First Long Distance Trip with the MPG

crennpage

Member
We just got back today from a 1,300 mile round trip with the MPG from Houston to the Davis Mountains in west Texas. This was our first long distance excursion as all our prior trips have been within a 75 mile radius of Houston. All went well except for two things.

1) While on the road we ran the refrigerator on DC current (the night before we left I got the refrigerator fully cranked up via AC current). Unfortunately when we arrived at our destination I noticed that our batteries (two 6 volt golf cart AGMs) were close to 50% depleted. My initial guess was that perhaps my truck’s alternator just couldn’t properly charge a valve regulated AGM battery (I suppose that’s still a possibility), but then I thought about checking the voltage output with a digital meter and confirmed that there was no juice on the #4 pin. I then thought about the potential of a blown fuse in my TV (a Ford Expedition) and found upon examination that not only the fuse for the battery tow charge was missing, but so was the battery tow charge relay!

The dealership installed the seven pin connector on my truck, and if the pin wasn’t set up to provide a battery tow charge one would think they would have said something to that effect. My prior trips were never all that long to have much of an impact on any battery drainage problem (and I never had ran the refrigerator on DC before). Still I’m a little concerned that the refrigerator could run down my batteries so much over the course of a 10 hour trip. Anyway, I’m calling the dealership tomorrow to see what they have to say.

2) Although my wife thinks the MPG is "very cute" she is having trouble with the size of the TT and would like us to move up to a larger unit now. I'm thinking of looking for a used Heartland Edge and see if that will work for her. I'm sticking with Heartland but the Edge seems to be the only other model they made that I'm confident my TV can handle. It's supposed to handle a 6,000 lbs max load but I'll tell ya that 5.4 liter V8 still had to work hard with just an MPG behind it going up some of those west Texas mountains. The Heartland Wilderness has a floorplan very similar to the M22 Edge but it's also is about 1,000 lbs heaver. Too bad Heartland doesn't make the Edge anymore either. :(
 

evolvingpowercat

Well-known member
There likely was no place to connect the 12 V wire on the 7 way to in the back of your vehicle. They may not have taken the time to run it all the way up to the fuse box under your dash and connect it properly.

I would call Heartland and ask what size the 12 V should be fused to for the smaller class MPG / Edge TTs. I think my 12 V lead going to the 7 Way on my VW Touareg is on a 10 Amp fuse and is doing just fine.

I have an Edge M21 and really like it. If you buy a previously owned one be sure to do a careful inspection under it. The Edge trailer frames were built to save weight and seem to be doing fine, but there was a single post about someone's frame developing cracking and having to be repaired. I would not be worried about this given how many have been built and there was only that one post. The dry weight on mine including my permanant attachment modifications is under 3500 pounds and it is rated for maximum weight including cargo of about 4400 pounds
 
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Invizatu

Senior Road Warriors
Craig & Nina... Fort Davis was also our first long trip with our 21FBS! We have been on several 4000 plus mile trips since and we love our trailer. We just returned from 40 days of Wyoming / Montana and places inbetween. Look out for the javelinas!
 
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