R-pod Owners Forum : Battery Drained on Shore Power http://www.rpod-owners.com/ This is an XML content feed of; R-pod Owners Forum : I need HELP!!! : Battery Drained on Shore Power Copyright (c) 2006-2009 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Wed, 20 May 2026 20:49:22 +0000 Tue, 21 Aug 2018 17:43:47 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 9.64 360 www.rpod-owners.com/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=12085 R-pod Owners Forum http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_images/web_wiz_forums.png http://www.rpod-owners.com/ Battery Drained on Shore Power : Originally posted by CharlieM Originally... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12085&PID=114031#114031 Author: 4Papa
Subject: 12085
Posted: 21 Aug 2018 at 5:43pm

Originally posted by CharlieM

Originally posted by 4Papa


Checked battery with and without home shore power and either way, volts read 13.02 volts.  No change when connected.  Also checked that all breakers were on, double checking the Converter breaker.  I neglected to check the fuses, but the battery connections were never touched since storage over the winter and the pod has been used a half-dozen times this season with no issues.  

After the drained batteries this weekend, I believe the TV charged the batteries on the 3+ hour ride home and the Samlex solar system is keeping it at 13+ volts (the Samlex display reads battery voltage at 13.8 volts).  I have a call into the dealer for next steps as my experience trouble-shooting electrical issues stops pretty much here.
It appears the converter is not charging the battery. There should be some difference when not charging vs charging. Check the fuses. If the reverse fuses are good a wire has become disconnected or the converter has failed (not unknown with the WFCO converter). If you are out of warranty and have to pay for a new converter I would recommend replacing it with a Progressive Dynamics converter.

I checked the fuses and nothing appears blown.  The converter itself has a breaker which was not tripped.  I am out of warranty (by 5 days, if you can believe it), however, I do have an extended warranty, which should kick in.  If there's good news in this, it's that local dealers/service departments are more willing to do repairs when paid by the extended warranty company than by the factory.  I think that's purely a function of how quickly they're paid.
]]> Tue, 21 Aug 2018 17:43:47 +0000 http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12085&PID=114031#114031 Battery Drained on Shore Power : Originally posted by 4PapaChecked... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12085&PID=114025#114025 Author: CharlieM
Subject: 12085
Posted: 21 Aug 2018 at 3:28pm

Originally posted by 4Papa


Checked battery with and without home shore power and either way, volts read 13.02 volts.  No change when connected.  Also checked that all breakers were on, double checking the Converter breaker.  I neglected to check the fuses, but the battery connections were never touched since storage over the winter and the pod has been used a half-dozen times this season with no issues.  

After the drained batteries this weekend, I believe the TV charged the batteries on the 3+ hour ride home and the Samlex solar system is keeping it at 13+ volts (the Samlex display reads battery voltage at 13.8 volts).  I have a call into the dealer for next steps as my experience trouble-shooting electrical issues stops pretty much here.
It appears the converter is not charging the battery. There should be some difference when not charging vs charging. Check the fuses. If the reverse fuses are good a wire has become disconnected or the converter has failed (not unknown with the WFCO converter). If you are out of warranty and have to pay for a new converter I would recommend replacing it with a Progressive Dynamics converter.
]]> Tue, 21 Aug 2018 15:28:19 +0000 http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12085&PID=114025#114025 Battery Drained on Shore Power : Originally posted by CharlieMIt... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12085&PID=114022#114022 Author: 4Papa
Subject: 12085
Posted: 21 Aug 2018 at 1:23pm

Originally posted by CharlieM

It sounds like your converter is not charging the battery even though your shore power is good. If you're home you can easily test this. With the shore power disconnected, measure the battery voltage right at the battery. Then, with shore power connected, measure the battery again. It should be 13.2-14.4 volts. If it doesn't change much from the shore power disconnected measurement the converter is not charging. There are several possibilities. Check them in order:
  1. The breaker in the power panel is off. Check that all breakers are on.
  2. The reverse polarity fuses are blown. There are two high current fuses (30A I think) separate from the other 10-20A fuses. These protect the converter against a reversed battery. They will blow if the battery is ever connected backwards, even for an instant. Same goes for the solar panel. Check the fuses with an Ohm meter and replace if necessary.
  3. There is a loose or broken connection somewhere. This can only be found by tracing wires with a voltmeter.
  4. The converter is faulty. It does happen. If so it must be replaced. 
As for the porch light, they used to be incandescent and could drain the battery quickly. I don't know if recent Pods have gone to LEDs in this application. You can tell if you can remove the lamp lens. You may be able to see into the lamp assembly from outside with a strong flashlight. The incandescent was a standard auto bulb and got hot.

