Battery Not charging

[jayteehike]

Originally Posted by Briantb

Maybe, maybe not
You have to confirm the battery is indeed charging... The fact you have DC lights, pumps etc working while hooked up to shore power proves the converter is doing its job and supplying DC power through the power center
I may have missed you confirmed it was charging while plugged in..

I've never plugged it in. Right now all should be charged as of last Tuesday. I need to get the battery tester and check to see how much has drained. I'm beginning to think I'll just get a better tent and go back to camping....so much easier! But I suppose once I figure out all of the ins and outs this won't be so bad. Lots of people do use all sorts of campers and love them!

Jane

[Night Sailor]

Originally Posted by jayteehike

The LP gas detector is the only draw on the batteries, as per a test at the garage. Last weekend since it was beeping all of the time and I didn't know what else to do I cut the red wire to it and we left the windows open. It now has a cap on the wire so it is connected. When that was unhooked, nothing else was pulling electric. I don't want to be in the trailer without it connected - but then the beeping will drive anyone crazy. Keeping track of the battery will certainly help! I didn't realize LED would reduce the draw by 80-90%!! That is amazing!! A friend has a neat solar light that is round and flat when not in use, and easy to have near a window for the sun. It opens up to a nice round light - not for reading but definitely enough for eating, dressing, etc.

Jane

Beeping means the voltage is low.
You need to know if your batteries are charging. Done sort of voltmeter wired to the battery would be a big help. I use a battery monitor which tells me a lot including voltage and how many amp hours oh juice are going in and coming out.

Also adding a second battery to one that may be questionable is a bad idea. A bad cell in the old battery will kill the new one also. You should replace both if adding a new one.

[Night Sailor]

I recommend a 100 watt solar panel and a charge controller. If your batteries are good you could probably hook this up and forget about electricity--it would do it for you.

[Bob Miller]

The op's battery is less than a few months old, if it has a bad cell, it should be replaced under mfg's warranty.

Rather than adding more stuff, I think that understanding what they currently have, and getting it to work right, should be their first priority.

The majority of RV'ers get by just fine with OEM set ups and, surprise, many of us RV'ed for 30+ years before solar panels for RV's were even an item. While they offer a lot of advantages, they are not a fix for a system problem in a new trailer.

[Timber Wolf]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

Rather than adding more stuff, I think that understanding what they currently have, and getting to work right, should be their first priority. The majority of RV'ers get by just fine with OEM set ups and, surprise, many of us RV'ed for 30+ years before solar panels for RV's were even an item. While they offer a lot of advantages, they are not a fix for a system problem in a new trailer.

You are absolutely correct that they need to find the issue and correct it, not just slap a band-aid on it. But, a small constant draw issue is a perfect place for a solar panel to keep those expensive batteries up to snuff. Most people throughout history lived without indoor plumbing (and some campers still do) but that does mean we all have to keep living like that!

[Bob Miller]

Honda used to park a small panel on the dash of vehicles they shipped to keep something alive. Only a few watts, but it did the trick. A 100 watt panel might be a bit of overkill.

Of course the next comment will be that the solar panel didn't work out because they have to put a cover on it when it is parked beside the house to keep tree sap off the roof, etc.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Night Sailor

I recommend a 100 watt solar panel and a charge controller. If your batteries are good you could probably hook this up and forget about electricity--it would do it for you.

If I am reading this correctly the OP had the trailer for a month or more with an LP detector turned on and without the trailer plugged in and had gone dry camping in it two separate week-ends without plugging in between trips?

I recommend that first the OP spends $20 and purchase a battery monitor as seen in post 28 and reads the 12 volt Side of Life so they have a better understanding of their needs and the correct use of a battery before spending money on additional equipment or paying someone to fix a problem with the trailer that may not be a problem at all.

If the OP is going to do a lot of dry camping in the future then yes a solar panel is a great idea but in the meantime they should based on their low power usage be able to camp for a few days without one if the battery is well maintained and working correctly.

Seems to me the issue is pretty straight forward & cheap to fix ... charge the battery.

[jayteehike]

Originally Posted by Carol H

If I am reading this correctly the OP had the trailer for a month or more with an LP detector turned on and without the trailer plugged in and had gone dry camping in it two separate week-ends without plugging in between trips?

