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Old 03-07-2011, 06:33 PM   #1
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Can I use the battery or not?

Last year I bought my 2005 Surveyor SC-255RS. I have a question for you This summer I would like to go camping where there is no services and just using the battery as energy. There is the problem, the master bedroom is a slide out which is behind the trailler. Now the question, I would like to know if I can use to power of the battery to pull it out and to bring the bed inside of the trailler?
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Old 03-07-2011, 06:53 PM   #2
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I think most slides work on 12 volts.....I know mine does. Try it at home without being hooked up to 120 volts to be sure.
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Old 03-07-2011, 07:06 PM   #3
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Yes sir. Your slide motor runs on 12 volt DC, so you can disconnect and still run the slide out on internal battery.

However;

If you will have no way to recharge the battery, and you use a significant amount of power while you dry camp, be prepared to manually crank in the slide (read up on it ahead of time). That motor needs 18-20 amps to run.

You should also MAKE SURE the 12 volt battery charging line on your truck works to charge the battery before you go. If the fuse is blown or missing, you will be in trouble if the trailer battery dies. You will have no trailer brakes on the way home and no way to get them back.

FYI The 12 volt line to the 7 pin trailer socket only has power with the engine running! It should have at least 13 volts there.
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Old 03-07-2011, 10:45 PM   #4
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If you are low on battery power when you go to leave, and can't get the slide to move, just hook up your TV and start it. Then you can run off of the juice from the TV. Been there; done that!
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Old 03-08-2011, 08:12 AM   #5
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If you are low on battery power when you go to leave, and can't get the slide to move, just hook up your TV and start it. Then you can run off of the juice from the TV. Been there; done that!
I leave my truck hooked up and running when I extend the slide while setting up during a dry camping trip. Extending a slide really taxes a battery right from the get go, and I figure the extra help is a good thing.
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Old 03-08-2011, 06:59 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by mtnguy View Post
I leave my truck hooked up and running when I extend the slide while setting up during a dry camping trip. Extending a slide really taxes a battery right from the get go, and I figure the extra help is a good thing.
Never thought of that. Good idea.
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Old 03-08-2011, 07:03 PM   #7
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Never thought of that. Good idea.
The only problem with that is I need to unhook the truck to level the trailer before extending the slide. I have cheated up to this point and just leave the umbilical cord connected while I pull up slightly so the couple will clear the ball. But 1 of these days I am going to pull up too far and break something.....I really need to unhook the umbilical cord and then plug it back in after getting the proper distance.
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Old 03-09-2011, 03:08 PM   #8
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I really appreciate it. Thank you guys for the info
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Old 03-10-2011, 07:33 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by herk7769 View Post
FYI The 12 volt line to the 7 pin trailer socket only has power with the engine running! It should have at least 13 volts there.
Not always so. My truck battery is always hot to the
trailer plug. I've gotten out of bed in the middle of a cold
night to plug in the truck so the furnace could run a few
more hours more than once!

My truck even has the battery saver circuit where if I
leave a door open or the cargo light on with the motor
off, it will shut off the lights after a while.
The trailer plug stays hot.
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Old 03-10-2011, 08:19 AM   #10
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Not always so. My truck even has the battery saver circuit where if I leave a door open or the cargo light on with the motor
off, it will shut off the lights after a while.
The trailer plug stays hot.
Dan, this does not sound like a "feature." So if you are plugged into the camper with the truck engine off you can kill the truck starting battery?

I will check my truck documentation again today. I am sure mine does not have power unless the truck is running. The battery saver is on my truck also, but why defeat it by routing a high draw item in such a way as to allow it to bypass the battery saver?
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Old 03-10-2011, 08:37 AM   #11
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Ford has had the battery isolation feature since the early 2000s....don't exactly know when that was started. I think GM and Dodge were later to come on board, but I think they all have that now. Not sure about Toyota and Nissan.

An easy way to tell is to use a check light at the Bargman connection with the engine on and then the engine off.
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Old 03-10-2011, 10:10 AM   #12
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I have a light that plugs into the connector. It has a selection feature that allows you to power it from the back up lights or the 12 volt line. The Light does not work with the engine off and the key out of the ignition. I will have to check to see if the light will work with just the key in "run" but the engine off (never did that). The light does work with engine running.
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Old 03-10-2011, 10:19 AM   #13
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My 2008 Dodge 1500 has power going to the 7 pin plug all the time!
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Old 03-10-2011, 10:53 AM   #14
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I have factory installed tow package not some dealer
add-on.

I like mine the way it is!!

I really don't want the truck to try to outsmart me.
If I want to plug in and use my truck battery for extra
boost or extra hours that's my decision, not some
truck computer programmer back in Detriot.

