Battery will not keep charge

[chiefdove]

Hello all!

I have a 2014 Salem TBUD26 travel trailer. My outside light, awning, slide out, jack, stabilizers will not work (even when hooked up to shore power). I purchased a new battery, all these items worked until the battery went dead.

Everything on the inside works when hooked up to shore power. However, when you unhook the shore power, what usually runs off the battery on the inside (lights, pump) will not work.

Gage shows 0 for battery unless it's plugged in then the battery shows 100% which is not true.

Is it the converter?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Adam

[Mr Havercamp]

Originally Posted by chiefdove

Hello all!

I have a 2014 Salem TBUD26 travel trailer. My outside light, awning, slide out, jack, stabilizers will not work (even when hooked up to shore power). I purchased a new battery, all these items worked until the battery went dead.

Everything on the inside works when hooked up to shore power. However, when you unhook the shore power, what usually runs off the battery on the inside (lights, pump) will not work.

Gage shows 0 for battery unless it's plugged in then the battery shows 100% which is not true.

Is it the converter?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Adam

Have you made sure the main battery disconnect switch is not off?

[Toddupton]

And check your reverse polarity fuses also

[chiefdove]

Originally Posted by Mr Havercamp

Have you made sure the main battery disconnect switch is not off?

Where is that located?

[chiefdove]

Originally Posted by Toddupton

And check your reverse polarity fuses also

Are these fuses located in the fuse panel below the refrigerator or located in another part of the camper?

I did check all fuses and all looked good.

[timfromma]

Originally Posted by chiefdove

Where is that located?

Usually out near the battery. Just follow your red battery cable.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by chiefdove

Where is that located?

Unless a previous owner installed one, you don't have one.
2014 Salems don't have factory disconnect switches.

And reading the battery idiot lights mean nothing when hooked up to shore power.
Take the battery in and have a hydrometer test done.
You may have permanently damaged the battery by letting it completely drain.

Sounds like you didn't keep the trailer plugged into shore power and the parasitic power drains emptied the battery.

[Flybob]

Check the two large fuses in the distribution panel 30-40A orange or brown. If you plugged in the TT and the battery was dead, you may have blown them with the inrush of current. Also check the resettable breaker near the hitch ( see photo below). There is a small reset button on side,

[fonzie]

Originally Posted by Flybob

Check the two large fuses in the distribution panel 30-40A orange or brown. If you plugged in the TT and the battery was dead, you may have blown them with the inrush of current. Also check the resettable breaker near the hitch ( see photo below). There is a small reset button on side,

X2, also since you changed the battery, make sure the battery connections are correct: usually black or red lead is positive and white lead is negative which is connected to the frame of the trailer.......

[rvdoctor]

If everything works as stated when shore power is plugged in then converter is providing 12VDC. Checked the charging section of converter by disconnecting battery lead post located on the power distribution panel for at least 13VDC. If so converter is good. Check for battery power at disconnected lead. If no power check entire battery wiring and circuit breakers between battery and main fuse panel. Just because the fuses look good doesn't mean they are. Use a test light or volt meter to make sure. Check for battery disconnect switch. Since battery is good the problem has to be between battery and main circuit breaker panel. On rare occasions the converter may not be providing enough amperage to charge battery. If all else fails an amperage test under load of the converter is in order. Fuses can also fall into the category of not being able to carry a load even they test good so they should be tested under load as well.

[pmsherman]

Your statement that the interior DC stuff works when plugged in is an indicator that the converter is working and providing DC power. I wouldn't expect the jacks to work because they draw much more power than the converter will supply. The awning may not work because it has a low voltage disconnect as part of its control circuitry.

Your number of posts indicates that this may be your first RV. If you purchased it from a nearby dealer, you might be able to return there and ask for a more thorough PDI (Pre Delivery Inspection). During this, you should be shown how each appliance works, where fuses and circuit breakers are located, where the water pump and converter are located, how to light the stove/oven, where water system drains and fill points are located, how to winterize the plumbing system, the correct way to dump the waste tanks, and a lot more. You should also have been told if your power awning has an auto retract system when it starts raining or becomes too windy.

I'd try the following to figure out what's wrong with your 12V system:
1. Disconnect both cables from the battery. With the rig plugged in and interior lights working, check the voltage at the battery end of the cables. If it's not over 13V then the converter is not providing power to charge the battery. If the interior lights don't work, then there's a problem with the converter or you have a master disconnect switch in the rig that's in the "off" position.
2. Follow the positive battery lead looking for a (main) circuit breaker that's open. If you can't find one, get a long piece of wire and check for circuit continuity between the + battery lead and the + side of the fuses. If there's no continuity then there's a break in your positive battery lead somewhere.
3. Disconnect the rig from AC. Verify that the negative battery cable has zero resistance to the chassis. This assumes that, like most RVs, your unit uses the chassis as the ground (-) portion of the DC wiring.
4. Try charging the battery with a battery charger. If it's not damaged, take it to a shop that can do a load test on a deep cycle battery. This should be different from the load test on a starting battery. If your battery isn't a sealed one, you can also get a specific gravity tester and pull some fluid out of the battery. If you see small black particles floating around in the fluid, replace the battery, even if it shows a full charge.
5. With a good battery installed and the rig plugged in, you should see over 13V at the battery terminals. A fully charged battery that's been sitting for 24 hours should show around 12.6V. Converters normally output voltages between 13.2V and 14.5V depending on the manufacturer of the converter and whether it's a simple one stage or a multiple stage design. The output voltage of the converter should appear on the battery terminals when it's producing power.

Don't forget that most rigs have "parasitic drains". These are small loads on the battery that rarely get disconnected. They include propane detectors, memory circuits for radios, memory for automatic leveling systems and other devices. These drains rarely effect you when using your rig but, over a number of days or weeks in storage can easily suck a battery dry. The only way the stop them is to disconnect the battery. You can unhook one of the cables or install a battery disconnect, purchased at any auto parts store, on the positive post.

One tool that every RV owner should have is an inexpensive digital multimeter. Harbor Freight usually gives them away with a "free with any purchase" coupon. Wallyworld also sells similar meters for around $10. Harbor Freight coupons are in newspapers, RV magazines, Popular Science and Mechanics, AARP magazine, and coupons delivered to your mailbox. Sign up for online sales information from them and they'll also email you more coupons.

Phil

[Tom48]

What Phil said.