I recommend that first the OP spends $20 and purchase a battery monitor as seen in post 28 and reads the 12 volt Side of Life so they have a better understanding of their needs and the correct use of a battery before spending money on additional equipment or paying someone to fix a problem with the trailer that may not be a problem at all.

If the OP is going to do a lot of dry camping in the future then yes a solar panel is a great idea but in the meantime they should based on their low power usage be able to camp for a few days without one if the battery is well maintained and working correctly.

Seems to me the issue is pretty straight forward & cheap to fix ... charge the battery.

How do I tell if there is a bad cell in the battery? And now that I do have 2 batteries, do they discharge together so one is not totally dead before the other starts charging?

A solar panel sounds like an excellent idea, thanks to a couple of you who suggested it! Though this summer I'll be parked without electric for 2 weeks under trees - it wouldn't work there. But since it is my brother's place I can take the batteries to the cabin periodically to recharge them.

Still haven't gotten the battery tester, but hope my neighbor who does have one can show me how it works tomorrow.

Thank you all for wonderful input!

Jane

[Bob Miller]

WAIT.... How did you wind up with two Batteries? Are they exactly the same? Where are they located?

To answer your question, if it's two 12 volt batteries hooked up in parallel, both will run down at about the same time. If it's two six volt batteries, they will be hooked up in series and they too will go down together.

But, if you are even thinking you have a bad or dead call, pull the battery and take it into an auto supply store for a free load test, that will answer your question quicker than we can.

[steve dunham]

Is it possible that the OP' s battery was not fully charged at the time of pickup and by not plugging the trailer in to recharge the battery ,the battery was drawn down to zero? I know when I picked up my Casita at the factory ,I was advised that my first nights camping should be at a site with electricity and to plug the trailer in to insure the battery was fully charged.

[jayteehike]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

WAIT.... How did you wind up with two Batteries? Are they exactly the same? Where are they located?

To answer your question, if it's two 12 volt batteries hooked up in parallel, both will run down at about the same time. If it's two six volt batteries, they will be hooked up in series and they too will go down together.

But, if you are even thinking you have a bad or dead call, pull the battery and take it into an auto supply store for a free load test, that will answer your question quicker than we can.

I had the garage put another battery on the tongue - the box for the batteries holds them both. That was done a couple of weeks ago; my neighbor came over with his battery tester today and they both are fully charged. This week I'll get a battery tester to keep checking it. Thursday I'll plug it in even though the charge says it is full; will be driving about 4 hours to Dolly Sods for the weekend and will test them upon arrival to verify they are still charged. We'll see how it goes.....

Jane

[jayteehike]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

Is it possible that the OP' s battery was not fully charged at the time of pickup and by not plugging the trailer in to recharge the battery ,the battery was drawn down to zero? I know when I picked up my Casita at the factory ,I was advised that my first nights camping should be at a site with electricity and to plug the trailer in to insure the battery was fully charged.

This is an interesting thought....could be what happened. I'll be checking it occasionally to see what might be happening. Eventually I'll have my garage door raised so it can be inside - and near a plug to keep it charged.


Jane

[War Eagle]

Originally Posted by jayteehike

... will be driving about 4 hours to Dolly Sods for the weekend .... Jane

Brings back wonderful memories! A friend and I used to backpack in and tent camp on Dolly Sods when I was in grad school at WVU back in the late 1970's. Beautiful area! We almost got washed down the creek one night after a gully-washer flooded our campsite beside the creek, but even that is a great memory now (although high anxiety at the time! Took us an extra day of hiking to find a way back across the creek that had become a rain-swollen river). I hope you have a great weekend up on the mountain... "Take me home, country roads...."

[jayteehike]

Originally Posted by War Eagle

Brings back wonderful memories! A friend and I used to backpack in and tent camp on Dolly Sods when I was in grad school at WVU back in the late 1970's. Beautiful area! We almost got washed down the creek one night after a gully-washer flooded our campsite beside the creek, but even that is a great memory now (although high anxiety at the time! Took us an extra day of hiking to find a way back across the creek that had become a rain-swollen river). I hope you have a great weekend up on the mountain... "Take me home, country roads...."

WVU outings Club in the early 70's is where I learned about the Sods, and I still get there at least 2X a year. WV has so many beautiful places to go; backpacking is out now for me, but hiking is still ok:-) And I know about how rain swollen the river can get! fortunately we made it out on schedule.