I've been cruising previous topics on this and haven't found an answer so I am posting here. On the last several trips out with our 2016 r177 we have encountered several issues with the pod battery and truck battery.

On several occurrences after dry camping for the weekend (and running the pod battery down) and stopping for gas or rest stops, my truck battery would draw down at random times and leave us needing a jump. We have been in the mode of switching the fridge to battery mode for travel, in that I figured leaving the propane on was unsafe for driving, is this true? I then have resorted to unplugging the trailer from my truck every time we stopped which cured the dead battery issue in my truck but very annoying every time we stop. Is there a better way to avoid this? Should I simply leave the fridge set to propane for travel? Will this fix the issue of a dead truck battery?

I've also been struggling with blowing the 30 amp fuse in my truck to the trailer charging line. I know that it will blow anytime I plug it into the truck when the pod battery is low. But this last time I was plugged in to shore power all weekend, and at some point along the journey home the fuse still blew and when I got it home the pod battery was totally dead (fridge on battery mode). 

Can anyone shed light on what I am doing wrong here? How can I avoid continually blowing the fuse and/or ending up with a dead truck battery when stopping?

Thanks for any help in advance.

Dylan

It will definitely help your truck battery problem, provided your truck battery is still ok. I would recommend having it tested just for peace of mind.  

Dylan

While not ideal, the Pod battery is a Deep Cycle battery and still may have some life in it, however, taking it down to zero charge is not doing it any favors with regards to life expectancy. 

The fridge can drain the battery in about 2 hours on its own just for future reference. 

Blowing a 30A fuse in the truck indicates something amiss in the camper. Most vehicles will only deliver 10A or so unless it's into a dead short. You may have a trailer battery issue too. 

Thanks a ton for the info. My TV is 2005 Ford Explorer. I will look in to the relay option, that may solve the issue hopefully. 

I called the dealership that installed the charge line in my Explorer when the fuse first blew. They told me the fuse will blow any time I attempt to plug the trailer in to my Explorer when the pod battery is low. Apparently, the truck will push more than 30 amps only when the pod battery is low (what they told me). 

Unfortunately, the dealership I bought the pod at is about a 4 hour drive away or I would just take it in.

Thanks for any help.

Dylan

Okay, great! I will check it out as you suggest. I'm handy with fixing hardware but electrical has always intimidated me a bit. Will give it a shot. 

Dylan

That said, the blowing fuses indicate you may have larger wire already although that contradicts your experience with the batteries being discharged.

The only problem with figuring out the blowing fuses is only more-expensive meters will show inrush current.  I would say first step is to just use propane mode (and AC mode at home and at campsites where you have hookups) to see if the blown fuses and drained batteries go away.

Dylan