Newbie here.  I've learned a lot reading through this site. We went on our shakedown trip this weekend in some cold, nasty weather.  Here are my issues I am still somewhat muddy on.

1-  is the water pump only needed when using Fw tank? Doesn't need turned on when Hooked up to city water connection?

2- I have 2 6v 230ah golf cart batteries in series.  I put a shut off switch on them.  When I am towing, will they charge regardless of the shut off switch being on/off?  Will they recharge on shore power regardless of being switched on/off?

3-  I just bought a volt meter to keep connected to the batteries for a better sense of how charged they are.  What is too low.  What is fully charged?  At what reading do I need to worry about recharging?

4-if my batteries are seeming low, can I just hook up my connection to my truck and let it run for awhile to recharge, or does it need to be in gear?

5- when boon docking, is it more efficient to run the fridge on battery or propane?

6- we are debating between adding a 2nd 20lb propane tank (new mounting frame &a cover) or trying to fit a 30lb tall tank with the factory set up.  Has anyone fit a 30lb tank without modifying?

7- I have a 2016 Ford F-150 with the deluxe tow package.  It doesn't seem like my batteries are recharging when I tow. If I'm running the fridge, will it not be noticeable? How long does it take to see a significant increase? Will they still charge if they are shut off? I'm thinking an hour and 

A half tow wasn't long enough to notice an increase.

Thank you for answering in advance! I'm sure I'll have some more questions before long.

Laureen

2- I have 2 6v 230ah golf cart batteries in series.  I put a shut off switch on them.  When I am towing, will they charge regardless of the shut off switch being on/off?  Will they recharge on shore power regardless of being switched on/off?

Do NOT turn off the cut-off switch when towing! You need the battery to be active for operating the brakes if the break-away switch is activated. Also, the batteries will not charge if the switch is off. They are electrically isolated from the system. Only turn the switch off if you are storing your R-Pod with no shore-power available to prevent the batteries from being drained by things like the LP/CO2 detector which is on constantly when the battery is connected.

3-  I just bought a volt meter to keep connected to the batteries for a better sense of how charged they are.  What is too low.  What is fully charged?  At what reading do I need to worry about recharging?

See this post: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=8886&PID=83394&title=battery-issues#83394 - battery-issues

4-if my batteries are seeming low, can I just hook up my connection to my truck and let it run for awhile to recharge, or does it need to be in gear?

You can connect the Bargman (round) connector and let it charge that way but faster is to use jumper cables from the vehicle battery to the R-Pod's batteries. It will charge faster because the jumper cables can carry more current. In any case, the truck does not need to be in gear. It just needs to be running. You don't want a run-away truck, do you?

5- when boon docking, is it more efficient to run the fridge on battery or propane?

One word: Propane! Running it on battery will run your batteries down in less than 8 hours (been there, done that). Many vehicles do not supply enough power to both run the refrigerator and charge the batteries (tried that also). Propane is best unless you are on shore power. Then you can switch to AC, but switch back to propane when you unplug from shore power.

6- we are debating between adding a 2nd 20lb propane tank (new mounting frame &a cover) or trying to fit a 30lb tall tank with the factory set up.  Has anyone fit a 30lb tank without modifying?

I carry a spare propane tank with a tank foot to keep it from tipping over and rolling around. I had thought of doing the modification for 2-tank setup, but so far, just carrying a spare tank has worked. Plus, it gives me a propane supply for my Coleman Grill-Stove so I don't have to carry a bunch of 1 lb. bottles.

7- I have a 2016 Ford F-150 with the deluxe tow package.  It doesn't seem like my batteries are recharging when I tow. If I'm running the fridge, will it not be noticeable? How long does it take to see a significant increase? Will they still charge if they are shut off? I'm thinking an hour and  A half tow wasn't long enough to notice an increase.

Some people have said there is a breaker or fuse (look in your glove box) that has to be installed to activate the wire that carries the 12V power to the bargman connector. I don't know specifically. This is an area where you should consult your owner's manual. Even if it is connected, some vehicles do not have a large enough wire to carry sufficient current to both charge the batteries and run the refrigerator. At best, it may be able to run the refrigerator, but then you would arrive with batteries no better off then when you started. That is why it is best to run on propane. 1-1/2 hours of towing should have made a difference if there were no significant power drains while towing provided the F150's wiring for charging is active.

Thank you for answering in advance! I'm sure I'll have some more questions before long. Laureen

I had a bunch of them when I was new to towing. It does not seem like it was that long ago. This forum has been a great resource. Some of your questions have been answered. The Search function can be your friend to help you locate answers. It is how I found the post to answer your battery charge state question above.

Welcome and enjoy making memories with your R-Pod. My wife and I have had some adventures with  ours. We are waiting for it to be picked up to be taken to the factory for repairs from an accident in December (ice and wind). We are looking forward to it being repaired so we can get back out there and have some more adventures.

Stephan and Jato covered it pretty well, but here's my 2 cents,