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07-15-2013, 04:03 AM
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#1
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Tampa
Posts: 135
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Dead Battery
Just bought a122 BH and been out in it twice. Parked it at home and just opened it up, tried to turn on the interior light and it wouldn't. Wondered if something drains the battery? Thought everything is off, as far as I know. How can you tell how much is left in the batteries?
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07-15-2013, 06:09 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 1,770
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There are several loads on your battery that cannot be turned off. Most prominently is the propane leak detector. It alone will drain the battery to death over a period of a few months. Another is the phantom load from the stereo, but that is likely a much lower draw. During storage the camper should either be plugged in or the battery disconnected.
Full discharge can damage or destroy a battery. Disconnect the battery from the camper and put it on a stand alone charger to see if it will take and hold a charge. Then go from there.
Here are 2 links to a primer on living with a 12V electrical system. It is written to cover big RVs, but is applicable to A frames too.
The 12volt Side of Life (Part 1)
The 12volt Side of Life Part 2
__________________
Tom
2012 Rockwood A122S
2008 Toyota Tundra Double Cab 4X4
Former owner of a 2002 Coleman Niagara GTE
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07-15-2013, 06:47 AM
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#3
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Site Team - Lou
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: South Eastern PA
Posts: 23,269
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A battery kill switch is needed and not supplied with our campers. Without one you can expect a fully charged battery to be dead flat in 10 days.
Always use a battery tender (solar or plug in) to maintain your battery, install a disconnect, or remove the ground cable (only) every time you put it away.
__________________
Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
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07-15-2013, 08:21 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Ottawa Ontario Canada
Posts: 930
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Agree with above two posters ... always maintain your battery by either plugging it in when you get home, disconnect, or get a solar maintainer ... however i really dont know how well they work. I just plug mine in when i get home .. and leave it plugged until the next trip ..
Something you should look at over and above this is the cut off switch underneath the sink side of the front roof system. It could have lost its connection, and will cause the same problem .. no lights. I you strip back the valance ... you will see it .. give the wires a little wiggle and press the switch a couple of times ... this is the likely culprit.
d-mo
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2008 Nissan Frontier 4x4
2011 Rockwood A122
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07-15-2013, 08:37 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Maryland
Posts: 713
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Quote:
Originally Posted by herk7769
remove the ground cable (only) every time you put it away.
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Any particular reason? I do both + & - but I guess that is just a habit once changed would save half the time spent disconnecting.
__________________
2021 Rockwood Mini Lite 2109S
2010 Toyota Tundra 4WD
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07-15-2013, 12:08 PM
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#6
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Site Team - Lou
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: South Eastern PA
Posts: 23,269
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lswartz
Any particular reason? I do both + & - but I guess that is just a habit once changed would save half the time spent disconnecting.
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My favorite reason.
Get it backwards JUST ONCE and you will only take one off for ever more.
__________________
Lou & Freya the wonder dog
2008 GMC Sierra 3000HD Allison Duramax
2019 Flagstaff 8529FL
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07-15-2013, 12:13 PM
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#7
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Site Team
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Northeast Louisiana
Posts: 33,962
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Quote:
Originally Posted by herk7769
My favorite reason.
Get it backwards JUST ONCE and you will only take one off for ever more.
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That's great, Lou. Should be a sig line. 
__________________
 2011 Flagstaff 831 RLBSS
A 72 hour hold in a psych unit is beginning to intrigue me as a potential vacation opportunity.
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07-15-2013, 12:23 PM
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#8
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Site Team
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 10,525
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__________________
Peace!
Dan & Rita D
2017 Nissan Titan 5.6L King cab 4wd
2016 Evergreen Everlite 242RBS
29' empty nest model. Blue Ox WD hitch
(1 queen bed, large main cabin and huge bathroom)
Camping days 2010-53, 2011-47, 2012-41, 2013-41, 2014-31, 2015-40, 2016-44, 2017-63, 2018-75, 2019-32, 2020-41, 2021-49, 2022-43, 2023-66
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07-15-2013, 02:58 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Maryland
Posts: 713
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Quote:
Originally Posted by herk7769
My favorite reason.
Get it backwards JUST ONCE and you will only take one off for ever more.
