2018 SS210FK Power Problem

[Gene32223]

I am a newbie. Went to get trailer from storage and all power was dead. Replaced both batteries the week before and ran entire trailer on batteries for three hours with no issues. Went inside trailer and tested the batteries and all indicators are flickering. Lights do not work no power whatsoever. Connected camper to truck power and still no power at power leveler or in camper. Dealer I bought camper from states there is a circuit breaker in the front of the camper (outside) under a black scoop (all wires from batteries connect to it) that needs to be checked and possibly replaced. He stated these break all the time. Can anyone share any insight they have about this? Also what is the safest way to change them without blowing anything else out? Thanks for the advice. Excited to get out there and enjoy this thing

[Lloyd]

Do you have a battery disconnect? If you do, did you switch it so the batteries were disconnected before leaving the trailer at the storage?

If you didn't disconnect the batteries, I lay my money on the fact your batteries are discharged.

[Gene32223]

The dealer didn’t show me that. Where should I look to see if I have one? I didn’t see any switch outside by the batteries. So my new batteries are now dead?

[Lloyd]

I don't think new trailers come from the factory with a battery disconnect. I would guess that if you have one on the trailer, it would have been installed by the previous owner.
Normally they're installed close to the battery/battery box.
If you have a volt meter you could check to see what charge is in the batteries.

Do you have a battery charger? Is there electricity at the storage place where you could plug a battery charger in. If not, and you are able to determine the batteries are low on charge, can you bring the rig home and plug it in?
I guess you are going to have to verify that the batteries are indeed low on charge before doing anything.

[travelin texans]

Whether you have the disconnect or not doesn't really matter! Even if it's disconnected there's enough parasitic drains from radio memories, CO/LP detector & other items connected directly to the batteries that will drain them in as little as a couple days while in storage.
The best option & only 100% sure way is to disconnect the negative cable from the battery that goes directly to ground or remove the batteries, be sure to mark cables or take pictures so as to be able to correctly reconnect, to your garage & connect a battery maintainer, checking the water levels periodically & topping off with distilled water.

[Gene32223]

Thank you. I got her home and connected to my 30amp and all is well. Batteries are dead. Will install a battery disco this weekend. Cheers!!

[Gene32223]

That is a great point. I have 2 batteries with a security cage around them. Will be hard to disco each time I come back. Any thoughts?

[Papa-T]

Yes diffidently get a battery disconnect and install it. I’d say batteries are completely drained. If you have a battery charger. I would remove them and completely charge them. Here is a picture of the disconnect switch I installed on mine. Good luck and let us know.

[Gene32223]

Thank you

[travelin texans]

Whatever type disconnect you install & wherever you install it just be sure it completely disconnects all 12 power. Add it to the negative cable that goes directly to ground from the batteries would be the safest/surest way of doing it.

[Lloyd]

I was always under the assumption a battery disconnect did just that.

When you turn the switch, or lift the blade, you have cut the power coming from the batteries.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by Lloyd

I was always under the assumption a battery disconnect did just that.

When you turn the switch, or lift the blade, you have cut the power coming from the batteries.

If equipped with the disconnect from the factory it WILL NOT completely disconnect all parasitic drains on the battery resulting in dead batteries in as little as a couple days to a couple weeks depending on the battery conditions. Which may be the reason some manufacturers have discontinued adding them to their RVs, that & it probably saves them a couple $ on each rv.
The CO/LP detector, electric slide motors, hydraulic slide pumps, digital radio clock memories & some led illuminated switches all are connected directly to the battery bypassing the disconnect.
If you or a previous owner added a disconnect some investigating would be necessary to confirm it does in fact totally disconnect the batteries.
If there's any questions, disconnecting the negative cable going to ground WILL totally disconnect all 12 volt battery drains.

[dagst1]

On my uncles 2020 gray wolf - i know its SOB - the battery has 2 sets of wires. The main + and - and a set of smaller wires that go to the breakaway switch. The main - line goes to the shut off and the + goes to a junction block where everything else is connected. So with the shutoff turned off the trailer is totally disconnected but in case you for get to turn on the shutoff the breakaway switch still works when towing.

Everything Texan noted with the exception of the hydraulic slide pumps - mine are electric - on my camper are connected in the power center/converter. The battery + goes to the in side of 2 circuit breakers then to the converter/power center. The out side of one circuit breaker runs the landing gear and the other one runs the breakaway switch. That's is just how mine is wired I am sure others are different

PS SOB= Some Other Brand.

