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Topic ClosedElectrical problem troubleshooting
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CharlieM View Drop Down
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Posts: 1797 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Electrical problem troubleshooting
    Posted: 03 Sep 2013 at 9:23am
First off, the fridge draws about 10 Amps from the battery. Running 6 hours on 12V used 60 A-H which just about does in a single 24 series battery. That's why the battery indicated almost depleted. The charge from the TV while driving is not much more than a maintenance charge. Probably in the 5-8 Amp range depending on the vehicle and wiring. For the 2.5 hour drive you would have had to charge at 24 Amps (60/2.5) just to replace the original battery charge. Not likely to happen, especially if you ran the fridge on 12V while driving. Best practice is to cool the fridge and fully charge the battery on shore power at home. Switch to propane for any stops and while driving. This should let you arrive at the campsite with a full battery. Then switch to shore power if you have it at the site. Beware of running the fridge on battery. Only for very short times and when you have a period of shore power available to recharge. 
Charlie
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OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD
PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD
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furpod View Drop Down
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Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Sep 2013 at 10:06am
Charlie pretty much covered it.
 
I will point out one thing, I see you tow with an F150. Are you SURE your truck is set up to CHARGE while towing? I know for sure older Ford's need to have a charging relay and fuse installed before they would. In fact I JUST installed them in a '04 Expedition last week.
 
ALSO.. if in need of putting 12v into the pod in a hurry, like so you can get the slide out, turn your TV around and hook up with your jumper cables, start the TV and you will be moving a LOT of 12v into that battery. Way more than the little 10g wire in the harness can push. And yes, you should carry jumper cables.
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CaperPodder View Drop Down
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Posts: 18 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Sep 2013 at 12:24pm
Thanks for the info Charlie and furpod.
 
furpod, will simply checking my fuses let me know that I have the charging relay installed?
 
As for the jumper cables I had them with me, I just never even thought of doing that. It was late and dark and we simply were only there to sleep so i didn't mind not having the slide out that night.
Don, Mimi, & Nola the Goldendoodle
2013 RPod 177 (CachePod)
2013 F-150 4x4
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hogone View Drop Down
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Posts: 1042 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Sep 2013 at 12:51pm
CaperPodder:  I have a 2010 F150 and had to install the relay and fuse myself; found them in the glove box!!! (at least mine were).  Charging system works great.
Jon & Pam
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2010 F150
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2009 HD Lowrider
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techntrek View Drop Down
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Posts: 9059 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Sep 2013 at 1:08pm
Originally posted by furpod

..... if in need of putting 12v into the pod in a hurry, like so you can get the slide out, turn your TV around and hook up with your jumper cables, start the TV and you will be moving a LOT of 12v into that battery. Way more than the little 10g wire in the harness can push. And yes, you should carry jumper cables.
 
+1
 
If you are boondocking for more than a few days you can use this same method to partially recharge the battery every 2-3 days, just run the TV for 30-60 minutes.  Overall very inefficient but for an occasional trip it may still be far cheaper than buying a solar system or generator.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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CaperPodder View Drop Down
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Posts: 18 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Sep 2013 at 1:56pm

hogone, i'll look in the glove box tonight but I'm pretty sure when I took delivery, there were only screws to hold the license plate. I'll check under the hood to see if the relay and fuse are installed and if not, will get a service appointment to have them put in. I've also seen on a Ford forum that some mentionned that they found a pigtail for a harness along with the relay and fuse. Did you have the pigtail in that bag or was it already intalled.

Don, Mimi, & Nola the Goldendoodle
2013 RPod 177 (CachePod)
2013 F-150 4x4
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hogone View Drop Down
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Posts: 1042 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Sep 2013 at 2:15pm
CaperPodder:  The pigtail was there as well in the bag, but I had already bought one (harness) before I realized it.  Granted the one I bought had plugs on both ends, so no hard wiring!!
Jon & Pam
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2017 HD Streetglide
2009 HD Lowrider
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furpod View Drop Down
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Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Sep 2013 at 3:50pm
Originally posted by CaperPodder

Thanks for the info Charlie and furpod.
 
furpod, will simply checking my fuses let me know that I have the charging relay installed?
 
As for the jumper cables I had them with me, I just never even thought of doing that. It was late and dark and we simply were only there to sleep so i didn't mind not having the slide out that night.


maybe.. look in the owners manual, see what it says. Should be a diagram of the fuse box. I forget exactly what the realy and fuse circuit were called, but to me it was pretty obvious by the name it was battery feed to the trailer.. The realy will be a square box looking thing, about 1 1/4 inches on a side, 5-6 blades, the fuse was a square 30 amp.

BTW, my friend who just bought the one owner, 80K mile '04 Expedition, her pigtail, fuse, relay, and instructions were still in the factory bag in the glove box. I bought mine 5-6 years ago, the bag was in with the jack handle and stuff. So look behind/under the back seat etc..
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CaperPodder View Drop Down
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Posts: 18 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Sep 2013 at 11:07am

Thanks furpod.

Got home, checked under the hood in the electrical distribution box and low and behold, I was missing the relay slot #9 and the 30 amp fuse in slot #21. Looked again in the glove compartment and found both in a plastic bag. Will install them when the weather clears. Since there is no pigtail, should I assume that it is already connected?
Don, Mimi, & Nola the Goldendoodle
2013 RPod 177 (CachePod)
2013 F-150 4x4
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furpod View Drop Down
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Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Sep 2013 at 2:16pm
Originally posted by CaperPodder

Thanks furpod.

Got home, checked under the hood in the electrical distribution box and low and behold, I was missing the relay slot #9 and the 30 amp fuse in slot #21. Looked again in the glove compartment and found both in a plastic bag. Will install them when the weather clears. Since there is no pigtail, should I assume that it is already connected?


If you have a brake controller installed, either the pigtail was used in that instal or a factory cable was used.. either way, that is what the pigtail is/was for.. Smile
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