Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 08-07-2016, 09:47 PM   #1
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 1
Love our new tent trailer but very frustrated...

We just bought a 2017 2280BH ESP, we love it! The frustration comes from the life of the battery from our first campout. After getting set up we turned on the LED canopy lighting, beautiful and suttle, it lasted for 3 hours and the battery was dead. I have done some research and found battery care tip as well as what draws there are while the battery is connected. I plan to install a battery disconnect switch. However that all said, only three hours? Any advise? Thanks.
ssdavis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-07-2016, 10:01 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Blackrock's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: SE Arizona's Gila Vally
Posts: 1,507
Sounds like your battery wasn't fully charged to start with. I had a 2010 tent trailer and could run everything for two days and nights.
__________________
2016 RAM 1500 - 2016 Keystone Laredo 265SRK
The road goes on forever and the party never ends.
Illegitimum non carborundum
Blackrock is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-07-2016, 10:05 PM   #3
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 64
I agree. sometimes dealers cheap out on batteries. What brand is it? Demand the dealer to replace it. Perhaps months of being on the showroom floor killed it. It should power those LED light strip for weeks.
todd172 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-07-2016, 11:31 PM   #4
Site Team
 
bikendan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Goodyear, Arizona
Posts: 33,607
Yep, you're assuming the battery was fully charged when you picked it up.

Did you plug into shore power when you brought it home from the dealer?

If not, the parasitic power drains can empty a fully charged battery in a few days.
__________________
Dan-Retired California Firefighter/EMT
Shawn-Musician/Entrepreneur/Wine Expert
and Zoe the Wonder Dog(R.I.P.)
2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255, pushing a 2014 Ford F150 SCREW XTR 4x4 3.5 Ecoboost w/Max Tow Package
4pt Equal-i-zer WDH and 1828lbs of payload capacity
bikendan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2016, 05:37 AM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 354
What everyone else said and, it takes more that a couple of hours to fully charge a good battery. (I've heard a few salesman tell people this.)
__________________
2016 Wildwood 32BHDS
2004 F-250 CC 4X4 V10
Mars is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2016, 06:00 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
ilmor's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 904
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mars View Post
What everyone else said and, it takes more that a couple of hours to fully charge a good battery. (I've heard a few salesman tell people this.)
Depending upon the charger / converter it could take 6 hours or more.

This is the best info I've seen on batteries including maintenance and care....

The 12volt Side of Life (Part 1)
__________________
former 2017 Forest River Sunseeker 2250SLE owner - replaced by a Pleasure-Way Tofino and then an Ontour 2.0

ilmor is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2016, 06:40 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 205
What the others said; recharge and test. That said, your unit probably has a "dual purpose" battery from the dealer. I was a battery distributor for a long, long, long long time and such a battery is nothing but a specially labeled starting/cranking battery that can be sold cheaper than a true deep cycle. Even if such a battery is OK, it will typically deliver only 20-25 amp hours. Think, leaving your headlights on in your car, and how long the battery will deliver power.
Look into replacing it with a real deep cycle, which will be rated in amp/hours (Ah), NOT CCA (Cold Cranking Amps), MCA (Marine Cranking Amps). Trojan deep cycles are highly rated, but Sams Club sells decent deep cycles. If you have room, golf cart batteries are a good idea. Our unit was short on space for 2 6 volts so I installed a GC12 (12 volt) cart battery.
pjnlorrie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-08-2016, 07:41 AM   #8
Senior Member
 
SeaDog's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: x
Posts: 12,423
There many opinions about batteries and battery configurations with that said I think most can agree that an actual deep cycle (regardless of brand) is the way to go for occasional dry camping. If you don't have a generator you might look into getting one or two. Lastly charge your battery to full and test it driveway camping and see how long it will last JMHO
__________________
Retired Navy
Jake my sidekick (yellow Lab) 10/04 - 05/20
2017 RAM 2500 CC 4X4 Cummins Diesel
2016 Flagstaff 26 FKWS
AF&AM & El Korah Shrine of Idaho
SeaDog is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2016, 10:13 AM   #9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 191
Did you perhaps have your refrigerator running on 12V? That will kill a battery pretty quick.
__________________
cabranch47
2009 Flagstaff HW27SC (NTU 2014)
1999 Ford F150
cabranch47 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
tent trailer, trailer

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Forest River, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:43 AM.