New camper and no power!

[The Peddler]

Hi everyone! Been on here for awhile reading and looking around, but this is my first post. I am needing some help!!

I have done the tent camping for years, but it is really starting to hurt sleeping on the ground. So I decided it was time for a camper for the family. We got a 2015 Gray Wolf 26BH.

Here is my problem! Picked up the camper today, and got it home. Everything worked great during our walkthrough, and after we got home, but a few hours after getting home I go back out to play with my new toy, and I have no power to nothing. It is dead! Do you know what could be causing this?

All this stuff is new to me so I am thankful for any help you may have!

[WFD]

Check your breaker marked "Main" in the breaker panel. Dealer may have switched it off before disconnecting power to the trailer. My dealer recommended we do this everytime before turning the power off to the trailer.
Now when you say no power, your lights aren't even working?? Those should be feeding off your battery.

[The Peddler]

I check the breakers and they are good. Yeah I have no power to anything, lights, jack, awning, nothing.

[Kaadk]

Originally Posted by The Peddler

I check the breakers and they are good. Yeah I have no power to anything, lights, jack, awning, nothing.

All those run off the battery. Do you know if you have a battery disconnect? In my trailer it's a plunger like knob near the breakers. When it's pushed in it shuts off the battery. You need to pull it out for everything to work.

Barring that, it might be an issue right off the main line. From the battery, trace the line from the positive back under the trailer. It should go to either a fuse or a small block with two posts on it. If it's a fuse, check to make sure it's ok. If it's a block, look for a small button sticking out the side. That's the reset. Push it back in.

Let us know if none of that works and we'll look at whatever else we can.




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[asquared]

First check to make sure the battery connections are tight. Look for a battery disconnect switch. On my fiver it is located in the basement right above the battery and is a red and white round knob that turns side to side from off to on. As suggested next would be to look for a fuse in the wires coming off the battery. Do you have the ability to plug into shore power where you are? If so do you have power when plugged into shore power?

[raspivey]

I had that problem on my first trailer..worked fine at the dealer, then nothing at the house. Come to find out, there was an inline fuse on the battery that wasn't installed. During the walkthrough, it was plugged in to 110 and the converter was supplying the 12V power, so I didn't notice. A battery disconnect will act the same way. I'm also assuming you didn't have it plugged in to shore power.

[The Peddler]

Thanks for all the help guys!!

I got out this morning and plugged it up to the house and had full power. I left it plugged up about an hour, and then unplugged it, and still had full power. Could it have been something as simple as the battery was dead? If so is that normal for a new camper?

[SuicideSaints]

It seems the battery was just dead. When you plugged it in that charged the battery some to give you power when you unplugged. I would put the battery on a charger/tester to make sure then charge it up. The battery may have been charged from the dealer but something left on after the walk through and drained the battery overnight.

[KyDan]

Plug it back in for 24 hours to fully charge your battery.
If this happens again you will need to figure out what is draining your
battery so fast!

It's also possible the battery was mostly dead at the dealer.
He plugged you in to do the walk thru and it gave your battery a little
charge. Now it's dead again.... This is VERY hard on your battery.
First you need to plug in and let it fully charge.

Any trailer will drain the battery in week or two if the battery is left
on. Many do not have a battery shut off
Most of us here recommend adding a battery shut off switch if you
don't already have one.
I've had to add them to every one of my 4 trailers over the years.
They guy on ebay where I buy the switches knows my ebay id by heart!

[Tiggerdad]

Some trucks come from the factory without a 50 amp fuse. With out this fuse you trailer will not charge from the tow vehicle. Not a good thing as you need battery power for your safety disconnect should your trailer become disconnected from your vehicle. Without that battery being charged your trailer breaks would not engage

[Flybob]

You said that trailer worked for a while when you got home, but then stopped after a few hours, Sounds like you killed the battery. Check that you did not accidentally pull the breakaway plunger ( the wire cable from switch to the TV) That will apply brakes and could kill battery rapidly.

[Nastyfoot]

Guessing you hooked it up to shore power ( 30 amp to an adapter to your house outdoor receptacle ) you should check the extension cord and then the breaker for the outlet. Outdoor outlets are G.F.I. ( Again, assuming you have a house within code). Could be as simple as that. If not, do you have 12v power coming from your battery. Need more details. But I bet it's asimple oversight going on.

[TexasBob]

Originally Posted by Tiggerdad

Some trucks come from the factory without a 50 amp fuse. With out this fuse you trailer will not charge from the tow vehicle. Not a good thing as you need battery power for your safety disconnect should your trailer become disconnected from your vehicle. Without that battery being charged your trailer breaks would not engage

This is true on new Chevrolets. It has a fuse but the 12v wire that goes to the trailer plug is not hooked up. The wire is taped up and tucked beside the block of fuses under the hood.

[The Peddler]

Thanks for all the info and help guys!

This fuse y'all are talking about, where would I find this? I have a 2014 F150. Do you know if thay have the fuse or not?

The battery cut off switch, where would I look to see if I have one? If I don't have one, then where would I install one?

[asquared]

We never did install one on our old tt, we just disconnected one side of the battery. Be aware, if you ever disconnect both sides of your battery, the cable colors are not always the same as a car. Double check which is truly neg and pos wires.

[mrmichael]

Your F150 came with a 30A fuse and a relay that both need to be plugged in to enable the battery charging lead at your 7 pin plug. They are usually in a plastic bag in the glove box or one of the door pockets. The relay turns off 12v to that pin when the truck is turned off. I believe the package will show you how and where to install them in the front of the engine compartment. Easy to do. If you need it I can go out and look under the hood of my 2013 to give you more info or a picture

[The Peddler]

Originally Posted by mrmichael

Your F150 came with a 30A fuse and a relay that both need to be plugged in to enable the battery charging lead at your 7 pin plug. They are usually in a plastic bag in the glove box or one of the door pockets. The relay turns off 12v to that pin when the truck is turned off. I believe the package will show you how and where to install them in the front of the engine compartment. Easy to do. If you need it I can go out and look under the hood of my 2013 to give you more info or a picture

I didn't see the relay anywhere. I got my truck used. Could it have been already hooked up? Where would I look for it under the hood?

[KyDan]

Get a meter and start your truck and measure between 1 oclock and 7 oclock on your 7 pin RV socket on your back bumper.
1 oclock is the 12+ and 7 oclock is ground.
IF you have 12-13 volts there you already have the relay and fuse installed.
I say to start the truck because some trucks don't supply power to the
socket unless the engine is running.
My Chevy has power at the socket 24/7.
Here's a graphic to show pin outs on the socket.

Good Luck!

[mrmichael]

Ok. I went out in the bone chilling 40 degree temps and took a few pictures. My 2013 has a fuse/relay box just under the hood in front and just about on top of radiator. The fuse gets plugged into slot 21 and the relay into slot #9
The photos of the diagram look a little lite on my phone but the diagram is upside down compared to how the box is mounted in the truck. The slot numbers are clearly marked on the inside of the lid


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2014 Rockwood 2109S
2013 F-150

[mrmichael]

And to repeat what Ky Dan recommended if you check that pin on the connector (right next to alignment slot) you should see 12v on and off with key operation (Ford)