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Old 06-16-2020, 06:45 AM   #1
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Name: Mark
Trailer: Scamp
Minnesota
Posts: 24
Maiden Voyage Mayhem (on a small small scale)

Wisdom and experience needed! 2020 13' Scamp's maiden voyage, 100 miles from Mpls to Mankato's Minneopa State Park , weather in low 90's.

Battery is practically zero after running the fan for a few hours late yesterday. The only other electrical used was for the water pump which we only used as needed (i.e. did not leave on) and charging a cell phone. Everything else has been off and I expected that the battery would be fully charged. I was going to bring a volt meter but did not.

Would anyone have any clues as to why the battery did not last more than a few hours of fan time???

Thanks once again!
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Old 06-16-2020, 08:10 AM   #2
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Name: Alexander
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1300
New Hampshire
Posts: 1,140
Without knowing the battery size in amp hours or if it was full when you left, I would say the battery was not charging when connected to the Tow Vehicle. Are you boondocking or plugged into AC?
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Old 06-16-2020, 08:23 AM   #3
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Name: Mark
Trailer: Scamp
Minnesota
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Boondocking and coming to the same conclusion that our TV (2013 VW Tiguan) is not charging the battery and we have drained it.

When we return I'll have to see if all wires are connected to the 7 pin first (I think). And I may need to check in with the dealership regarding alternator information.

I used a trickle charger on the battery after running out the initial charge and now it makes sense that the TV is not charging the Scamp's battery.

Do I risk anything having run the battery to zero and leaving it for two days in this state?
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Old 06-16-2020, 08:37 AM   #4
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Name: Z
Trailer: Sasquatch
Montana
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Do you know how charged the battery was before you started?

My tow vehicle doesn't charge my battery, but there's nothing drawing from it while I drive, either. It should be at the same charged state when I get to camp as when I left home. Was yours at 100% when you left?

Running the battery to zero will drastically shorten it's life, if not actually damage it. Shouldn't really be discharged below 50%
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Old 06-16-2020, 08:38 AM   #5
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Name: Alexander
Trailer: 1979 Boler B1300
New Hampshire
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If you can, charge the battery. I believe, although I'm not an expert, that leaving it discharged can damage the battery. It will probably reduce the life.

If you don't have a charger, use jumper cables to charge the battery.
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Old 06-16-2020, 09:04 AM   #6
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Name: bill
Trailer: 2013 Escape 19
The Mountains of North Carolina
Posts: 4,137
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Battery to zero = destroys lead acid batteries. Google will give you more info. Basically never draw it down below 50%.

Maybe you got lucky.

If you are going to regularly boondock or dry camp, then you need a reliable charging source. Solar has become the popular choice. I routinely dry camp, but never boondock.
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Old 06-16-2020, 09:15 AM   #7
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Name: CalCop
Trailer: Casita
California
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The age of the battery could play a large role in it not maintaining a charge
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Old 06-16-2020, 10:16 AM   #8
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Name: Walter
Trailer: 2017 Escape 17B
SW Virginia
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Yes, hard to answer when you don't identify the fan, and what lelel it was set on or how long. A good battery fully charged should not run down that far from a Fantastic or MAXX fan at a low to medium setting.


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Old 06-16-2020, 10:57 AM   #9
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Name: BJ
Trailer: 2019 Escape 21' Formerly 2015 Escape 19'
Wisconsin
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We had a similar problem with our TV, a Sprinter. My husband did not believe me that the TV was not charging the battery while running, until the batteries were drained to the point of no return. After purchasing a new set of batteries, we discovered that an essential fuse in the TV had blown, and once that was replaced, there were no problems at all.
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Old 06-16-2020, 10:58 AM   #10
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Name: Skip
Trailer: Casita
Arkansas
Posts: 47
How long had your battery been in the trailer before your trip? There are parasitic draws on the battery that will run it out of juice in a matter of a few weeks (depending on the battery size and type).
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Old 06-16-2020, 11:33 AM   #11
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Name: Tony
Trailer: Casita
New York
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Not sure about Scamps, but Casita's have a fridge that if left on battery power when towing. Will frequently draw down a battery, leaving little reserve when you get to the campsite. Don't know if you even have a fridge, but if you do it should be on propane while traveling,or left off with ice packs/frozen water bottles inside.
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Old 06-16-2020, 01:40 PM   #12
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Name: tom
Trailer: casita
Connecticut
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VW issue

"conclusion that our TV (2013 VW Tiguan) is not charging the battery and we have drained it."


Our Volkswagen Touareg does not charge the trailer battery either. You'll have to come up with something else.
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Old 06-16-2020, 02:06 PM   #13
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Name: Lynn
Trailer: '06 Scamp 16
Rochester, New York
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Get a volt meter - even a cheap one. Check trailer battery voltage with tow vehicle off and then on. There should be a difference. Battery should come up above 13 volts. If it doesn't, then go searching for reasons. Also, most set-ups cannot charge the trailer while running the fridge on 12V.
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Old 06-16-2020, 02:14 PM   #14
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Name: Gordon
Trailer: 2015 Scamp (16 Std Layout 4) with '15 Toyota Sienna LE Tug
North Carolina
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water (acid) level in battery?

Maybe take it to an auto parts store for an eval.. sounds like someone maybe killed it.

The 12volt Side of Life (Part 1)
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Old 06-18-2020, 05:22 PM   #15
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Name: Mark
Trailer: Scamp
Minnesota
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but wait... there's more

So we left Mankato a day early and the trip home is 100 miles. I checked the battery charge when we got back and it was around 12 V so it did charge.

Since then we have run the Maxx brand fan at a higher setting for a total of 4.5 hours and the LED lights are now very weak.

Does 4.5 hrs with the fan exhausting at a high setting seem reasonable?
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Old 06-18-2020, 05:57 PM   #16
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Name: Steve
Trailer: Escape 5.0 TA
Pennsylvania
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Battery voltage

So....a battery voltage of”around 12 volts “ is basically a dead battery.
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Old 06-18-2020, 06:21 PM   #17
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Name: Gordon
Trailer: 2015 Scamp (16 Std Layout 4) with '15 Toyota Sienna LE Tug
North Carolina
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See this: The 12volt Side of Life (Part 1)

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Old 06-18-2020, 07:30 PM   #18
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Name: CalCop
Trailer: Casita
California
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100 miles equals 2 hours of driving. 2 hours of charging won’t bring your battery up to full charge.
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Old 06-18-2020, 08:00 PM   #19
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If you are boondocking and have jumper cables with you....
You could bring the charge up in less than a 1/2hr with the TV and a good set of cables.
Then you should be good for a few days.
If it turns out that your battery is shot, it should still be under warranty.
I have increased my battery size from group 24 to group 27.
I like the added reserve, but I did it primarily because the 27 has twice the warranty.
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Old 06-18-2020, 08:53 PM   #20
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Name: BJ
Trailer: 2019 Escape 21' Formerly 2015 Escape 19'
Wisconsin
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Get Solar?
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