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Thanks. Can't say that I have ever done that but I sure have done lots of things wrong 1st. 
__________________
2021 Rockwood Mini Lite 2109S
2010 Toyota Tundra 4WD
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07-15-2013, 05:51 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Milford, MA
Posts: 445
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You don't need a kill switch or to spend any additional money, just pull the main fuse for the power line which is about 12" from the battery box, it's in a little red flip-top weatherproof inline fuse holder, this will cut all battery power without any investment or additional devices. I've been doing this for my a frame since purchase, I put the fuse on top of the propane tank cover and have never forgotten to put it back.....
__________________
2011 A-122
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07-15-2013, 06:29 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 141
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rawlus
You don't need a kill switch or to spend any additional money, just pull the main fuse for the power line which is about 12" from the battery box, it's in a little red flip-top weatherproof inline fuse holder, this will cut all battery power without any investment or additional devices. I've been doing this for my a frame since purchase, I put the fuse on top of the propane tank cover and have never forgotten to put it back.....
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I have a 2012 A122 and do not see the fuse. Can anyone confirm their A122 has one. I even called the dealer who said he did not think it had the fuse. I'm confused.
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07-15-2013, 06:31 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Milford, MA
Posts: 445
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Mine is a 2011 and def has the in-line fuse.
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2011 A-122
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07-15-2013, 06:32 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 141
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Quote:
Originally Posted by herk7769
A battery kill switch is needed and not supplied with our campers. Without one you can expect a fully charged battery to be dead flat in 10 days.
Always use a battery tender (solar or plug in) to maintain your battery, install a disconnect, or remove the ground cable (only) every time you put it away.
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I assume the ground cable is black? My tech guy at dealership said to remove the red cable? I doublechecked he said that. Any thoughts on why he picked the red cable?
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07-15-2013, 06:34 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 141
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rawlus
Mine is a 2011 and def has the in-line fuse.
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The dealership guy told me he was surprised to learn Rockwood did not put them in 2012 units.
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07-15-2013, 07:28 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 1,770
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My 2014 does not have an inline fuse. It has a circuit breaker instead.
__________________
Tom
2012 Rockwood A122S
2008 Toyota Tundra Double Cab 4X4
Former owner of a 2002 Coleman Niagara GTE
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07-15-2013, 07:33 PM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 1,258
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rawlus
You don't need a kill switch or to spend any additional money, just pull the main fuse for the power line which is about 12" from the battery box, it's in a little red flip-top weatherproof inline fuse holder, this will cut all battery power without any investment or additional devices. I've been doing this for my a frame since purchase, I put the fuse on top of the propane tank cover and have never forgotten to put it back.....
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Much easier to install a cutoff switch.
I mounted a household light switch above the battery, so it is an easy flip of the finger to turn the power on/off.
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07-15-2013, 07:53 PM
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#17
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Always Learning
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Four Corners, FL
Posts: 21,891
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Battery disconnect-
http://learntorv.blogspot.com/2013/0...installed.html
My battery is under a floor and required screws to be removed to get at it.
__________________
Officially a SOB with a 2022 Jayco Precept 36C
Checkout my site for RVing tips, tricks, and info | Was a Fulltime Family for 5 years, now we're part-timing on long trips
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07-15-2013, 08:02 PM
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#18
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Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Valencia
Posts: 47
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jsusluvsyou
Just bought a122 BH and been out in it twice. Parked it at home and just opened it up, tried to turn on the interior light and it wouldn't. Wondered if something drains the battery? Thought everything is off, as far as I know. How can you tell how much is left in the batteries?
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You can buy a battery load tester and test the battery yourself to find out if you have a good battery or take it into any auto parts store and they will test it for you. I have a actron 130 amp heavy duty battery load tester which cost me something like $50.00 and will test the battery in 10 seconds and will tell you the condition of your battery.
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07-15-2013, 10:47 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 141
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pooneil
My 2014 does not have an inline fuse. It has a circuit breaker instead.
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Really? Where is it located?
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07-16-2013, 03:17 AM
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#20
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Tampa
Posts: 135
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I have. 2014 a122bh can I turn battery off by the circuit breaker?
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