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03-18-2014, 10:18 AM
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#1
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Weekend Camper
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Iowa
Posts: 35
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Travel Trailer Power Issues
Okay...dumb question for you experts out there. Getting ready for our first season. Problem is that my battery is not taking a charge. I have had the battery tested and it is bad.
Regardless of a bad battery, shouldn't I be able to draw power off of shore power...at least limited power anyway...say, enough to turn on the lights?
I've checked the inline fuse and it is okay. I have also pulled my fuses and they seem to be okay. Breakers are on and everything looks okay.
In short, will a bad battery muck up the whole works?
__________________
The Edwards Family
Setting out for new family adventures from Des Moines, Iowa
2006 Crossroads Zinger 32 QBS
2004 Dodge Ram 1500
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03-18-2014, 10:20 AM
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#2
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Site Team
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: VA
Posts: 1,729
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If the battery is shorted, it may prohibit anything else from working. Disconnect it and try the lights.
__________________
2013 Silverado 2500HD LTZ CC 6.6L Duramax Diesel
2023 Rockwood 2445WS
Buster, miniature Dachshund
2024: 3 trips, 30 nights in 9 states, 5421 miles
2023: 9 trips, 48 nights in 12 states, 2 provinces, 8120 miles
2019: 7 trips, 43 nights in 6 states, 3904 miles
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03-18-2014, 10:22 AM
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#3
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: WI.
Posts: 9,180
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[QUOTE=JasonE;
In short, will a bad battery muck up the whole works? [/QUOTE]
If I had to guess, I would say , yes.
You have to buy a battery anyway, so why not go get one and put it in and find out?
My experience has been that bad batteries don't take a charge.
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03-18-2014, 10:28 AM
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#4
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Weekend Camper
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Iowa
Posts: 35
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I was headed out to buy one today as I am in town and live out in the middle of nowhere. As long as I was in town, I was trying to think of anything I could be missing.
__________________
The Edwards Family
Setting out for new family adventures from Des Moines, Iowa
2006 Crossroads Zinger 32 QBS
2004 Dodge Ram 1500
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03-18-2014, 04:51 PM
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#5
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Full Time Camper
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Mebane, NC
Posts: 2,394
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You didn't hook it up backwards and fry anything did you?
__________________
2014 Chevy Silverado 3500 SRW Duramax
2011 Zinger ZT26BL-sold
2014 Sabre 34REQS
***Member of the Mason-Dixon Group***
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03-18-2014, 06:12 PM
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#6
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Full Time Camper
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 581
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I had a Blue Ridge fiver that had a battery disconnect switch. Apparently, that disconnect separated the battery from the inverter, but not the loads from the battery like you would think. The first two times I used the furnace, it worked great for a couple of hours, then quit firing. I thought that because I was on shore power, it didn't really matter whether the disconnect was closed or not. I couldn't have been more wrong. What was happening was that the furnace blower was still running off the 12V battery, but the battery was not charging. As the battery ran down, the blower was slowing down and moving less air across the sail switch that is interlocked with the gas valve to the furnace. I took it back to the dealer twice and had a cornbread fit before a guy on the Forest River Forum explained to me what he thought was happening. He was right. I always made sure the battery disconnect was closed from that point forward and never had another minute's trouble with the furnace. I say all that to say that RV wiring isn't always as you would think. I thought the whole purpose of a battery disconnect was to take the load off the battery to keep from draining it in storage, but apparently that isn't how that particular Blue Ridge was wired.
__________________
Mike in Tennessee
2007 Cruiser 30QB
2008 Ford F250 Lariat 4x4 6.4 Powerstroke
Valley 16K slider
Ride-Rite air bags
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03-18-2014, 06:31 PM
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#7
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Family Vacation Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: DeSoto,KS
Posts: 125
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I installed a battery disconnect on our trailer so that when I am hooked up to shore power at home I do not overcharge the battery and all our 12 volt still works when disconnected.
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2009 CT31RL
2016 Chevrolet 2500HD High Country
Hensley Hitch
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03-19-2014, 06:11 AM
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#8
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Family Vacation Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 144
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Disconnect the battery when on shore power and if things work okay, the battery is the cause. I have been full timing on shore power for six months with no battery installed. This all assumes your 12 volt converter is working properly.
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04-29-2014, 11:39 AM
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#9
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Weekend Camper
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Iowa
Posts: 35
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Well folks, at the end of the day it was the converter. I should have known as the fan on the converter wasn't kicking on....and Carl's point above. Duh.
Thanks for all the help guys.
__________________
The Edwards Family
Setting out for new family adventures from Des Moines, Iowa
2006 Crossroads Zinger 32 QBS
2004 Dodge Ram 1500
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04-29-2014, 12:04 PM
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#10
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Full Time Camper
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: United states of america
Posts: 1,570
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Been there done that. Sorry to hear tho, they're not cheap. If you are handy enough, troll the internet for a good price and install it DIY.
