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10-04-2024, 07:59 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2024
Posts: 26
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Tow vehicle battery dead
We just made a 3 day trip, towing our 25KS.
After we arrived at our destination & disconnected from the pickup, we went into town for a few items. When we got in the truck to come back to the camper, the battery in the truck was low enough not to start (no clicks). I hooked up my portable jumper battery & it started right up, but now has the check engine light on.
After getting back to the camper, I shut it off & tried to start it, and it fired right up. Maybe the alternator bit the dust.
So I say all that to ask:
Since the camper is connected to 110v, will it "back-charge" the battery in the truck if I connect the 7-pin?
I will see what happens in the morning, but thought I'd ask.
TIA.
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10-04-2024, 08:23 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Dayton Ohio
Posts: 3,979
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Auto zone will check your battery for free.
Then help you change it in the lot.
Most tow vehicles disconnect the. 7 pin from the trailer when the engine is off.
So no, not going to help likely.
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10-04-2024, 08:30 PM
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#3
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2024
Posts: 26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tomkatb
Auto zone will check your battery for free.
Then help you change it in the lot.
Most tow vehicles disconnect the. 7 pin from the trailer when the engine is off.
So no, not going to help likely.
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Ok, thank you.
I think my multimeter was the only tool I DIDN'T bring!
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10-04-2024, 08:50 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: TEXAS
Posts: 9,973
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DynaflowDave
So I say all that to ask:
Since the camper is connected to 110v, will it "back-charge" the battery in the truck if I connect the 7-pin?
I will see what happens in the morning, but thought I'd ask.
TIA.
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Trailers do not normally 'back-charge the truck battery.
Batteries do have a 'life' and even if the alternator is working correctly, it won't charge a dead battery or make a battery hold a charge overnight.
You do need the trailer battery to be charged to operate the trailer brakes and you've got to be hooked up to the trailer for the brakes to work.
__________________
2015 Dynamax REV 24TB class C
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10-04-2024, 09:00 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Dayton Ohio
Posts: 3,979
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Is
Had that issue attending a wedding in Wisconsin.
On a diesel pickup, the battery change is hard. Two of those BIG batteries.
I am a little old for this.
I let the dumb sales person tell me which battery to change. One was not original. 50/50. She was wrong. I then changed the second one.
About $400 as I remember.
Got to the wedding on time. A Ukrainian wedding. Lord the food. A four hour meal. They like their wodka as well.
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10-04-2024, 10:27 PM
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#6
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Site Team
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Goodyear, Arizona
Posts: 35,337
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Dynaflow, it might help if you posted what year, make and model of truck you're asking about.
__________________
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
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10-05-2024, 06:07 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2023
Posts: 238
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How old is the battery?
__________________
2018 Tracer 255RB
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10-05-2024, 06:41 AM
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#8
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Retired Georgia Rally
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: GA
Posts: 25,631
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With our knowing the year of truck its hard to tell if battery is shot. According to my Dodge dealer you are now lucky to get 4 years on a new battery. I had one go bad in my 2018 Ram after almost 4 years. Later RJD
__________________
2020 Shasta Phoenix SPF 27RKSS (sold)
2018 Dodge Ram 2500 6.4 3:73 gearing.(sold) (sold) 2015 Chevy 2500 6.0, 4:10
Traded 2015 30WRLIKS V-Lite
Days camped 2019 62
Days camped 2020 49 days camped 2021-74 2022-40 days 2023 5 days
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10-05-2024, 06:57 AM
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#9
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Site Team
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 15,513
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The answer to your original question is no. Even if the truck battery is not disconnected when it is off, the trailer will not provide sufficient current to charge a discharged truck battery.
__________________
2015 Freedom Express 248RBS
TV 2015 Silverado HD2500 Duramax
TST Tire Monitors
Honda 2000I + Companion
2 100W solar panels
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10-05-2024, 07:01 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Virginia
Posts: 11,045
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Without more information my guess that it is time for a new truck battery....... Any if it is a diesel you need to replace both of them at the same time not just one..........
As mentioned the trailer will not likely charge the truck battery.
__________________
2005 Dodge 3500 Cummins
2017 Wildwood Lodge 4092 BFL
1966 Mustang GT
1986 Mustang SVO
Lillie Boxer Mix (RIP)
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10-05-2024, 08:00 AM
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#11
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2024
Posts: 26
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Tow vehicle battery dead
Sorry guys, it's a 2010 Ram 1500 Laramie 5.7 gas, 4x4, 3.92 gears. I replaced the original battery about 3 years ago with a decent NAPA battery.
The thing is, we're about 10 miles from an Autozone in west Tennessee. I should have brought my code reader.......
