Intermittent "Check Engine" light when towing

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Welcome to the forum!   

I'm a Chevy guy so, can't speak with knowledge on your problem.  Running the fridge on 12v. does require a lot of amperage.  You could experiment and run the fridge on propane, while driving, just to see what happens.  The water pump should not be an issue.  If the switch is left on, it will only pump on demand to maintain water pressure when water is used.  Even so, it's electrical demand does not approach that of the fridge.  This test may provide a clue regarding what your mechanic said.

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Guests Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Guest Group	Topic: Intermittent "Check Engine" light when towing Posted: 22 Jun 2016 at 6:20am
	Welcome to the forum! I'm a Chevy guy so, can't speak with knowledge on your problem. Running the fridge on 12v. does require a lot of amperage. You could experiment and run the fridge on propane, while driving, just to see what happens. The water pump should not be an issue. If the switch is left on, it will only pump on demand to maintain water pressure when water is used. Even so, it's electrical demand does not approach that of the fridge. This test may provide a clue regarding what your mechanic said.

TylerK9 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 20 Jun 2016 Location: Santa Fe, NM Online Status: Offline Posts: 35	Posted: 22 Jun 2016 at 12:06am
	Future R-Pod owner here. We've been renting an RP-171 for the past 2-1/2 weeks, doing a grand tour of Oregon coast, Seattle, Glacier, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton. I think I've just about got my wife convinced that we need to own one of these and become regular R-Podders. We've had so many great campground conversations with R-Pod-curious campers, all of whom have been very impressed with our little trailer. And of course we've met many friendly and satisfied R-Pod owners. Four times during our trip the "Check Engine" light has come on. Always after we've been towing for several hours, stopped (for gas, etc.) and then re-started our tow vehicle (a 2006 Ford F-150) We've taken it in for a code read each time, and it always comes up P-128A, which translates to "Cylinder Head Temperature Circuit Intermittent/Erratic." We had the thermostat replaced the first time it happened, but it's occurred three more times. There are no other symptoms of the truck overheating, and clearing the code resolves the issue until the next time we tow, stop, and start. One of the mechanics said his incident database showed this code could be falsely triggered by alternator voltage issues. Has anyone else had an issue with bogus check engine codes in the tow vehicle while towing? I'm wondering if voltage fluctuations from the fridge (running on battery while towing) or something like the water pump being left on could be placing a funny load on our alternator which is causing the code to trigger. This is driving me nuts, and my wife is not exactly pleased that I've become conditioned to just ignore the Check Engine light when it comes on. Thanks for any info.