Checked battery with and without home shore power and either way, volts read 13.02 volts.  No change when connected.  Also checked that all breakers were on, double checking the Converter breaker.  I neglected to check the fuses, but the battery connections were never touched since storage over the winter and the pod has been used a half-dozen times this season with no issues.  

After the drained batteries this weekend, I believe the TV charged the batteries on the 3+ hour ride home and the Samlex solar system is keeping it at 13+ volts (the Samlex display reads battery voltage at 13.8 volts).  I have a call into the dealer for next steps as my experience trouble-shooting electrical issues stops pretty much here.
]]> Tue, 21 Aug 2018 13:23:39 +0000 http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12085&PID=114022#114022 Battery Drained on Shore Power : Originally posted by CharlieMAs... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12085&PID=113991#113991 Author: GlueGuy
Subject: 12085
Posted: 20 Aug 2018 at 9:54pm

Originally posted by CharlieM

As for the porch light, they used to be incandescent and could drain the battery quickly. I don't know if recent Pods have gone to LEDs in this application. You can tell if you can remove the lamp lens. You may be able to see into the lamp assembly from outside with a strong flashlight. The incandescent was a standard auto bulb and got hot.
Our 2017 (late 2016) RP-179 uses an LED light for the porchlight, and it operates on 12V.
]]> Mon, 20 Aug 2018 21:54:07 +0000 http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12085&PID=113991#113991 Battery Drained on Shore Power : It sounds like your converter... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12085&PID=113981#113981 Author: CharlieM
Subject: 12085
Posted: 20 Aug 2018 at 7:13pm

It sounds like your converter is not charging the battery even though your shore power is good. If you're home you can easily test this. With the shore power disconnected, measure the battery voltage right at the battery. Then, with shore power connected, measure the battery again. It should be 13.2-14.4 volts. If it doesn't change much from the shore power disconnected measurement the converter is not charging. There are several possibilities. Check them in order:
  1. The breaker in the power panel is off. Check that all breakers are on.
  2. The reverse polarity fuses are blown. There are two high current fuses (30A I think) separate from the other 10-20A fuses. These protect the converter against a reversed battery. They will blow if the battery is ever connected backwards, even for an instant. Same goes for the solar panel. Check the fuses with an Ohm meter and replace if necessary.
  3. There is a loose or broken connection somewhere. This can only be found by tracing wires with a voltmeter.
  4. The converter is faulty. It does happen. If so it must be replaced. 
As for the porch light, they used to be incandescent and could drain the battery quickly. I don't know if recent Pods have gone to LEDs in this application. You can tell if you can remove the lamp lens. You may be able to see into the lamp assembly from outside with a strong flashlight. The incandescent was a standard auto bulb and got hot.
]]> Mon, 20 Aug 2018 19:13:00 +0000 http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12085&PID=113981#113981 Battery Drained on Shore Power : Are you sure you had the converter... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12085&PID=113973#113973 Author: fwunder
Subject: 12085
Posted: 20 Aug 2018 at 6:03pm

Are you sure you had the converter (charger) breaker on?

Also, depending on what type of batteries you got, you can kill them @ 10 volts.

fred
]]> Mon, 20 Aug 2018 18:03:27 +0000 http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12085&PID=113973#113973 Battery Drained on Shore Power : Why, oh why? Just back from 2.5... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12085&PID=113972#113972 Author: 4Papa
Subject: 12085
Posted: 20 Aug 2018 at 5:40pm

Why, oh why?  Just back from 2.5 days on the Saco River in ME and had the first-time issue of my two-battery bank draining to below 10 volts while on shore power.  My 180 also has a 100-watt Samex Solar System that did nothing to mitigate the drainage.  AC power usage amounted to fridge and WH with occasional Air Conditioner use.  Also had a couple of small AC fans running.  Other power usage was USB charging of iPhones and LED lights.  When I noticed the battery level below 11.5 volts, I immediately began cutting back usage.  Still, the drain continued and with the night went any hope of the solar panel helping charge.  At no time did the shore power go off as the fans, fridge and WH continued to do their thing (as well as the indicator lights on the microwave being lit).

'Nother question:  is the exterior yellow light LED or filament?  That light was on all night as my daughter preferred sleeping in the R-Dome, but with the light on.

Are their fuses and/or breakers I might be checking?  The unit is only a year old and has been out maybe a dozen times.  Thanks in advance!
]]> Mon, 20 Aug 2018 17:40:58 +0000 http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12085&PID=113972#113972