Battery dead:won't charge
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Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3656
Printed Date: 14 May 2024 at 12:28pm
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Topic: Battery dead:won't charge
Posted By: 21grandma
Subject: Battery dead:won't charge
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2013 at 6:17pm
 Came home with our used 177. parked it in driveway. Lights worked, slide out worked. Several days ago gas detector was beeping. Helpful people here said battery was low. Plugged it in and beeping stopped. Had lots of rain last few days and did not get out there. Went out today to find husband had unplugged it, and it is now completely dead. Plugged it back in about 6 hours ago;still plugged in, but lights still will not work and everything is off. IT IS A 2012, What do we do now?------------- 21grandma |
Replies:
Posted By: bhamster
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2013 at 6:57pm
| Check the breakers and fuses. Also check the breaker on your house. When you plug something into the 110V outlets (like a nightlight, or fan) do they work? |
Posted By: 21grandma
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2013 at 7:01pm
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Yes lights plugged into the same socket as the r-pod work, so it's not the current from the house.
------------- 21grandma |
Posted By: 21grandma
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2013 at 7:09pm
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Husband just put portable battery charger on. We'll see if that works.
------------- 21grandma |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2013 at 7:20pm
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Did you check the breakers and fuses in the pod?
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Posted By: bhamster
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2013 at 7:33pm
That's good, but what happens when you plug in those same lights inside the pod
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Posted By: Outbound
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2013 at 8:31pm
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A deep cycle battery is good for about 4 years or 4 full discharges before it won't hold enough charge to be useful. After you've checked everything else, it may well be time for a new battery. I suggest that you also install a cutoff switch as well. ------------- Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150 |
Posted By: 21grandma
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2013 at 8:51pm
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We bought it from a private owner eho said he only used it twice, but I have no idea about the battery. It did charge with a battery charger on it. Where do you install a cut off switch.
------------- 21grandma |
Posted By: Kickstart
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2013 at 8:56pm
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Check the water level under the battery caps. ------------- '10 RP 175-Replaced by 2014 Kodiak 173 QBSL '12 Toyota Tundra '05 Sportster (half a Harley) Retired-We're on Beach Time! |
Posted By: Anthony Valenzano
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2013 at 9:04pm
| It should be a deep discharge battery, which can handle about 150 100% discharges. Car (starter) batteries can only handle about 12. The things that kill batteries are leaving them dead for a long time, charging them only part of the way, or overcharging them. Keeping the batteries on a float charger is the best way to make them last. |
Posted By: 21grandma
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2013 at 9:10pm
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What about keeping it plugged into the garage when not using it? That should keep it charged. Correct?--but will it overcharge it?
------------- 21grandma |
Posted By: Anthony Valenzano
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2013 at 9:31pm
| I think the power supply is suppose to float when the battery is charged. So keeping it plugged in *should* be a good thing. |
Posted By: Kickstart
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2013 at 9:37pm
------------- '10 RP 175-Replaced by 2014 Kodiak 173 QBSL '12 Toyota Tundra '05 Sportster (half a Harley) Retired-We're on Beach Time! |
Posted By: Anthony Valenzano
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2013 at 9:41pm
| Is your garage temperature controlled? That helps with battery life a lot. Interestingly, I have an Optima battery in a Subaru since 2002 and it still starts the car everyday. |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 25 Jun 2013 at 9:41pm
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If the lights inside the pod aren't coming on when it is plugged in the problem isn't with the battery, as others said you need to check the breakers in the pod, and to the plug the pod is plugged into. Deep cycle batteries should never be 100% discharged (0% state-of-charge). Usually they should be taken down to 50% state-of-charge, and only occasionally taken to 30%. Yes you can just leave the pod plugged in to keep the battery charged, the converter has a good 3-stage charger built-in which should not harm the battery. You still should check the water levels every few months if you leave it plugged in. ------------- 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: 21grandma
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2013 at 9:28am
 Thought we had the problem solved. Not. Charged battery with charger to 75%. Plugged it into garage overnight. Battery dead again. Our son is coming over tonight to look at it. He will look at breakers and fused in r-pod. Do these often go bad? Very difficult to reach. I have 2 "new"hips and husband has bad knees. Once down, very difficult to get up. Electrical panel very difficult to access. Nothing will turn on in pod.
