12v wont power anything!?!

[bigpete48]

Hi, I was hoping for some help. I have a 2015 Flagstaff MAC 228BH that I used a few times last year with no issues. This year, after taking it out of storage, I tried to put the battery back in it (yes it is good and yes, it is fully charged) and I am getting nothing! The electric lift system is not even working. No lights, no nothing. I can't hook up to shore power because the connector is in the camper.
I know that there may be a fuse issue, but my immediate concern is to get the lift working, so I can get in the camper and check everything else out. Any suggestions as to what could be wrong with the winch system. Thanks for anyone's input, I really appreciate it!

Pete

[ilmor]

Originally Posted by bigpete48

Hi, I was hoping for some help. I have a 2015 Flagstaff MAC 228BH that I used a few times last year with no issues. This year, after taking it out of storage, I tried to put the battery back in it (yes it is good and yes, it is fully charged) and I am getting nothing! The electric lift system is not even working. No lights, no nothing. I can't hook up to shore power because the connector is in the camper.
I know that there may be a fuse issue, but my immediate concern is to get the lift working, so I can get in the camper and check everything else out. Any suggestions as to what could be wrong with the winch system. Thanks for anyone's input, I really appreciate it!

Pete

Are you sure that your main battery disconnect switch is turned on (if it has one)?

[Mr. Dan]

I'm not saying this is the problem....... but there are many posts on here about people hooking up their battery backwards. The wire colors are not what some people expect so it's relatively easy to do. If hooked up backwards, two large (30-40amp) fuses in the fuse panel are blown and nothing 12v works. Make sure your negative (-) cable goes to ground/frame... then check these two "reversal" protection fuses.

[wmtire]

#1 thing is to make sure you connected the battery leads correct. Many times an RV is wired color code wise like a house. If you have a white and black cables, the black is to the positive and the white is to the negative.

If you wired it backwards even for a second, you blow the reverse polarity fuses to the converter, but this won't show up until you connect to shore power.

You also have a resettable fuse on your trailer frame, that this thread may help in locating and resetting. I would check it too, as it's an easy problem/fix

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ne-112559.html

[SuicideSaints]

Originally Posted by bigpete48

Hi, I was hoping for some help. I have a 2015 Flagstaff MAC 228BH that I used a few times last year with no issues. This year, after taking it out of storage, I tried to put the battery back in it (yes it is good and yes, it is fully charged) and I am getting nothing! The electric lift system is not even working. No lights, no nothing. I can't hook up to shore power because the connector is in the camper.
I know that there may be a fuse issue, but my immediate concern is to get the lift working, so I can get in the camper and check everything else out. Any suggestions as to what could be wrong with the winch system. Thanks for anyone's input, I really appreciate it!

Pete

Do you have a battery disconnect switch? I mean no offense by this, is the battery hooked up correctly and what have you done to verify the battery is good?

If indeed the bat is good and you have no disconnect switch (or the disconnect switch is in the correct position) then I would start checking fuses breakers.

[Flybob]

Check the two large current fuses in the fuse panel 30-40A then check the resettable breaker on the tongue ( Usually red rubber cover). If you had any issues while putting the battery back in these would trip. Breaker looks like this only cover probably red.

[bigpete48]

I think that I did put the battery in wrong. The white and black wires screwed me up, I guess. I am used to black being negative. I thought that that might be the problem based on other threads. I know the battery is good, I charged it AND had it tested yesterday at Parts America.

Would this still cause the crank not to work, I thought that was wired independently?

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by bigpete48

I think that I did put the battery in wrong. The white and black wires screwed me up, I guess. I am used to black being negative. I thought that that might be the problem based on other threads. I know the battery is good, I charged it AND had it tested yesterday at Parts America.

Would this still cause the crank not to work, I thought that was wired independently?

Check the resettable breaker Bob mentioned in post #6.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by bigpete48

I think that I did put the battery in wrong. The white and black wires screwed me up, I guess. I am used to black being negative. I thought that that might be the problem based on other threads. I know the battery is good, I charged it AND had it tested yesterday at Parts America.