[Lloyd]

Originally Posted by travelin texans

If equipped with the disconnect from the factory it WILL NOT completely disconnect all parasitic drains on the battery resulting in dead batteries in as little as a couple days to a couple weeks depending on the battery conditions. Which may be the reason some manufacturers have discontinued adding them to their RVs, that & it probably saves them a couple $ on each rv.
The CO/LP detector, electric slide motors, hydraulic slide pumps, digital radio clock memories & some led illuminated switches all are connected directly to the battery bypassing the disconnect.
If you or a previous owner added a disconnect some investigating would be necessary to confirm it does in fact totally disconnect the batteries.
If there's any questions, disconnecting the negative cable going to ground WILL totally disconnect all 12 volt battery drains.

I don't know of any Cross Road unit that comes with a factory installed disconnect.
I have heard that the Redwoods do/did.


Should a switch be on the positive or negative side?

In dc, conventional current flows from positive to negative but in reality protons don't move ,electron does. But conventionally negative terminal consider as a ground/negative. So conventionally we are putting switch and fuse to positive terminal of battery.



Can I plug in my camper without a battery?

Most things inside your RV will not work without a properly functioning 12-volt DC house battery system. That is where your RV's power converter is used. When plugged into shore power, this device is converting 120-volt AC power into 12-volt DC power.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by Lloyd

Can I plug in my camper without a battery?

Most things inside your RV will not work without a properly functioning 12-volt DC house battery system. That is where your RV's power converter is used. When plugged into shore power, this device is converting 120-volt AC power into 12-volt DC power.

It's not recommended to deploy the slides, landing gear, level up system or any other heavy 12 volt drain without fully charged batteries installed & preferably plugged into shore power or plugged into a running vehicle or risk eventual premature damage to the converter.
If boondocking a fully charged battery is required for lights & the control boards for the fridge, water heater & furnace blower motor.
Yes my RW had the factory disconnect, but DID NOT totally disconnect the batteries. In about 2 weeks of storage the batteries would be dead or too low to operate anything. While in storage I added a 3 amp solar charger, stored in Arizona so plenty of sunshine, that kept the batteries at a constant 12.3 volts which technically is low.
Personally I added another disconnect to the negative cable so as there was no risk of sparks when using it.

[Lloyd]

I believe that's what I said.

[Gene32223]

Update - I spoke with with the place that sold me the RV. I have a power invertor and he said that a disconnect needs to be installed which will cut-off the invertor which will stop any pull from the batteries. He said a bunch of things i didn't understand but in the end, he said that what they install will completely disconnect everything for the battery. I will follow-up after the install and share what I learned and a few picks.

A big thank you for everyone willing to share as I learn what the heck I am doing. This is a great forum. Knowledge is power. Thank you so much! Gene

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by Gene32223

Update - I spoke with with the place that sold me the RV. I have a power invertor and he said that a disconnect needs to be installed which will cut-off the invertor which will stop any pull from the batteries. He said a bunch of things i didn't understand but in the end, he said that what they install will completely disconnect everything for the battery. I will follow-up after the install and share what I learned and a few picks.

A big thank you for everyone willing to share as I learn what the heck I am doing. This is a great forum. Knowledge is power. Thank you so much! Gene

If you have a residential fridge you will have/need an inverter, if not most likely you'll only have a converter.
If you were talking to the service manager he may know what/where/how to add a disconnect, but if talking to the salesman it's doubtful that if you gave him/her all the parts they'd know where to start or possibly where to find the batteries.

[jmnsn57]

Factory specs on this trailer shows an elec/propane fridge. I would respectfully submit it is not a 110VAC Residential, but instead the beloved 110VAC when on shore power and 12VDC/Propane we all have come to love and cherish. Therefore there would be no inverter, unless modified by a previous owner. If original fridge, it likely has the original Converter. All that said, if you have sufficient propane, a well charged battery or live 110 supplied to TT, then fridge will operate. Check the setting for the operation switch on fridge - from the off setting choose either elec or propane depending on what the current supply situation is. After plugged into 110 with trailer power cord select Auto. If propane is desired operation, select gas. See attached Utube video link.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm2_Molr35c

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by jmnsn57

Factory specs on this trailer shows an elec/propane fridge. I would respectfully submit it is not a 110VAC Residential, but instead the beloved 110VAC when on shore power and 12VDC/Propane we all have come to love and cherish. Therefore there would be no inverter, unless modified by a previous owner. If original fridge, it likely has the original Converter. All that said, if you have sufficient propane, a well charged battery or live 110 supplied to TT, then fridge will operate. Check the setting for the operation switch on fridge - from the off setting choose either elec or propane depending on what the current supply situation is. After plugged into 110 with trailer power cord select Auto. If propane is desired operation, select gas. See attached Utube video link.

Set it to "auto" & forget it, it'll brake care of itself.