------------- 21grandma |
Posted By: Outbound
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2013 at 3:49pm
Over the past 25 years, I've owned boats with trolling motors, trailers, portable battery packs and several other deep-cycle battery-based toys. My experience is that you can get 4. After that, the battery won't last a night's camping.
------------- Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150 |
Posted By: Anthony Valenzano
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2013 at 4:22pm
That does happen a lot, but its more from the lack of a proper recharging rather then the discharging itself. Problem is that you need a full 24-48 hours of current going in one direction only (into the battery) to prevent sulfation of the plates. I've also found that slow charging is the only way to recover a really low battery, 2A, and 48 hours. While actively camping that's a little difficult to do. You almost need to pull the battery out and charge it elsewhere. The batteries can't handle lots of charge current when they are low, as a matter of fact you should never charge a lead-acid with more than a couple of amps. I don't think you have the choice with the on-board charger, and if you did have the choice, you'd be pulling current from the battery under load and making the sulfation worse. I deal with lots of battery chemistry - and it really doesn't get less confusing. But it's handy to reference this place for good info: http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/sulfation_and_how_to_prevent_it - http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/sulfation_and_how_to_prevent_it Batteries are funny - how about this one - you have a li-ion in your phone/drill/ipad? If you ever charge those while they are really cold they will die forever. Fun. |
Posted By: Anthony Valenzano
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2013 at 5:08pm
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Mark Lund from Powerstream is the absolute authority in all things battery. He'll answer your question directly if it's a good one - I'd recommend reading everything he has documented before asking. He sells all types of special chargers and batteries. I buy batteries from him from him for one of my products. http://www.powerstream.com/1922/battery_1922_WITTE/batteryfiles/chapter10.htm - http://www.powerstream.com/1922/battery_1922_WITTE/batteryfiles/chapter10.htm
As an aside 100% DOD isn't the same as zero volts. It 150 recharges from 100% DOD, but I'm not sure about discharged to 0V, like when you leave a light on for a week or something like that. BTW, LEDs are big battery saver in that respect - they stop drawing current when the battery drops to a certain voltage, incandescent just keep killing the battery.
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Posted By: Anthony Valenzano
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2013 at 6:47pm
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Okay - so I'm hogging this thread now - but once I get one something I can't stop :-) I pulled out the manual for the power converter for my Pod and it's not what I would consider a battery charger, and certainly not a 3-stage charger. Basically it's a power supply that can switch between two voltages, 14.4V and 13.8. It's nice that it lowers to 13.8 to stop over-charging but it does not float the battery, although 13.8 should be fine to leave attached to the battery. Much more importantly it does not seem to limit the charge current at all, so it seems that it will provide all 35 amps to the battery if it can. This is bad for a very low battery. It can bulge the plates and leave sulphate on the plates. As a rule, if your battery is lower than 25% on the little indicator, you should consider disconnecting it from the RV and charging it with a true battery charger. You should be able to use the RV without the battery if you have AC power. So I don't think it's that the battery is harmed by being discharged to 10.5V (100% DOD), it's when you slam the AC power onto it to charge it back up. Should be charged up slowly and carefully.
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Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2013 at 9:09pm
Anthony, check your documentation. The converter in my 2013 RP-172 is a WFCO WF-8955PEC. It is a 3-stage charger with 14.4V Bulk Mode, 13.6V Absorption Mode, and 13.2V Float Mode. It is rated at 55 Amps, but probably only supplies that if the battery is really depleted. ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2013 at 9:34pm
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Yup, they are 3-stage chargers. I will have to disagree on the 100% DOD assertion. ------------- 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: 21grandma
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2013 at 9:55pm
 Would you beleive that all the fuses were in the off position! New problem The refrigerator failure light is flashing. It is in the electric mode.