Yes I am sure. My truck will shut off headlights or
dome light or any light left on too long with the engine
off BUT the battery lead at the RV plug is always hot.

As I said, I have deliberately plugged in on cold nights when
we were boon-docking just so I could draw from the truck
battery. I especially did this before I added the 2nd
RV battery.

I "accidentally" ran my truck down once where it would
not start. We were in a full campground at Mammoth
Cave NP. I had a little genny that had a 12v output.
10 minutes on the genny and the truck started.
I could have gotten a jump from a fellow camper but
didn't need to. One time in 7 years ain't so bad

I wouldn't risk it if I was out in the middle of no-where
with no genny to re-charge but that's pretty rare even
for us.
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Old 03-10-2011, 05:05 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by mtnguy View Post
But 1 of these days I am going to pull up too far and break something.....I really need to unhook the umbilical cord and then plug it back in after getting the proper distance.
That would be NASTY!! Might wreck the trailer AND the truck . . . I'm always double and triple checking to make sure the umbilical (and everything else) is unhooked. (Maybe a little obsessive compulsive here . . . )
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Old 03-11-2011, 07:33 AM   #16
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I have another question. Regarding the 7 pin plug...! how can I know if there is power that goes to the trailler? Regarding that website I'm now confused! I have the 7 pin plug, but which one is the one for the battery? please help me!!!
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2006 Ford Expedition Limited 4X4
2005 Surveyor SC-255RS
I had Tent trailer 1999 Viking, and before that it was tent for 7 years.

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Old 03-11-2011, 07:39 AM   #17
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Oups there is the website! trailer wiring diagram
[That website is for Australian trailers and is NOT the US standard!]
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My little family! My wife Isabel, my kids: Christopher 15, Ariane 13, Anthony 12, Kevin 11, my dog Mushka 6years a great pyrenees and far away at the end me Stephane

2006 Ford Expedition Limited 4X4
2005 Surveyor SC-255RS
I had Tent trailer 1999 Viking, and before that it was tent for 7 years.

Supports our troops
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Old 03-11-2011, 07:54 AM   #18
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Here is a picture of the TRUCK receptacle.
Looking at the bumper socket-- IF the notch is on top
the hot-12v is top right at 1 oclock.
The ground is lower left at 7 oclock.

You can test it with a meter or simple 12v bulb voltage tester.
Get a little digital meter from Radio Shack or Harbor Freight.
They come in handy all the time!!

Left photo is looking at the socket with the cover held
open. Right photo is looking at the socket from the
back of the socket where the wires connect.
(You probably can't see this side without taking the socket apart.)

My Chevy has this information imprinted on the socket
cover itself.
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Old 03-11-2011, 03:19 PM   #19
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That is very usefull! I'll buy one soon
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My little family! My wife Isabel, my kids: Christopher 15, Ariane 13, Anthony 12, Kevin 11, my dog Mushka 6years a great pyrenees and far away at the end me Stephane

2006 Ford Expedition Limited 4X4
2005 Surveyor SC-255RS
I had Tent trailer 1999 Viking, and before that it was tent for 7 years.

Supports our troops
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Old 03-14-2011, 12:13 PM   #20
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That is weird...! I think I'll have to visit the dealer. I bought a 12v bulb voltage tester yesterday and once back home I tryed it. The result is very weird. My SUV had the engine running, the lights on (didn't select the auto light), hazard lights were on, my teenager had his foot on the breack pedal and there we are!

On the first try, the tester showed me the light when I touched the right signal (6) and also the tail running light (3).
Second try, nothing. The tester detected nothing.
Third try, same as the first one.

So I said to my teenager to turn off the hazard lights but keep the breack on. The result of that... nothing was detected at all!

I also have the 4 pin plug. I tested it and no result at all.

I think there is something there! But when my trailler is connected to my truck, all the lights on the trailler work, break lights work, left & right flasher lights work. The battery, I don't have a clue if it get charge or not.

I looked at all the fuses which are, regarding the owner book, for the trailler, they are all ok.

Last try will be to go to the trailler. Plug the trailler to the SUV then test the connection of the battery directly, on the battery's cable but without having the battery there. Like that I'll be able to figure it out if there is energy going to the battery.

Sometimes things are so complicated.
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My little family! My wife Isabel, my kids: Christopher 15, Ariane 13, Anthony 12, Kevin 11, my dog Mushka 6years a great pyrenees and far away at the end me Stephane

2006 Ford Expedition Limited 4X4
2005 Surveyor SC-255RS
I had Tent trailer 1999 Viking, and before that it was tent for 7 years.

Supports our troops
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