant for your appliance. In case you want to adapt a spare wall wart for something else, check the amperage and the connector. Radio Shack has an assortment of adapters for changing the tips (connectors...plug ins to your appliance). A couple of those with you can be handy in an RPOD if you are using shore power and have not run any 12VDC outlets. Happy power podding, Burt |
Posted By: TRICERA-POD
Date Posted: 03 Jun 2013 at 7:45am
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OOOO Now I see said the blind man. Thank you. I do have a few of those around the house but I have only used them once or twice. ------------- Carl & Sandee 2013 R 177 2012 Titan |
Posted By: alandlearned
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2021 at 3:52pm
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From another prospective, my outlets and refrigerator on my #178 are routed through my GFCI. There must be an issue with it I am not aware of as neither of them work. I know the fridge is also run through an plug and outlet through the cooling hatch outside. There are no blown fuses or tripped circuit breakers and I'm connected to shorepower. I suspect a bum GFCI outlet. Is it a special outlet for RV use or are they your usual 112v house outlets? Anyone have an idea?
------------- 2015 R-Pod 178 2019 Chevy Silverado 1500 RST, Crew Cab; Gas V8 5.3L, RWD |
Posted By: podwerkz
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2021 at 4:32pm
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It's just a common off-the-shelf GFCI outlet...but you should probably do some testing before you assume the outlet has gone bad. When you push the reset button does the outlet immediately trip...ie: button pops out? If it is doing that it's working as designed. Sometimes your shore power connection or the cord itself can be the cause, especially if it is laying on wet ground or passing thru a puddle on the way to the 30amp receptacle. Or maybe an outside outlet is wet, or an appliance or charger plugged in somewhere has an actual ground fault. It's been known to happen. If it is DEAD...nada....no power at all, no green or red light....then maybe the breaker in the converter box is tripped. Check that also. ------------- r･pod 171 gone but not forgotten! |
Posted By: alandlearned
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2021 at 4:39pm
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New news. All the plugs were removed from ALL outlets and the GFCI was reset. I then plugged in the refrigerator from the internal outlet behind the vent panel outside. I then went inside and turned the fridge on and pop goes the GFCI. I
I think it may be the fridge. ------------- 2015 R-Pod 178 2019 Chevy Silverado 1500 RST, Crew Cab; Gas V8 5.3L, RWD |
Posted By: podwerkz
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2021 at 4:42pm
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Might be some crud in the chimney...the AC element might be wet or dirty...do some checking on the back side of the cooling unit within visual reach of the vents...look for loose wires, dirt, spider webs, debris, whatever. ------------- r･pod 171 gone but not forgotten! |
Posted By: alandlearned
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2021 at 4:45pm
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Okay, NEW New news. With the fridge unplugged, I attempted a plug-in directly into the GFCI and it popped. So in other words it's not the fridge. ------------- 2015 R-Pod 178 2019 Chevy Silverado 1500 RST, Crew Cab; Gas V8 5.3L, RWD |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2021 at 5:55pm
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Simple fix, replace your GFCI with a new one. When doing so make sure your are disconnected from both shore power and your 12v battery. ------------- 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: alandlearned
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2021 at 7:03pm
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Sounds like a cheap fix too! Yeah, I know they're not cheap.
------------- 2015 R-Pod 178 2019 Chevy Silverado 1500 RST, Crew Cab; Gas V8 5.3L, RWD |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2021 at 8:09pm
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We've had some cases reported of moisture getting into rpod receptacles and causing gfci trips. If things have gotten really humid inside then I'd try drying out the trailer first. If not then replace
the gfci. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: alandlearned
Date Posted: 28 Mar 2021 at 8:51pm
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Moisture? Getting inside an Rpod? Surely, you jest! ------------- 2015 R-Pod 178 2019 Chevy Silverado 1500 RST, Crew Cab; Gas V8 5.3L, RWD |