Strange battery/power issues

spawnman · 11-01-2018, 04:45 PM

2013 36CKTS. everything has been good for awhile. I recently replaced both battery’s from Costco. We are camping now. What seems to be happening is everything will be fine, until we unhook power to go dump, reconnect power and later find the one of the two 40amp polarity fuses to be blown. I’ve replaced one once and the other twice. All the power seems to be good. We’ve ran the AC and other devices and they all work. I just now keep checking the battery charge status at the control panel, and I will see the batteries not reading full and that tells me one of the fuses is blown. So the question is, what is blowing the 40amp fuses? According to the manual it will only blow for reverse polarity. I know the red to going to the positive and the Black is going to the negative, so what else could it be?

Any thought?

Thanks
Greg

Toddupton · 11-01-2018, 05:51 PM

Are the batteries hooked up in parallel or in series?

spawnman · 11-01-2018, 05:54 PM

What ever is standard. Red from the trailer is going the one positive terminal, then that goes to the other battery positive terminal. Same for the nagative

**Flybob** · 11-01-2018, 05:55 PM

Occasionally if you have lots of stuff running on 12V side of RV the battery will deplete and when reconnected to shore power, this inrush of current into the battery will blow the fuse. Also just for kicks, check the break-away switch to insure the pin is not pulled.

**Bama Rambler** · 11-01-2018, 05:58 PM

Are they 12 volt or 6 volt batteries?
When you unplug from shore power do the batteries stay charged?

Have you tested the battery voltage when the batteries been have been disconnected for a few hours?

It sounds like you may have gotten a bad battery.

spawnman · 11-01-2018, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flybob

Occasionally if you have lots of stuff running on 12V side of RV the battery will deplete and when reconnected to shore power, this inrush of current into the battery will blow the fuse. Also just for kicks, check the break-away switch to insure the pin is not pulled.

What is the breakaway switch? Where is that located?

spawnman · 11-01-2018, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bama Rambler

Are they 12 volt or 6 volt batteries?
When you unplug from shore power do the batteries stay charged?

Have you tested the battery voltage when the batteries been have been disconnected for a few hours?

It sounds like you may have gotten a bad battery.

12volt batteries. I have not checked them after awhile. Will do that

Thanks
Greg

**Flybob** · 11-01-2018, 06:15 PM

Break-away switch is the pin that is inserted into the switch that has the small wire cable that is connected to the TV in case the trailer is separated from the TV it will apply the brakes, Usually mounted on the frame near the hitch.

**Bama Rambler** · 11-01-2018, 06:24 PM

After you check the Break-Away switch like Flybob suggested, you should have the batteries load tested to make sure they're good.

TitanMike · 11-01-2018, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bama Rambler

After you check the Break-Away switch like Flybob suggested, you should have the batteries load tested to make sure they're good.

A note on "Load testing" deep cycle batteries. It's a good idea to go to an actual battery store to have this done rather than an Auto Parts chain store.

The "testers" used at many A/P stores are not able to give a true test of a deep cycle battery. They're pretty much designed to be a "no brainer" for testing automotive starting batteries. The large battery only stores will have more knowledgeable people and better equipment to do the job.

Most areas have at least an Interstate Battery Center and they are pretty reliable for testing.

cavie · 11-01-2018, 06:37 PM

Just for future ref. AC and other devices are 120 volts and not related to your battery.

**Mr. Dan** · 11-01-2018, 07:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spawnman

What ever is standard. Red from the trailer is going the one positive terminal, then that goes to the other battery positive terminal. Same for the nagative

Be careful with "What ever is standard..." since not all units are "standard". I had one unit with a white ground (negative) cable and a black positive.

Scrapper · 11-01-2018, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr. Dan

Be careful with "What ever is standard..." since not all units are "standard". I had one unit with a white ground (negative) cable and a black positive.

X2, Both of my cables are white with yellow terminals, the positive cable has 2 inches of black electrical tape wrapped around it.

wabakami · 11-01-2018, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TitanMike

A note on "Load testing" deep cycle batteries. It's a good idea to go to an actual battery store to have this done rather than an Auto Parts chain store.

The "testers" used at many A/P stores are not able to give a true test of a deep cycle battery. They're pretty much designed to be a "no brainer" for testing automotive starting batteries. The large battery only stores will have more knowledgeable people and better equipment to do the job.

Most areas have at least an Interstate Battery Center and they are pretty reliable for testing.

Good advice Mike

Geoff
.

florabama · 11-01-2018, 07:38 PM

Need to have someone verify your batteries are wired/installed correctly. Usually there is a drawing stuck to the battery compartment door, but your rig could be different.
Assuming you have two 12v batteries which is what most CC come with?

BandJCarm · 11-01-2018, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by florabama

Need to have someone verify your batteries are wired/installed correctly. Usually there is a drawing stuck to the battery compartment door, but your rig could be different.
Assuming you have two 12v batteries which is what most CC come with?

CC (or most any other) doesn't come with batteries. Dealer installs. If you order it, you get what you ordered. If you buy off the lot, you get what's in there unless you negotiate otherwise. There is no standard, other than it has one 12v battery at a minimum.

florabama · 11-01-2018, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BandJCarm

CC (or most any other) doesn't come with batteries. Dealer installs. If you order it, you get what you ordered. If you buy off the lot, you get what's in there unless you negotiate otherwise. There is no standard, other than it has one 12v battery at a minimum.

You are correct in that it may very but they come from the factory with a recommendation of two 12v batteries, what the dealer or new owner does is totally different.
Just trying to get the OP to provide more specifics.

BandJCarm · 11-01-2018, 07:53 PM

Yes. Good point. Need to know his layout. The diagram is on inside of my battery compartment door, and it shows 2 batteries, even though I have four 6v's.

My bad, you are more correct

spawnman · 11-01-2018, 09:07 PM

The batteries are connected the same now as they were we picked up the trailer 5 years ago. Never had a problem before, Just new batteries now

Will check it all tomorrow and report back

Thanks
Greg

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