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mcarter View Drop Down
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podders Helping podders - pHp
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Inverter.
    Posted: 25 Mar 2018 at 10:43am
Xdigger15,

Friendly suggestion - you would get a lot more visibility to your issue, if when you do have an issue, you start a new topic. Hard to find your CONVERTER question in a post labeled INVERTER. Glueguy and I obviously read posts, so we saw your topic, but a lot of folks won't, because it is hidden by being off subject. Again just a friendly suggestion.
Mike Carter
2015 178
" I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."
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XDigger15 View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Mar 2018 at 10:45am
Thank you, guys.  I went out and checked fuses first.  I found that the 7.5 Furnace Fuse and the 15v Fuse above it were Switched!  Neither was blown.  I also checked the two 40v fuses.
HERE IS THE BIG PROBLEM from what I can see now.  
The converter SWITCH (like a light switch, in the fuse panel), is not a strong click, like the others.  I think it is ruined.  What is the fix for that???
XDigger
2010 RPod 173
2000 Chevy 1500 V8
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Tars Tarkas View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Mar 2018 at 11:16am
Let me see if I understand.  The battery died sometime after you left the campground where it had been plugged into shore power.  Did it die while sitting in your driveway (or some place similar), while NOT hooked up to shore power?  If that's the case, the battery can go downhill quickly while the Pod isn't on shore power.  There are phantom drains, notably the CO detector.  If you had the fridge and stereo totally off I'm not sure what else.

Anyway, when not in use there are two choices really.  Disconnect the battery or keep the Pod plugged in to shore power all the time.  I do the latter.  A 20 amp household circuit will work fine for this purpose.  (You'll need an adapter to go from a "regular" (heavy duty) extenstion cord to the 30 amp receptacle on the Pod -- about $10 a Walmart).

What others have suggested may be correct but if my understanding of what happend is right you may just need to charge up the battery.  It's also possible your battery is shot.  There have been cases of people selling used Pods with old junk batteries.

Do you know that current is getting to the Pod when you plug in at home?  That's the other thing to check.  Does the clock on the microwave come on when you're plugged in?  Could be a circuit breaker or fuse at the house....

TT
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mloerzel View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Mar 2018 at 9:39pm
Inverters are a Tricky subject! I am an Electronic Technician, I did a bunch of experiments this winter: Hair Dryer, Microwave, TV, ect.

My conclusion is that you have Two categories of things you might want to power:
1)Low Current/Wattage: TV, Phone chargers, small Lights(ideally LED's).
2)High Current/Wattage: Hair Dryer, Microwave, ect.
...Forget about anything like Air Conditioner, heaters, stove, crock pot, ect. Unless you have 8 car batteries!

I have 2 Golf Cart batteries(225 Amp Hours) for basic needs: Lights, Pump, Fan, TV, Charging Phones, all Low Current. I run the TV off a small inverter, 300 watts, which is overkill. I might go to a 150 watt. My intent is for the Camper Batteries to last several days.

For High Current stuff, I installed a Great Big AGM battery in my truck. I plug the Camper into a 2000 watt Inverter. I use this (Sparingly) for a Hair Dryer, or Microwave. The battery is 92 Amp Hours(which is Huge!). Either appliance will run a total of 15 minutes, then the inverter shuts down. After that, I still have plenty of power to start the truck... Do NOT run your vehicle while the inverter On!!!, most alternators are around 100 Amps, A hair dryer uses 165. You will likely Melt your car's charging system.
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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Mar 2018 at 9:50pm
Originally posted by mloerzel

Do NOT run your vehicle while the inverter On!!!, most alternators are around 100 Amps, A hair dryer uses 165. You will likely Melt your car's charging system.
Our F-150 has a built-in 400 watt inverter. It will not allow you to run the inverter UNLESS the engine is on. The current drain at the maximum 400 watts would be over 30 amps. Our alternator puts out ~~ 250 amps.
bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River
2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost
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