I need HELP!!!: Battery issues

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Battery issues

Printed From: R-pod Owners Forum
Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: I need HELP!!!
Forum Discription: Perplexed/need help with a problem - ask here
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12931
Printed Date: 23 Apr 2024 at 6:34am
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Topic: Battery issues

Posted By: Raven729
Subject: Battery issues
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2019 at 9:58pm

Ok... seriously confused. We’ve had our 180 for about 5 months and we have done mostly hook up camping. Last weekend we did dispersed camping and the battery died after about 11 hours. Nothing was on, the fridge was on propane... minimal electric usage. The batteries are supposed to last longer than that right??

Replies:

Posted By: ribet
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2019 at 10:58pm

Do you have one or two batteries. Have you kept up the water level. What was the stated warrenty

Posted By: Raven729
Date Posted: 11 Jun 2019 at 11:16pm

Just one battery. And without sounding too ignorant, what water levels?

Posted By: podwerkz
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2019 at 12:15am

Battery life when boondocking should be at least a couple of days with one battery and minimal usage, meaning fridge set on propane and very little use of the lights and water pump, radio, TV booster, USB phone charging, etc.

But this is assuming a fully charged battery when you start. If you were running the fridge on battery while towing, and your auxiliary 12v feed to the trailer was not working, (fuse blown, no connection, etc) you might arrive at your campsite with a partially depleted battery.

First, check the water levels in the battery (assuming you have a flooded battery). Pop open the caps and make sure that you can see water in all six cells. If you see dry plates you may need a new battery.

If you see water in all six cells, the battery 'might' recover with a half day to a day or so of charging with the trailer plugged in to shore power.

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r･pod 171 gone but not forgotten!

Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2019 at 8:01am

Since you may have been in the desert, based on your home location.. did you run the heater?

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Posted By: Raven729
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2019 at 10:58am

We did not use the heater at all.

The battery is the stock one that came with the RV... not sure if it’s “flooded” battery or not, will look when I pick it up tomorrow for outlet trip this weekend. (Full hook-ups)

Our next foray will be into getting some solar panels to help keep the battery going on dispersed trips.

I just feel like the battery should last longer... want to make sure I’m correct.

Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2019 at 2:21pm

It certainly should last longer but if it’s a flooded battery and the plates in the battery have been exposed for awhile because the water level is low it might be too far gone to save. Try refilling it (with distilled water only) and leaving it on the charger for 24-48 hours, then disconnect from 120v and see how it does for 24-48 hours running normal loads (fridge on propane, no furnace). If it can’t support that then it’s time for a battery replacement.

You can certainly get a solar module too but that won’t fix a bad battery.

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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold

Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 12 Jun 2019 at 4:11pm

"Last weekend"....

before you went boondocking, how long had it been since your pod was hooked up to shore power?

What was the state of charge of the battery to begin with?

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