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Topic ClosedBatteries drained...but I have solar!?
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MoodyBlue View Drop Down
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Joined: 08 May 2017
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Posts: 11 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Batteries drained...but I have solar!?
    Posted: 19 Jun 2017 at 7:15pm
Hi There!

I've only had my 2017 Rpod 171 for a few months, so forgive me if this is a newbie mistake. I had a solar panel installed because I plan on a lot of state park camping.  Why then, are my batteries draining so that I have no power and my CO detector is alarming. I drove for 2 hours, charging my batteries to full absorption, but within 24 hours, everything is dead. What am I doing wrong?
Celeste
2 Jack Russell Terriers
2017 R-Pod 171
2014 Toyota Tacoma 4x4
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furpod View Drop Down
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Joined: 25 Jul 2011
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Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jun 2017 at 7:21pm
A) How much charge is your solar panel sending to the batteries?
B) What panel, controller, batteries?
C) If you had "dead" batteries, a two hour drive DID NOT any way shape or form, charge them to 100%.
D) what is on in the Pod when you are not using it?
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jato View Drop Down
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Posts: 3257 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jun 2017 at 7:26pm
In addition to furpods thorough questions were your batteries fully charged when you left home?  How did you check your batteries to see if they were indeed fully charged?
God's pod
'11 model 177
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Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake
"...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."
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MoodyBlue View Drop Down
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Posts: 11 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jun 2017 at 7:52pm
Some of your questions I can't answer because I don't even know these basics. I know, pathetic! When I got the walk-through at the dealer, I didn't get any real info about using the solar. I have made an appt for Friday for the dealer to explain all of this better.  
Celeste
2 Jack Russell Terriers
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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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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.
2015 RPOD 178 HRE (2015- ) 2010 RPOD 171 (2009-2015)
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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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MoodyBlue View Drop Down
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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
2 Jack Russell Terriers
2017 R-Pod 171
2014 Toyota Tacoma 4x4
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Bhfromme View Drop Down
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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...
Bill and Female Companion aka She Who Must be Obeyed
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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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