Newbie Questions
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=8267
Printed Date: 24 Jun 2025 at 3:24am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.64 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Newbie Questions
Posted By: River Rat
Subject: Newbie Questions
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2016 at 11:19pm
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So I've been reading a lot the past few weeks and searching this great forum. I hope to contribute some day. We took it out last weekend for the first time. Now I have a few questions since I bought used, I didn't get a walk through.
The water heater switch on the wall is that only for propane? We were hooked up to the 30a electrical and used the switch on the WH it self. My father told me to turn the one on the wall on too. Did I damage something by having both on? How does the electrical system work? When I am plugged into 120v. Do the lights, pump, and heater/furnace fan work off the battery? When I'm plugged in does it charge the batteries?
Sorry for the newbie questions and if they have been asked before.
Thanks Eric
2016 182g tv tacoma
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Replies:
Posted By: WillThrill
Date Posted: 26 Jun 2016 at 11:25pm
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Our Pod's water heater only operates on propane, though you do need either shore power or the batteries to be connected in order for it to work. When you turn on the switch, it turns on the water heater which will then run until the water reaches its set temperature. It kicks off then until the water temperature falls again.
Your lights, water pump, and furnace will all run on battery power, as will your slide and your refrigerator (not recommended to run it on 12 volts; run it on either shore power or propane, but remember it consumes a little battery power even on propane mode). All of these devices work on 12 volt power regardless as to whether you're connected to shore power or not. When you are plugged in, your converter takes the 120 volt AC current and converts it to the 12 volt DC current these devices need. And yes, it charges your Pod's batteries at the same time, but be aware that it will generally take hours to fully recharge your batteries.
Your AC outlets, air conditioner, and microwave will not work at all without shore power (or generator power).
There is a lot that can be said about batteries, but suffice it to say that you shouldn't let them drop below 50% charge (or capacity, same thing) before recharging them. A 50% charge is equal to about 12.2 volts. You can monitor the voltage will a voltmeter attached to the batteries or with one you hard wire into the Pod somewhere, a very common modification.
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"Not all those who wander are lost." Tolkien
2014 Hood River 177
2005 GMC Envoy XL
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Posted By: this_is_nascar
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2016 at 7:37am
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As long as you had water in the water heater, you won't do damage having it power from electric and propane at the same time.
I never understood the logic behind doing that, but I know many do. To the other poster, I thought all Pods had dual control on the water heater. You sure you don't have a switch for electric?
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"Ray & Connie"
- 2017 R-Pod RP-180
- 2007 Toyota Tacoma TRD-Off Road
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Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2016 at 8:43am
Originally posted by WillThrill
Our Pod's water heater only operates on propane, though you do need either shore power or the batteries to be connected in order for it to work. When you turn on the switch, it turns on the water heater which will then run until the water reaches its set temperature. It kicks off then until the water temperature falls again.
Your lights, water pump, and furnace will all run on battery power, as will your slide and your refrigerator (not recommended to run it on 12 volts; run it on either shore power or propane, but remember it consumes a little battery power even on propane mode). All of these devices work on 12 volt power regardless as to whether you're connected to shore power or not. When you are plugged in, your converter takes the 120 volt AC current and converts it to the 12 volt DC current these devices need. And yes, it charges your Pod's batteries at the same time, but be aware that it will generally take hours to fully recharge your batteries.
Your AC outlets, air conditioner, and microwave will not work at all without shore power (or generator power).
There is a lot that can be said about batteries, but suffice it to say that you shouldn't let them drop below 50% charge (or capacity, same thing) before recharging them. A 50% charge is equal to about 12.2 volts. You can monitor the voltage will a voltmeter attached to the batteries or with one you hard wire into the Pod somewhere, a very common modification.
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No Pod has been BUILT with a propane only WH. Unless you, the dealer, or a previous owner changed it out for some reason, I assure you, it's a DSI/Elec model.
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Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2016 at 4:12pm
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Also, to clarify about the furnace, it runs on 12V and requires propane. No propane, no heat, only the fan.
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Posted By: WillThrill
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2016 at 7:45pm
Originally posted by furpod
Originally posted by WillThrill
Our Pod's water heater only operates on propane, though you do need either shore power or the batteries to be connected in order for it to work. When you turn on the switch, it turns on the water heater which will then run until the water reaches its set temperature. It kicks off then until the water temperature falls again.
Your lights, water pump, and furnace will all run on battery power, as will your slide and your refrigerator (not recommended to run it on 12 volts; run it on either shore power or propane, but remember it consumes a little battery power even on propane mode). All of these devices work on 12 volt power regardless as to whether you're connected to shore power or not. When you are plugged in, your converter takes the 120 volt AC current and converts it to the 12 volt DC current these devices need. And yes, it charges your Pod's batteries at the same time, but be aware that it will generally take hours to fully recharge your batteries.
Your AC outlets, air conditioner, and microwave will not work at all without shore power (or generator power).
There is a lot that can be said about batteries, but suffice it to say that you shouldn't let them drop below 50% charge (or capacity, same thing) before recharging them. A 50% charge is equal to about 12.2 volts. You can monitor the voltage will a voltmeter attached to the batteries or with one you hard wire into the Pod somewhere, a very common modification.
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No Pod has been BUILT with a propane only WH. Unless you, the dealer, or a previous owner changed it out for some reason, I assure you, it's a DSI/Elec model.
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There's no switch on mine to change it from propane to electric. It says 'DSI' on the switch, but not 'Elec' or anything resembling that at all.
If you're plugged into shore power, does the WH automatically run on electricity and not propane? Otherwise, I do not see how it would switch from one to the other since I cannot do it manually.