Also, since mine died while on a trip, I always carry a portable car battery charger. When my converter went I hooked it up to the battery and it carried me through the week until I could get another converter.
__________________
2017 Ford F350 Super Duty 6.7 King Ranch Crew
Sold the 2016 Crossroads Sunset Trail Grand Reserve 32BH
2020 Grand Design Momentum 320G
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04-29-2014, 12:32 PM
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#11
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Weekend Camper
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Iowa
Posts: 35
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Thanks Mark. Got out of it fairly painlessly. $390 installed in less than 24 hours. I learned the same lesson. Went into the closest town that we were camping near and bought a small trickle charger. Saved the day!
__________________
The Edwards Family
Setting out for new family adventures from Des Moines, Iowa
2006 Crossroads Zinger 32 QBS
2004 Dodge Ram 1500
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04-29-2014, 01:17 PM
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#12
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Family Vacation Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: CT
Posts: 226
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I've been told that you shouldn't run the inverter without a battery installed because there is no load and the inverter will over heat and burn out. Not sure if this is true or not...
__________________
John and Cindy
Wolcott, CT
2015 Sunset Trail SF32RL
2012 Ford F250SD CC 4X4 - 6.7 Powerstroke
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04-29-2014, 02:31 PM
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#13
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Full Time Camper
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: United states of america
Posts: 1,570
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st.rodder2,
Do you mean converter (120v->12v)?
If yes, that's good to know. Actually I've heard stories where trailers were wired so that the current 12 volt lines is cut if a battery is not connected.
__________________
2017 Ford F350 Super Duty 6.7 King Ranch Crew
Sold the 2016 Crossroads Sunset Trail Grand Reserve 32BH
2020 Grand Design Momentum 320G
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04-29-2014, 05:35 PM
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#14
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Family Vacation Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: CT
Posts: 226
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I always called it a converter but the service tech would correct me and say it is a inverter. Just looked in CW and they call it a converter. So what ever it's called, I was told not to run it for a long period of time without a battery connected.
__________________
John and Cindy
Wolcott, CT
2015 Sunset Trail SF32RL
2012 Ford F250SD CC 4X4 - 6.7 Powerstroke
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04-30-2014, 06:56 AM
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#15
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Family Vacation Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: PA
Posts: 190
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I have a WFCO 8900 Series converter and I contacted WFCO Electronics asking if a battery was required to be connected to the converter when using it to power the RV. The answer:
Our converters do not require a battery for them to work.
John
__________________
~Mike & Kim~
NW Pennsylvania
2014 Rockwood Windjammer 3008W Diamond
2012 Toyota Tundra, 5.7L
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04-30-2014, 07:28 AM
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#16
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Full Time Camper
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: United states of america
Posts: 1,570
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Quote:
Originally Posted by st.rodder2
I always called it a converter but the service tech would correct me and say it is a inverter. Just looked in CW and they call it a converter. So what ever it's called, I was told not to run it for a long period of time without a battery connected.
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No worries, just didnt want you to get the wrong thing. Inverters are pretty cool if you have the batteries to support it.
__________________
2017 Ford F350 Super Duty 6.7 King Ranch Crew
Sold the 2016 Crossroads Sunset Trail Grand Reserve 32BH
2020 Grand Design Momentum 320G
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04-30-2014, 03:18 PM
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#17
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Full Time Camper
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: United states of america
Posts: 1,570
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I mix them up too. Easy to remember:
120v AC->12v DC = Converter
12v DC-> 120v AC = Inverter
__________________
2017 Ford F350 Super Duty 6.7 King Ranch Crew
Sold the 2016 Crossroads Sunset Trail Grand Reserve 32BH
2020 Grand Design Momentum 320G
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04-30-2014, 08:13 PM
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#18
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Family Vacation Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 144
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The battery only supplies supplemental power when using heavy 12 volt loads. This would include slide, landing gear, jacks, etc. Also could apply if using every 12 volt device in the unit.
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05-01-2014, 07:35 AM
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#19
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Full Time Camper
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: United states of america
Posts: 1,570
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carl,
Your right, and the way I understand it if you install an inverter, it pulls from the batteries. Too pricey for me and I question how long you can run anything 110 off one or two deep cycle batteries.
__________________
2017 Ford F350 Super Duty 6.7 King Ranch Crew
Sold the 2016 Crossroads Sunset Trail Grand Reserve 32BH
2020 Grand Design Momentum 320G
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05-01-2014, 08:09 AM
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#20
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Site Team
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: WI.
Posts: 9,180
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Inverters of any size are usually coupled with a multiple battery bank. Other wise they would be pretty much a waste of money.
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