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Anyone else having trouble with converter failure

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PoodlePod View Drop Down
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    Posted: 23 Nov 2010 at 11:39am
We got our pod in August 2009- first time we used it discovered we had a bad converter.  Got it replaced and camped over the summer...praked it in July and now looks like the converter has failed again since battery wont hold a charge- anyone else had a Crysimilar problem?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cane2 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Nov 2010 at 3:12pm
If you did not have a cut out plug on the battery and did not plug the pod into  house current since July your battery will be stone cold dead. There are some things in the pod that run and take 12 volts all the time unless you have a cut off switch.  I think they will only run on battery power for a couple of weeks or so without being recharged.  A total discharge is real hard on the battery if you are where it is freezing charge it back up now before it freezes up. Then you would need a new battery. I see you are in SC. it should not freeze there. If you are in storage and cannot get power you will have to take the battery out  and charge it with a battery charger(very slow) and hope the battery is not damaged.  I do not know if there is a fuse nor have i looked yet in the converter system that could be blown. Most things nowdays use circut breakers.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Outbound Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Nov 2010 at 9:51pm
PoodlePod,

Are you saying:
a) that your r-pod has been plugged-in all the time while it was parked and you've now found that the battery is dead?

Or:
b) are you saying that your r-pod was not plugged-in while it was parked and plugging it in now will not charge your battery?

If its (a), then there are still issues to be investigated before a bad converter can be blamed.  All the wiring and fuses should be checked; even the bargman plug should be checked for a short.

If its (b), then your battery has been drained by the propane detector.  Before long-term storage, the battery should be disconnected.

The WFCO converter is well know and well liked in the RV world and I've heard of very few problems with any of their products.
Craig :: 2008 Mazda Tribute :: 2009 r-pod 171, The Johnnie Ray
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote PoodlePod Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Nov 2010 at 12:24am
Actually we had disconnected the negative terminal and the pod was not connected to an electrical outlet.  The battery read low when i reconnected it--- so I took it to an auto shop to be recharged overnight.  When we picked it up they said it was not holding a charge and was only at 5% power...so we thought the converter might be bad again and have ruined the battery--- never the less when we reconnected the battery and plugged it into an electrical outlet it was reading totally charged  so we went camping for 4 days and it continued to read fully charged- explain that! a mystery to me-LOL
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Outbound Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Nov 2010 at 8:54am
Quote when we reconnected the battery and plugged it into an electrical outlet it was reading totally charged  so we went camping for 4 days and it continued to read fully charged- explain that! a mystery to me-LOL

Its no mystery at all.  This is typical behaviour of a ruined battery.  A ruined battery would show 'full' after an hour on the charger.  However, when you attempt to use the battery, you'll notice that the charge drops very quickly and that the amount of useful energy in the battery has decreased significantly.

PoodlePod, some maintenance is required with deep cycle batteries to ensure longevity.  During the camping season:
- charge the battery after every trip
- don't rely on your vehicle's charge line to fully charge your battery.  It simply won't work
- disconnect the battery when you get home and park the trailer.  Don't leave the trailer on battery for even a week
- never fully discharge the battery or let it get to the point where the trailer's interior lights appear dim

When storing a deep cycle battery, the battery must:
- be fully charged before it's stored
- be disconnected from your trailer
- be topped-up (to the top of the plates) with distilled water
- be charged every 4-6 weeks while in storage

Craig :: 2008 Mazda Tribute :: 2009 r-pod 171, The Johnnie Ray
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote billooote Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Nov 2010 at 1:30am
Got a question.
I am staying at an rv park here in Az for the winter. I am plug into ele. but still got my battery hook up. I am correct doing this-right? I might add for all to check the date on thier battery for i got a NEW 5 year old battery in my 2010 172.No dealer around so i just brought a new one after getting it check at an interstate dealer...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Kenn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 Nov 2010 at 9:53am
Originally posted by billooote billooote wrote:

Got a question.
I am staying at an rv park here in Az for the winter. I am plug into ele. but still got my battery hook up. I am correct doing this-right? I might add for all to check the date on thier battery for i got a NEW 5 year old battery in my 2010 172.No dealer around so i just brought a new one after getting it check at an interstate dealer...
I don't know if you got the batteries as part of your RV purchase, but those are "giveaways." They're like the starter pack that dealers give away to new RV customers.

2010 RPOD 176 (Silly-POD), 2011 Forest River Stealth 2612, and 2014 Forest River XLR 380AMP
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