No Battery Power

[Terrib972]

When plugged in to 110V power, everything works except 1 light above sink. (Unsure if that light is 12V only or if it is a burned bulb because I can't figure out how to get the cover off. grrrr.) The panel shows the battery to have a full charge. Testing the battery with my voltmeter shows 13.7 VDC. But if I unplug the 110, nothing has power - no lights, auto jack, nothing.

I've crawled under and traced the red wire leading from battery to RV and don't find any obvious breaks, chewed wires, etc. I've checked the batter shutoff switch and it is turned to on. I've looked at the fuse panel but I really don't know what it is supposed to look like.

I keep the RV plugged to 110 power when parked at home and I never boondock so I honestly don't know how long there's been a problem.

So my quetions are:
1) if the panel is giving me a reading on the battery, does that mean the wiring from the battery is intact?
2) what should the fuses look like - how do I know if they are good or not?
3) Do I even need the battery to work if I don't boondock? Except in the case of a power outage at the campground, I'm not sure what depends on the battery.

Thanks everyone!

[5picker]

First question back to you...
Did you test battery voltage with the voltmeter with the unit plugged into 120v shore power?

[Terrib972]

Well, doh. Yes.

OK. So can I add water (if needed, haven't checked yet) and put the charger on the battery while it is still connected to everything or do I need to turn shutoff to off or disconnect the terminals?

Sorry for my ignorance. Nearly 60 yoa but these are things I never had a need to learn before! Another chance to pay tribute to my husband for all the things he did over the years.

[5picker]

OK... you need to know a few things...
First, you really in essence, have two 12v systems in your unit.
One is obviously your battery.
The other is your on-board converter.
It supplies 12v when plugged into shore power AND charges your battery.

So... anytime you are plugged into shore power, you are reading the charge voltage from the converter and nothing that would give you an indication of what the true charge of the 12v battery is. That's why you got a reading of 13.7v and all the indicator lights were lit on the panel. That is basically saying the converter is doing it's job.

Now... to test the battery you'll need to at least be unplugged and/or have the battery disconnect switch disconnected depending on how your unit is wired.

Because you mention no lights work and neither does anything else (when unplugged) suggests either your battery is completely dead or the battery is unhooked or disconnected.

I would first unplug from shore power and take a voltmeter reading at the battery.
There are varying states of charge but first, let's see what you have and go from there.

Because the converter also charges the battery (when everything is working properly) it isn't a good idea to charge the battery with a stand alone charger at the same time your unit is plugged into 120v shore power.

[bikendan]

The battery is required by law, when transporting the trailer.
This is because the battery powers the trailer's brakes should it detach from the tow vehicle.

[Bluepill]

Good basic RV electrical video here:

https://youtu.be/mRD-baSYyUM

[Terrib972]

With 110 unplugged, the voltmeter reads 1.4. Checking water in it, one cell is full and all the others I cannot see water. Not sure if they are dry because of the angle I'm looking. It's difficult for me to pull the battery out due to weight, propane tanks and angle of RV front going over it. But I do have distilled water and a larger syringe to make it easier to get to the cells with the water.

[llr]

battery is probably shot. What is the voltage at the battery (not sure if the 13.7 above is at the battery terminals) when the trailer is plugged in?

it won't hurt to add water to the battery but i would be surprised if it comes back to a useful charge level

[Terrib972]

Originally Posted by bikendan

The battery is required by law, when transporting the trailer.
This is because the battery powers the trailer's brakes should it detach from the tow vehicle.

Thanks. That's good to know.

[Terrib972]

Originally Posted by Bluepill

Good basic RV electrical video here:

https://youtu.be/mRD-baSYyUM

That is a good video. thank you.

[Terrib972]

Originally Posted by llr

battery is probably shot. What is the voltage at the battery (not sure if the 13.7 above is at the battery terminals) when the trailer is plugged in?

it won't hurt to add water to the battery but i would be surprised if it comes back to a useful charge level

I'm testing the voltage with a voltmeter at the battery terminals. When 110 power is plugged in, it reads 13.7. When it is unplugged, it read 1.4. So I guess I can add water and check it tomorrow after power has been plugged in and see if it charges at all? Editing to clarify: I mean, plug the power in and let the converter attempt to charge the battery until tomorrow and then see if it worked.

[llr]

Yes, fill it, leave it plugged in overnight, check tomorrow but don't get your hopes up

[5picker]

Originally Posted by Terrib972

I'm testing the voltage with a voltmeter at the battery terminals. When 110 power is plugged in, it reads 13.7. When it is unplugged, it read 1.4. So I guess I can add water and check it tomorrow after power has been plugged in and see if it charges at all? Editing to clarify: I mean, plug the power in and let the converter attempt to charge the battery until tomorrow and then see if it worked.

It sounds as though you have a bad battery.
It 'may' have went bad because it was low on water but then again it could have just gone bad. I don't recall where you mentioned its age.

As mentioned, you can add some water to the low cells (don't overfill) and let it charge and see what happens. Even good batteries that have been deeply discharged can sometimes not come back to life.

You mentioned difficulty removing or lifting the battery. Hopefully you have a family member or someone nearby that can help you. Don't hurt yourself trying to do something you are not able to physically do.

Keep us posted as to how you make out.

[Flybob]

A little history would help.
Has the unit sat all winter with the battery in it and not plugged in?
Do you have a battery shut off switch? what position over the winter?
If the battery voltage with the converter off ( unplugged from shore power) is 1.4V, the battery is toast. You can add water and charge it, and it might even read 12 something, but it will never hold a charge. Recommend you Charge it and take the battery to a auto parts or battery store and have it load tested. When you replace it, be sure to add a battery shutoff switch.

[Terrib972]

OK, I'll report back but I think I killed it by letting water get too low. I had to add a LOT of water so I'm sure it was too low.

To answer some remaining questions:

The battery is 2 years old.
I always keep the power plugged in so it had power all winter.
It has a battery shutoff but I did not turn it off. But except for a possible short power outage, nothing would have been pulling from it since I keep the power plugged in.

So another question for y'all. I know they are more expensive but any problem with replacing with one of the no-maintenance batteries? I put those on the tractor and UTV so I wouldn't have to worry about the water levels.

Thanks. I will get help pulling the battery out. I could lift it straight on but sideways and at an angle just isn't happening.

[llr]

Only 2 years old and that much water gone tells me it either discharged and froze which you can tell from cracked case when you remove it. Or more likely the converter cooked and should be replaced with a better one

[Bluepill]

1. If your battery is size "Group 24" (common one), a new "RV/Marine" wet cell battery runs about $100. If you want to go tho the true no maintenance "AGM" style, it runs roughly twice as much.

2. You probably have the dreaded "WFCO" converter/charger. It is famous for being troublesome because it usually does not fully charge the battery (stays at about 13.6 volts instead of going up to 14.4 for a full charge) AND it overcharges the battery when left on for a long time (stays at 13.6 volts, rather than dropping to 13.2 volts for long term storage).

Since it works fine as a converter when plugged in to 120 volt shore power, my solution is to use a stand-alone battery charger to fully charge before and after a trip, as well as to maintain the battery during storage.

This is an excellent unit:

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...attery+Charger