Electrical issue

[KrisG]

My the TT bathroom,my ceiling puck light, vent fan and wall toggle switch are not working. I reset the GFI outlet and checked the fuse but neither helped. Any ideas?

Also I purchased this multimeter to check my deep cycle battery charge level. I can’t tell if it is the proper one. Thanks.

[kenandterry]

Originally Posted by KrisG

My the TT bathroom,my ceiling puck light, vent fan and wall toggle switch are not working. I reset the GFI outlet and checked the fuse but neither helped. Any ideas?

Also I purchased this multimeter to check my deep cycle battery charge level. I can’t tell if it is the proper one. Thanks.
Attachment 275328

Your ceiling light, vent fan and toggle switch (for lights?) are 12 volt DC items.
They are governed by fuses. Your GFI outlet is for 120 volt AC circuits (outdoor outlet?) and are governed by a breaker.

I can’t see all the details of your meter but it should do the job.
Monitoring the battery while hooked up to shore power will show you high voltages 13+ volts DC……which means your converter is doing it’s job.
Monitoring the battery first thing in the morning (after NOT being on shore power) should show nicely over 12.5 volts DC….indicating it’s a healthy battery.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by KrisG

My the TT bathroom,my ceiling puck light, vent fan and wall toggle switch are not working.
Attachment 275328

Don't know what model TT you have but when I brought my Microlite 25 BDS home the bathroom ceiling light, vent fan, and wall toggle switch didn't work.

Found that one toggle switch next to the toilet was for the light in the storage compartment and I never noticed it with the doors closed.

The ceiling fan received power from the light switch on other side of door from toilet and the ceiling light only worked when switch was on and the center switch in the light was pressed.

[llr]

I can't see the details on the meter but the 2 V settings are for voltage. The one with the flat line above is for DC / battery voltage. The one with the wavy line is for AC/120v.

The setting with the omega symbol is for checking resistance / if a fuse is good and not for wires with power on.

Be carful when working with the 120V AC as it can be deadly. The 12V DC side is pretty safe and most people can't even feel it and even then it is not hazardous

[KrisG]

Thanks titanmike I will check that out.

[KrisG]

Originally Posted by llr

I can't see the details on the meter but the 2 V settings are for voltage. The one with the flat line above is for DC / battery voltage. The one with the wavy line is for AC/120v.

The setting with the omega symbol is for checking resistance / if a fuse is good and not for wires with power on.

Be carful when working with the 120V AC as it can be deadly. The 12V DC side is pretty safe and most people can't even feel it and even then it is not hazardous

We have a new battery and when I tested it with the multimeter it only registered 11! We plugged it in to shore power and check it again today. I know 11 is not good and the battery has never been used yet.

[rsdata]

We have a new battery and when I tested it with the multimeter it only registered 11! We plugged it in to shore power and check it again today. I know 11 is not good and the battery has never been used yet.

if the battery is installed in the trailer and hooked up it IS BEING USED...

CO/PROPANE detector is always ON along with installed radio which will always draw power 100% of the time

in 3 weeks you will have ZERO battery charge

[KrisG]

Originally Posted by rsdata

if the battery is installed in the trailer and hooked up it IS BEING USED...

CO/PROPANE detector is always ON along with installed radio which will always draw power 100% of the time

in 3 weeks you will have ZERO battery charge

So are we supposed to disconnect it each time we are not using it? I am pretty sure the disconnect switch under the propane tanks is at off. Have we ruined our new battery!!!

[Chuck_S]

Your battery is discharged to the point of damage. A couple more of these discharges will kill the battery permanently. You need a disconnect as mentioned earlier. These campers are rarely equipped with real deep cycle batteries.



-- Chuck

[KrisG]

Originally Posted by Chuck_S

Your battery is discharged to the point of damage. A couple more of these discharges will kill the battery permanently. You need a disconnect as mentioned earlier. These campers are rarely equipped with real deep cycle batteries.



-- Chuck

Yes, I know it’s not supposed to get that low and certainly didn’t want it to. I did not realize that we would be drawing power all the time. So again what is the answer to that? Do I disconnect the battery inside the battery box each time?

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by KrisG

Yes, I know it’s not supposed to get that low and certainly didn’t want it to. I did not realize that we would be drawing power all the time. So again what is the answer to that? Do I disconnect the battery inside the battery box each time?

You could just move all the connections on the "battery side" of the disconnect switch to the "load side". If the ONLY wire connected to the battery side is from the battery, then everything is off when the disconnect switch is OFF.

If you do this it's imperative that you make sure the battery disconnect switch is ON before moving he trailer as the emergency breakaway brake switch has to be connected to the battery. When parked it doesn't.

[Piney]

Originally Posted by KrisG

Yes, I know it’s not supposed to get that low and certainly didn’t want it to. I did not realize that we would be drawing power all the time. So again what is the answer to that? Do I disconnect the battery inside the battery box each time?

Just purchase and install one of these- can get it from Amazon also:
https://www.harborfreight.com/batter...CABEgIE0PD_BwE

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by Piney

Just purchase and install one of these- can get it from Amazon also:
https://www.harborfreight.com/batter...CABEgIE0PD_BwE

Why add another switch when he already has one?

Just needs to make sure it turns off everything.

More switches can often just lead to more problems.

[Chuck_S]

"Properly" wired 12vDC system will have one (1) wire connected to the battery Negative (-) post and a wire to the camper frame. Install a switch there and it will cut all parasitic drains on the battery. Many factory switches don't cut them all and just the radio battery and LP detector will drain a little group 24 dual purpose battery in a couple of weeks.

-- Chuck

[Reverse_snowbird]

The only way you can guarantee that you have no parasitic drain on the battery is to completely disconnect the battery..... either by installing a battery disconnect on the battery itself.... or the no cost solution of removing the negative battery cable.
If you have electricity available and connect a battery charger/maintainer, that works too.

[jeff64]

Originally Posted by Chuck_S

"Properly" wired 12vDC system will have one (1) wire connected to the battery Negative (-) post and a wire to the camper frame. Install a switch there and it will cut all parasitic drains on the battery. Many factory switches don't cut them all and just the radio battery and LP detector will drain a little group 24 dual purpose battery in a couple of weeks.

-- Chuck

Don't put battery disconnect in ground- side, only in positive+ side.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by jeff64

Don't put battery disconnect in ground- side, only in positive+ side.

Why is that? It really doesn't matter which side you put on. Negative is easier as it is usually just one wire. All you have to do is interrupt the circuit.

[KrisG]

Originally Posted by KrisG

My the TT bathroom,my ceiling puck light, vent fan and wall toggle switch are not working. I reset the GFI outlet and checked the fuse but neither helped. Any ideas?

Also I purchased this multimeter to check my deep cycle battery charge level. I can’t tell if it is the proper one. Thanks.
Attachment 275328

Thank you everyone for your suggestions and help. Just to set the record straight I am a she not a he which may explain a little of my lack of knowledge of the situation. Sounds to me like the easiest solution is just to disconnect one of the connections from the battery post while the camper is not being used. Thanks again and I will learn as I go.

[Chuck_S]

If you're working on anything electrical with anything on wheels disconnect the Negative wire as it disconnects everything at the primary source of power. Much Positive wiring goes thru fuses, breakers, and relays but everything is simply grounded to the frame.

Automotive safety practice demands this. No different for a trailer.

As noted one (1) wire is all that should be on the negative pole with everything else needing power connected to the frame.

-- Chuck