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"Not all those who wander are lost." Tolkien
2014 Hood River 177
2005 GMC Envoy XL
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Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2016 at 7:48pm
Something I learned from Furpod at our 2016 ERU in Traverse City, MI a couple weeks ago is that the propane will not fire up/spark to light if you have had your WH running off electric for awhile. Apparently the thermostat setting is higher on the propane circuit than the thermostat setting on the electric (110) circuit. Good to know as our neighbor, with his 179 was concerned because he couldn't get his WH to run on propane, AFTER already heating up his tank off shore power.
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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."
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Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2016 at 8:51pm
Originally posted by WillThrill
Originally posted by furpod
Originally posted by WillThrill
Our Pod's water heater only operates on propane, though you do need either shore power or the batteries to be connected in order for it to work. When you turn on the switch, it turns on the water heater which will then run until the water reaches its set temperature. It kicks off then until the water temperature falls again.
Your lights, water pump, and furnace will all run on battery power, as will your slide and your refrigerator (not recommended to run it on 12 volts; run it on either shore power or propane, but remember it consumes a little battery power even on propane mode). All of these devices work on 12 volt power regardless as to whether you're connected to shore power or not. When you are plugged in, your converter takes the 120 volt AC current and converts it to the 12 volt DC current these devices need. And yes, it charges your Pod's batteries at the same time, but be aware that it will generally take hours to fully recharge your batteries.
Your AC outlets, air conditioner, and microwave will not work at all without shore power (or generator power).
There is a lot that can be said about batteries, but suffice it to say that you shouldn't let them drop below 50% charge (or capacity, same thing) before recharging them. A 50% charge is equal to about 12.2 volts. You can monitor the voltage will a voltmeter attached to the batteries or with one you hard wire into the Pod somewhere, a very common modification.
|
No Pod has been BUILT with a propane only WH. Unless you, the dealer, or a previous owner changed it out for some reason, I assure you, it's a DSI/Elec model.
|
There's no switch on mine to change it from propane to electric. It says 'DSI' on the switch, but not 'Elec' or anything resembling that at all.
If you're plugged into shore power, does the WH automatically run on electricity and not propane? Otherwise, I do not see how it would switch from one to the other since I cannot do it manually. |
The switch is in the WH compartment, you must access it from the outside. It's in the lower left corner, partly hidden by the gas venturi.
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Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2016 at 9:53pm
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Once you turn that switch on, it is easier to turn the electric element on/off using the circuit breaker inside.
The reason for using both at the same time is it re-warms the water faster (faster recovery rate). Gives you a little longer in the shower, and less time between showers if more than one person needs to take one.
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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: WillThrill
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2016 at 11:03pm
Originally posted by furpod
Originally posted by WillThrill
Originally posted by furpod
Originally posted by WillThrill
Our Pod's water heater only operates on propane, though you do need either shore power or the batteries to be connected in order for it to work. When you turn on the switch, it turns on the water heater which will then run until the water reaches its set temperature. It kicks off then until the water temperature falls again.
Your lights, water pump, and furnace will all run on battery power, as will your slide and your refrigerator (not recommended to run it on 12 volts; run it on either shore power or propane, but remember it consumes a little battery power even on propane mode). All of these devices work on 12 volt power regardless as to whether you're connected to shore power or not. When you are plugged in, your converter takes the 120 volt AC current and converts it to the 12 volt DC current these devices need. And yes, it charges your Pod's batteries at the same time, but be aware that it will generally take hours to fully recharge your batteries.
Your AC outlets, air conditioner, and microwave will not work at all without shore power (or generator power).
There is a lot that can be said about batteries, but suffice it to say that you shouldn't let them drop below 50% charge (or capacity, same thing) before recharging them. A 50% charge is equal to about 12.2 volts. You can monitor the voltage will a voltmeter attached to the batteries or with one you hard wire into the Pod somewhere, a very common modification.
|
No Pod has been BUILT with a propane only WH. Unless you, the dealer, or a previous owner changed it out for some reason, I assure you, it's a DSI/Elec model.
|
There's no switch on mine to change it from propane to electric. It says 'DSI' on the switch, but not 'Elec' or anything resembling that at all.
If you're plugged into shore power, does the WH automatically run on electricity and not propane? Otherwise, I do not see how it would switch from one to the other since I cannot do it manually. |
The switch is in the WH compartment, you must access it from the outside. It's in the lower left corner, partly hidden by the gas venturi.
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Ahh...! I thought that that switch was merely for the lighter, not for an electrical element itself. Still learning!
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"Not all those who wander are lost." Tolkien
2014 Hood River 177
2005 GMC Envoy XL
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Posted By: River Rat
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2016 at 11:28pm
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Thanks for the replies.
Originally posted by techntrek
Once you turn that switch on, it is easier to turn the electric element on/off using the circuit breaker inside.
The reason for using both at the same time is it re-warms the water faster (faster recovery rate). Gives you a little longer in the shower, and less time between showers if more than one person needs to take one. |
So both propane and electric are heating at the same time? That's kinda cool. But if the electric thermostat is set higher, would the gas turn on?
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Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 27 Jun 2016 at 11:58pm
Originally posted by River Rat
So both propane and electric are heating at the same time? That's kinda cool. But if the electric thermostat is set higher, would the gas turn on? |
The spec on both thermostats are 130F, but in practice and maybe due to placement in the tank, the gas burner turns off slightly before the electric element. That means if you have both on the gas will shut down first and let the electric maintain the temperature. When HW is used the electric will come on first and try to reheat the tank. If it cannot keep up due to high demand the gas will kick in and both will run until the temp recovers.
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Charlie
Northern Colorado
OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD
PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD
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