Anyway, the alternator is the original unit, and the truck has 153k on it! So I wouldn't be surprised if the alternator is toast.
The trailer weighs around 4400 dry, and even though the truck pulled it ok, most of the trip was in 4th gear, 3000-3200 RPM. So maybe it's a combination of engine speed + age that made it give up the ghost.
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10-05-2024, 08:01 AM
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#12
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2024
Posts: 26
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Thank you.
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10-05-2024, 08:02 AM
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#13
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2024
Posts: 26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tomkatb
Auto zone will check your battery for free.
Then help you change it in the lot.
Most tow vehicles disconnect the. 7 pin from the trailer when the engine is off.
So no, not going to help likely.
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Thank you.
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10-05-2024, 08:04 AM
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#14
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2024
Posts: 26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Reverse_snowbird
Trailers do not normally 'back-charge the truck battery.
Batteries do have a 'life' and even if the alternator is working correctly, it won't charge a dead battery or make a battery hold a charge overnight.
You do need the trailer battery to be charged to operate the trailer brakes and you've got to be hooked up to the trailer for the brakes to work.
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Yes sir. Thank you!
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10-05-2024, 08:05 AM
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#15
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2024
Posts: 26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tomkatb
Had that issue attending a wedding in Wisconsin.
On a diesel pickup, the battery change is hard. Two of those BIG batteries.
I am a little old for this.
I let the dumb sales person tell me which battery to change. One was not original. 50/50. She was wrong. I then changed the second one.
About $400 as I remember.
Got to the wedding on time. A Ukrainian wedding. Lord the food. A four hour meal. They like their wodka as well.
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Oy! I'm sorry you had all that expense!
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10-05-2024, 08:29 AM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2022
Location: Tarpon Springs FL
Posts: 5,030
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is there a volt gauge in the truck's dash most cars/trucks have them?
watch the volt gauge while motor not running it should read just over 12v
when you start the truck if it goes up to close to 14v ... the alternator is good and producing voltage
plus the battery idiot light on the dash if it is ON while engine running that will signal a bad alternator
If alternator is dead and battery has some good charge the truck will start... BUT you only have the battery power for running the truck's electrics
takes about 30 minutes for battery to drain and motor to die .
__________________
Tarpon Springs FL
2022 Salem 24RLXL
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10-05-2024, 08:07 PM
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#17
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2024
Posts: 26
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Dead battery
Well, the check engine light turned out to be
"U0141 lost communication with body module". My pickup has been in New Mexico its entire life, so I'm thinking it just doesn't like the humidity in Tennessee!
It's been working fine for now.
A sincere thank you to everyone for your input. 🙂
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10-05-2024, 08:11 PM
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#18
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2024
Posts: 26
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Aussieguy
is there a volt gauge in the truck's dash most cars/trucks have them?
watch the volt gauge while motor not running it should read just over 12v
when you start the truck if it goes up to close to 14v ... the alternator is good and producing voltage
plus the battery idiot light on the dash if it is ON while engine running that will signal a bad alternator
If alternator is dead and battery has some good charge the truck will start... BUT you only have the battery power for running the truck's electrics
takes about 30 minutes for battery to drain and motor to die .
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Yes sir, the voltage gauge does go to the positive side as normal, so it's charging.
I found out that there was a communication problem in the body module. I hope it's a temporary issue and we can make it 1300 miles back home! 😉
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10-05-2024, 08:23 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Dayton Ohio
Posts: 3,979
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The body module is an important device connecting a bunch of smaller computers to the system. About $1000 or more to,replace.
In my car a poor battery will make them act goofy.
Get a known voltmeter and check voltage. Must wait on a recently driven truck half an hour. Voltage should be about ,12.5 or higher. 12.2 is what pissed mine off. Charging should be. 13-14.
A new agm battery will be over 12.7. Most folks use agm. Will last 5-6 years if not mistreated. Mine was $200 something. Series 48. 850 cca.
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10-06-2024, 11:01 AM
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#20
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Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2024
Posts: 26
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Dead battery
Quote:
Originally Posted by tomkatb
The body module is an important device connecting a bunch of smaller computers to the system. About $1000 or more to,replace.
In my car a poor battery will make them act goofy.
Get a known voltmeter and check voltage. Must wait on a recently driven truck half an hour. Voltage should be about ,12.5 or higher. 12.2 is what pissed mine off. Charging should be. 13-14.
A new agm battery will be over 12.7. Most folks use agm. Will last 5-6 years if not mistreated. Mine was $200 something. Series 48. 850 cca.
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Thanks for that info, Tom. Good to know.
The NAPA battery isn't very old, but that doesn't necessarily mean it isn't on the way out. I'll have to check the voltage after it's been sitting. It's been starting fine ever since......🙏🙏
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