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Topic ClosedBatteries drained...but I have solar!?
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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Posts: 2654 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Batteries drained...but I have solar!?
    Posted: 22 Jul 2017 at 10:23am
Originally posted by Bhfromme

Thanks glue guy. Are Group 27 and Group 31 the same size as the 24 I have now? Not really looking to make major changes. Just want more amp hours.
Nope. They are all a little bit different. Depending on which dimension you are talking about, some can be made to fit into the place of others. Of the ones we are talking about (Length, Width, Height in inches):
  • Group 24 L=10.3" W=6.8" H=8.9"
  • Group 27 L=12.1" W=6.8" H=8.9"
  • Group 31 L=13" W=6.8" H=9.5"
  • Group GC2 L=10.4" W=7.2" H=10.9"
bp
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Bhfromme View Drop Down
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Posts: 24 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jul 2017 at 10:12am
Thanks glue guy. Are Group 27 and Group 31 the same size as the 24 I have now? Not really looking to make major changes. Just want more amp hours.
Bill and Female Companion aka She Who Must be Obeyed
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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Posts: 2654 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jul 2017 at 10:07am
Originally posted by sailor323

Upgrading to 2 6v golf cart batteries would give you 225 amp hours (Trojan 105 or equivalent) and 2 Trojan 145 (or equivalent) would give you 265 amp hours.  In addition, you would have true deep cycle batteries that can be discharged more deeply than the marine/hybrids, can be recharged far more many times.  Price for 2 6v T105 not much different than 2 grp 31 and 2 6v 145 definitely worth the difference in price
Those Trojan batteries are not group 24; they are group GC2. Much larger than group 24, or group 31 batteries. Make sure you have room for whatever batteries you choose.
bp
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podzilla View Drop Down
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Posts: 17 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jul 2017 at 6:38am
Celeste just wondering, I was picking up my R-Pod at Pete's on the 14th and when I was doing my walk around a pod caught my eye. It had a Moody Blue sticker on the back. Could it be yours?
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sailor323 View Drop Down
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Posts: 281 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Jul 2017 at 6:28am
Originally posted by Bhfromme

Celeste don't feel bad about not knowing much about battery life, etc. I'm new too and have been trying to learn how to keep my unit powered when we dry camp. Here are the basics I've learned:

Pods come with one Group 24 battery. About 80 amp hours. A Group 31 is 105 amp hours. Upgrading to 2 Group 31s would give me 210 amp hours as opposed to the 80 I have now. Pretty good bang for the buck.


Upgrading to 2 6v golf cart batteries would give you 225 amp hours (Trojan 105 or equivalent) and 2 Trojan 145 (or equivalent) would give you 265 amp hours.  In addition, you would have true deep cycle batteries that can be discharged more deeply than the marine/hybrids, can be recharged far more many times.  Price for 2 6v T105 not much different than 2 grp 31 and 2 6v 145 definitely worth the difference in price
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Posts: 24 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jul 2017 at 11:04pm
Celeste don't feel bad about not knowing much about battery life, etc. I'm new too and have been trying to learn how to keep my unit powered when we dry camp. Here are the basics I've learned:

Pods come with one Group 24 battery. About 80 amp hours. A Group 31 is 105 amp hours. Upgrading to 2 Group 31s would give me 210 amp hours as opposed to the 80 I have now. Pretty good bang for the buck.

I've read that the converter/charger on the pods are actually very good ones. One guy wrote he can charge his 2 Group 31 batteries from nearly zero to 80 percent in about an hour and a half. But at 80 percent the charger slows down and takes 6 to 8 hours to charge the remaining 20% to full charge. That's a pretty significant piece of information. The panel inside the pod may show 4 lights but you may not be fully charged. I thought that was good info also.

I bought a 40 amp Zamp solar panel and plug it into the prewired jack on my pod but it doesn't seem to charge the battery. I'm wondering if I can wire another 40 in parallel to the one I have. Does anyone have experience with this? Also, is it better to connect the solar panel directly to the battery as opposed to using the prewired jack? Any information people can share on this would be very useful. Happy trails out there everyone...
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Posts: 11 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Jul 2017 at 5:53pm
I finally have an answer!! The dealer did not wire the solar correctly, therefore I had no charge from my panel. All is fixed now, and I just spent my first week of boondocking with no problems!Thumbs Up
Celeste
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john in idaho View Drop Down
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Posts: 611 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jun 2017 at 8:48pm
Is the exterior solar plug actually hooked up to the battery in the battery box?
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bob-Pod View Drop Down
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Posts: 16 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jun 2017 at 8:47pm
 Even an incomplete charge will often show full on the 4 light push button display.  Once you draw a load, you get a real reading.
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sailor323 View Drop Down
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Posts: 281 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jun 2017 at 8:11pm
1.  Are you sure your TV is sending a charge to the battery?
2.  What kind of power is your panel providing?
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