Hello WW.
Thanks for responding. When I'm plugged into shore power everything inside the rv works great. The exception is if my batteries are not charged then the slide out doesn't work, even when plugged into shore power. I'm going to check my fuses and reset the circuit breakers and see if that does anything.
I'm not sure how to respond to each posted response to my question. so let me say thank you everyone for responding. I read every response and really appreciate all the suggestions and advice.
I am going to check My fuses and circuit breakers. If I find the problem then I will let you all know. Happy camping.
I left my batteries connected while it was in storage for a couple of months. When I brought it home(10 miles) they would not pull the slide out all the way out before dying. I removd them and charged them up with a battery charger. After charging, I tested them with a friend's handheld heavy duty 12volt battery tester and they tested fully charged12 volts.
You need to install a battery disconnect switch if you're going to leave the trailer without shore power.
Anything longer than a week will kill the batteries.
__________________
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
So here are the procedures I completed and the results.
The slide out is connected directly to the batteries.
With no shore power and the batteries connected, I tested the wires from the batteries ( in the battery compartment) leading into the trailer with my multi meter, they are live. I tested the hot and ground connected at the distribution panel (coming in from the batteries) they are not live, not reading anything and nothing has power.
I then plugged into shore power with batteries connected, everything worked, I tested the ground and hot wires at the distribution panel and they were live reading 13.7 volts.
I then disconnected the batteries and plugged into shore power, everything worked except the slidout. The hot and ground wires at the distribution panel were live reading 13.7 volts .
I looked EVERYWHERE for a shut off switch and a reset button and did not find anything.
I'm thinking the original owner may have done something to permanently disable battery power into the trailer but that would be very odd because that would mean the only thing being powered by the two batteries would be the slideout, right?
So here are the procedures I completed and the results.
The slide out is connected directly to the batteries.
With no shore power and the batteries connected, I tested the wires from the batteries ( in the battery compartment) leading into the trailer with my multi meter, they are live. I tested the hot and ground connected at the distribution panel (coming in from the batteries) they are not live, not reading anything and nothing has power.
I then plugged into shore power with batteries connected, everything worked, I tested the ground and hot wires at the distribution panel and they were live reading 13.7 volts.
I then disconnected the batteries and plugged into shore power, everything worked except the slidout. The hot and ground wires at the distribution panel were live reading 13.7 volts .
I looked EVERYWHERE for a shut off switch and a reset button and did not find anything.
I'm thinking the original owner may have done something to permanently disable battery power into the trailer but that would be very odd because that would mean the only thing being powered by the two batteries would be the slideout, right?
I must be missing something😯
Looking back through the three pages of posts, I see that you've seen pictures of the battery disconnect, and the circuit breaker. I don't know if you realized that the breaker is small, maybe 2" by 1". It should be recognizable by the heavy battery cables entering and exiting it. It has to be somewhere between the batteries and the converter and "a straight line is the shortest distance between two points. Have another look. Attempt to follow cables from the battery and from the converter and visualize how they could possibly be run.
Another possibility is a bad ground. I don't think that's been mentioned. The way this works is that the trailer may be wired such that the positive cable runs from the battery to the circuit breaker and on to the converter and trailer. Instead of running the negative cable all the way between them, they often connect the cable from the battery to a nearby point on the trailer frame and connect the converter to a point near it on the trailer frame, letting the current flow through the frame. (This is not unusual; all cars and trucks are built the same way.)
These "ground" connections can get dirty and become non-conductive. The easy part is taking them apart, cleaning them (usually the frame is rusty), and putting them back together. The hard part is finding them. I'm attaching some sample pictures. Don't forget: the star washer goes between the cable lug and trailer frame, not under the bolt head. It cuts into the lug and frame to make what's supposed to be a gas-tight connection.
OK. You have isolated the problem. All you should have to do is follow the Positive battery cable from the batteries to the power distribution panel. Somewhere between those two points you should find your malfunction. Along that route you may find a popped 12v breaker OR a disconnect switch OR a burned fusable link.
OK. You have isolated the problem. All you should have to do is follow the Positive battery cable from the batteries to the power distribution panel. Somewhere between those two points you should find your malfunction. Along that route you may find a popped 12v breaker OR a disconnect switch OR a burned fusable link.
Duck, There's definitely a break between the batteries and power distribution panel.
But it could be on the positive path (circuit breaker, disconnect, or cable splice) or on the negative path (bad ground or maybe a disconnect on the negative side).
WhooHoo...After tracing wire after wire, you guys were right!
It was a TINY button on a fusable link near my batteries. RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF ME ALL THE TIME. The lights work inside the trailer with the 12 volts without shore power. I learned a great deal from all of you. Now I need to purchase and install a disconnect. Thank you so much.
Dan
WhooHoo...After tracing wire after wire, you guys were right!
It was a TINY button on a fusable link near my batteries. RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF ME ALL THE TIME. The lights work inside the trailer with the 12 volts without shore power. I learned a great deal from all of you. Now I need to purchase and install a disconnect. Thank you so much.
Dan
I can't tell you how many times members have been told about the resettable circuit breaker with the tiny black button and they swear up and down that it doesn't exist, only later come back to say they found it and now everything works.
So you're not the only one.
__________________
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
Duck, There's definitely a break between the batteries and power distribution panel.
But it could be on the positive path (circuit breaker, disconnect, or cable splice) or on the negative path (bad ground or maybe a disconnect on the negative side).
Larry
Larry,
You are absolutely correct. The reason I focused on only the + is because the slide worked. It would not have if there was no ground. Even a bad ground would have registered on the meter when the OP tested it. Just a best guess scenario.
Quack
I had this same experience happen to me, posted the same question to this forum, and promptly received the same insanity-saving guidance. Kudos to the forum (again) and happy trails to DannyLori. This undoubtedly won't be your last plea for help/insight.
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