R-pod Owners Forum Homepage

This site is free to use.
Donations benefit a non-profit Girls Softball organization

Forum Home Forum Home > R-pod Discussion Forums > Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed: Any problems with my 30A to 15A setup?
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Calendar   Register Register  Login Login

Topic ClosedAny problems with my 30A to 15A setup?
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>
Author
Message
  Share Topic Share Topic  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
clickscrazy View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 09 Aug 2017
Location: FL
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 106 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Any problems with my 30A to 15A setup?
    Posted: 14 Aug 2017 at 7:02am
Got the Pod home Sat. Put a dogbone 30a Female to 15a male adapter, plugged it in.

My batt reads full. Lights work.

Possible Problems:
1. My AC will not turn on and the thermostat will not go above 32 degrees. But it will go down.
2. My converter started running right away. It did have a slight smell (Like I have smelled on others inverters), even though nothing was running.
Back to Top
furpod View Drop Down
Moderator Group - pHp
Moderator Group - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 25 Jul 2011
Location: Central KY
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Aug 2017 at 7:29am
push both the + and - button on your thermostat at the same time, or learn the metric system, it is set to Celsius right now.

Your converter fan will run as it bulk charges the battery. The panel light shows the system voltage, not the battery voltage. So, since you are plugged in, the converter is showing that the system voltage is above 12.6. Has, honestly, nothing to do with your battery voltage or charge state. 
Back to Top
pgoelz View Drop Down
Groupie
Groupie


Joined: 22 Jul 2016
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 70 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Aug 2017 at 7:31am
Originally posted by clickscrazy

Got the Pod home Sat. Put a dogbone 30a Female to 15a male adapter, plugged it in.

My batt reads full. Lights work.

Possible Problems:
1. My AC will not turn on and the thermostat will not go above 32 degrees. But it will go down.

Is the thermostat set for centigrade instead of Fahrenheit?  

2. My converter started running right away. It did have a slight smell (Like I have smelled on others inverters), even though nothing was running.
The fan in the AC - DC converter (if that is what you mean) is thermostatically controlled and will run any time the converter is called upon to supply more than a small amount of current.  It could be topping off the battery, which may show full on the four LED indicator when it is not actually all the way to 100%.  If the battery is left connected for an hour or two without connecting to shore power (the trailer has a small continuous drain even with everything off), it would be normal to hear the converter fan run the next time it is connected to shore power.  

Unless you have a battery disconnect or physically disconnect one of the battery leads while the trailer is idle, the battery will slowly discharge to zero due to the small continuous drain.  Being discharged below 50% is hard on the battery and will reduce its capacity each time it happens.  

Can't comment on any smell.... I have never smelled ours but we bought it used so if there is a "new" smell, that might be what you are smelling.  

Paul
Back to Top
clickscrazy View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 09 Aug 2017
Location: FL
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 106 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Aug 2017 at 8:11am
Thank you all. Fixed the centigrade (Not sure why it went to C when we were using on F).

I was planning on plugging it in once a month and leaving it overnight. Should that be good enough to leave the battery connected or should I go ahead and keep it disconnected?
Back to Top
furpod View Drop Down
Moderator Group - pHp
Moderator Group - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 25 Jul 2011
Location: Central KY
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Aug 2017 at 8:37am
Originally posted by clickscrazy

Thank you all. Fixed the centigrade (Not sure why it went to C when we were using on F).

I was planning on plugging it in once a month and leaving it overnight. Should that be good enough to leave the battery connected or should I go ahead and keep it disconnected?


If it sits where it's easy to plug in, leave it plugged in. If you can't, add a battery cutoff switch. a month is to long. Parasitic loads will drain the battery in a week to 10 days.
Back to Top
pgoelz View Drop Down
Groupie
Groupie


Joined: 22 Jul 2016
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 70 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Aug 2017 at 8:40am
Originally posted by clickscrazy

Thank you all. Fixed the centigrade (Not sure why it went to C when we were using on F).

I was planning on plugging it in once a month and leaving it overnight. Should that be good enough to leave the battery connected or should I go ahead and keep it disconnected?
Not really.  I measured about 150mA on our 171 with everything (including the antenna amp... don't forget that one) turned off.  That is 3.6AH/day or 25AH/week.  I think the standard trailer battery is in the vicinity of 50AH?  If so, a 25AH discharge would discharge it to 50% every week.  Not too bad, but not good either.  Lead acid batteries degrade with every charge/discharge cycle and you would be wasting 52 cycles every year for nothing.  And if you forgot it for a week, you WOULD damage it.  Our two year old used 171 came with the battery connected and fully discharged.  After charging and a couple equalize charges, I tested it at about 32AH on a 4A discharge, almost half what it should be.  And I am frankly surprised it was that good.  

Much better to either leave the trailer on shore power permanently (if available) or totally disconnect the battery when not in use for more than a day or two.  I installed a disconnect on the negative battery post but you can also just undo the wing nut and remove the wire(s) to disconnect the battery.  

Paul
Back to Top
clickscrazy View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 09 Aug 2017
Location: FL
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 106 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Aug 2017 at 8:45am
Great info! With the battery disconnected, could I still use Shore power if i wanted?
Back to Top
Keith-N-Dar View Drop Down
podders Helping podders - pHp
podders Helping podders - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 03 Apr 2011
Location: Mayville, WI
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1447 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Aug 2017 at 8:48am
If you lift the wires from  the battery and plug your pod in then the battery wires will be hot and could potentially short out.  Make sure you protect then.
Keith-N-Dar
Boris & Betty (Boston Terriers)
2011 R-Pod 177
2010 Ford F-150
Back to Top
StephenH View Drop Down
podders Helping podders - pHp
podders Helping podders - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 29 Nov 2015
Location: Wake Forest, NC
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6326 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Aug 2017 at 9:15am
Originally posted by clickscrazy

Great info! With the battery disconnected, could I still use Shore power if i wanted?

Short answer: Yes.
Longer answer: The converter will (if it is working properly) supply 12V power to the 'Pod when it is plugged in to shore power. If it doesn't, then you have a defective converter. A battery cut-off switch (see my mods for a picture of one) connected between the negative terminal of the battery and the negative wire of the R-Pod is the safest way to disconnect the battery and the simplest. Just turn the knob and it is done. There are no loose wires to worry about.
StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS
Back to Top
pgoelz View Drop Down
Groupie
Groupie


Joined: 22 Jul 2016
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 70 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 Aug 2017 at 9:21am
Originally posted by clickscrazy

Great info! With the battery disconnected, could I still use Shore power if i wanted?
Sure, no problem.  But as Keith said above, while on shore power the disconnected battery lead is energized.  Make sure the one you disconnect doesn't touch anything.  I like to disconnect the negative lead because it is at ground potential already and will not hurt anything if it accidentally touches the trailer frame.  But make sure it doesn't touch the positive battery terminal if you are shore power because that would short out the charger.  Not sure if that would damage the charger or not... it is current limited and designed to be connected to a totally dead battery after all.  At very least, shorting the charger output could potentially produce some healthy transients on the 12V line that might damage anything connected to 12V.  I don't think it would hurt the charger itself but better to be safe than sorry.  

Paul
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 9.64
Copyright ©2001-2009 Web Wiz