Would this still cause the crank not to work, I thought that was wired independently?

Since you are not connected to shore power, then ALL 12 volt DC items will need power from your battery. If the resettable fuse/CB is tripped on your frame rail, then the lift cannot get power from the battery. I provided a link in post #4 that has pics of this resettable fuse, and the little black button you need to push in to reset it.

Normally, even with your battery wired backwards, your 12 volt stuff would still work, just all the switches would function backwards. What normally is up, would now be down.

Once you do make sure the resettable fuse on the frame rail is not tripped (or you reset it), then once you get inside your popup to connect to shore power, your are going to need to also replace the most likely blown reverse polarity fuses to your converter. (these cannot be reset but have to be replaced).

This link will help you in that endeavor:

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ml#post1238915

[bigpete48]

The circuit breaker is a "short stop 12v w12 40a" in line circuit breaker. If I blew it, is there anything that I need to replace in order to reset it, if not, how do I reset it?

Thanks again for the support, this is proving to be a great resource.

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by bigpete48

The circuit breaker is a "short stop 12v w12 40a" in line circuit breaker. If I blew it, is there anything that I need to replace in order to reset it, if not, how do I reset it?

Thanks again for the support, this is proving to be a great resource.

There should be a little black button on the end/side of it, that you push in to reset. It shows up in the link I provided in post #4.

Edit: See the little black button on the end in the pic below? Push it in on your resettable fuse/cb

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by ilmor

Are you sure that your main battery disconnect switch is turned on (if it has one)?

Popups don't have factory disconnect switches.
A previous owner would have to installed one.

The OP has to find the resettable breaker and press the black reset button.

[MissouriCamper]

If it is none of the above, I would look for corrosion on the battery cables, had something like what you had a couple of years ago on my travel trailer and it was just a matter of a little wire brushing.

[bigpete48]

My circuit breaker doesn't have a button to reset it, it seems to be one of the automatic reset models. Is anyone aware of how long does that takes to reset?

[Bama Rambler]

Some of them don't have the reset button. I've had to replace a few that wouldn't reset on their on. Most auto parts stores have them in stock.

[bigpete48]

OK, so I checked the fuses, they are all good. I plugged into shore power, the lights, fan etc, still don't work! T

his is really starting to make me angry, the thing is less than one year old. Also, when I plugged into shore power, the fuses go hot to the touch, any suggestions. What are the odds that the power inverter is bad?

[wmtire]

Originally Posted by bigpete48

OK, so I checked the fuses, they are all good. I plugged into shore power, the lights, fan etc, still don't work! T

his is really starting to make me angry, the thing is less than one year old. Also, when I plugged into shore power, the fuses go hot to the touch, any suggestions. What are the odds that the power inverter is bad?

I think you mean to say converter, not inverter.

You need to read post #9 again about blowing the converters reverse polarity fuses when/if you connected the battery backwards (which I think you stated you did).

These have to be replaced before the converter (which powers all your 12 volt items when connected to shore power) can function. This fuse(s) may be in electrical distribution panel, or could possible be on the converter itself.

Were you able to specifically locate the reverse polarity fuse(s) in your distribution panel?

[bigpete48]

I found the fuse. I took it out and it appeared to be fine. It looks like it is a fine fuse. I will test it, but I think it is ok.

I just tested all the fuses. They are good.

When I connect to shore power, the AC outlets work, but nothing else seems to work. I am not an electrical expert to begin with and I am really getting frustrated. Any suggestions please?

The only thing that I have not tested is the circuit breaker. I found it, but there is no reset button. There seems to be an inline one right at the batter and then one on the trailer tongue as were posted earlier. Should I take the inline one at the battery out and see what happens.

[Flybob]

If you have a meter, measure the voltage across the fuse and /or breaker . It should be zero ( or very close). If there is a voltage across the fuse / breaker, it is open .

[bigpete48]

...So if the voltage is 0, the breaker is closed? Which means it is good or bad?