------------- 21grandma |
Posted By: Anthony Valenzano
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2013 at 10:46pm
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They say float mode but then they go on to say that it doesn't float. They even put quotes around it "Float mode". What it really does is drop to 13.2V, A float charger disconnects from the battery until it discharges some. Its sort of more like a trickle charger that can deliver loads of current.
But that's not the point that concerns me at all. A lead acid this size can not be charged with 35 or 55 amps and last. A three mode charger should charge with a fixed current, then a fixed max voltage, and then trickle or float. The fixed current should be appropriate for the battery attached. 2 to 4 amps for something this size. So my point is just that if the battery is really low, bring it up with a real charger that you can select the charge rate and it will last much longer. The deeper you happen to accidentally discharge the more important this is. |
Posted By: bhamster
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2013 at 12:10am
Which electric mode? AC or DC?
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Posted By: Seanl
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2013 at 6:50am
Don't know if you have the same model fridge but if you push and hold the mode button until it shuts off then push mode button again to turn it on it should reset. ------------- Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition 
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Posted By: 21grandma
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2013 at 8:06am
 Pushed mode and will turn off. but when I push mode to turn it back on, it begins flashing. Where is AC indicator?
------------- 21grandma |
Posted By: Seanl
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2013 at 12:21pm
The light that is lit below is the AC indicator the one below it is battery and below that gas.  ------------- Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition
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Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2013 at 1:49pm
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Sounds like you are getting 12 volts from the converter, which runs the fridge's brains, but still no AC. One thing to check is the GFCI outlet inside, it may be the same circuit that runs the fridge and if the outlet has tripped you'll need to reset it.
------------- 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: 21grandma
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2013 at 2:29pm
 Bothe buttons are pushed in on the GFCI outlet, and neither one will pop out.
------------- 21grandma |
Posted By: Seanl
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2013 at 3:40pm
Black one is test. The Red one is the one to push to reset the GFCI. ------------- Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition
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Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2013 at 3:43pm
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Ok.. 1) the fridge is on a dedicated circuit. 2) if the GFCI won't reset, it is either broken, or doesn't have 120v.
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Posted By: Craneman
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2013 at 3:44pm
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You might try this and it will answer your question about power. Go to the out side cover of your refer open and unplug it ,then plug in a light or 110power tool that will tell you if the refer has 110 power. If now take your light to the gfci and plug it in there. Just a thought Moe ------------- Jo and Gary, 2010-174,2011 F150 
Jo and Gary 2010 174 2011 Ford 150 |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2013 at 3:53pm
Both CFCI buttons in is correct and normal. See Seanl's post above.It sounds like the fridge is getting 12V for it's control but no AC for the cooling. This indicated the AC power is not getting to the fridge, either from the house connection or through the circuit breakers. Make sure the house power is getting to the POD by plugging in a lamp or small appliance to a socket in the POD. It should work. If that works try the circuit breakers in the POD power converter panel. To be certain, turn each breaker OFF (all the way to the left) and then back ON (to the right). Then go through the fridge reset routine and report back success or failure. We'll go from there. Charlie ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2013 at 4:04pm
FYI: my 2013 172 has the fridge and the power converter on the same circuit breaker, number 3. I have used this to simulate dry camping using the batteries for lights, radios, and water pump while still "cheating" and running the air conditioner. ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2013 at 6:05pm
OK. ------------- |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2013 at 6:36pm
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That's why I suggested checking the GFCI, because it controls the fridge on some (all?) of the pod models. I don't agree with it, it should be on its own circuit.
------------- 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: 21grandma
Date Posted: 28 Jun 2013 at 11:51pm
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GFCI was the problem. Fridge does run from it. Daughter and I both tried to reset, but it woulodn't budge. Son came over. reset it. and works fine. took advice and tried a light in it and it wouldn't work until it was reset. Son had already gone to pane outside and took off and reattached some wires. All along , the GFCI was at fault--it just needed to be reset. Thanks so much for all those who responded. I am learning a lot from the great folks on this board.
------------- 21grandma |