Battery or converter trouble

beardedone

Beardedone
Went camping for 7 days and everything ran fine. Yesterday we packed everything up and returned our trailer to the on-site storage area and everything was running completely normal, although 2 days previous the power went off and on rapidly about five times. Our trailer is protected by a Progressive 50 amp EMS that is hard wired into the trailer. At the storage compound I parked the trailer and unhooked as normal and then went inside to put chemical in the black tank. I flipped the water pump switch and nothing. Checked the the dis-connect switch and it was on. Back inside found out that nothing 12 volt related would show any sign of life. So I either have an issue with the converter or the batteries, but the batteries were fine when I picked up the trailer. This makes me think that there could be something wrong with the converter but the 2 golf cart batteries are seven years old (don't owe me anything). I have done a lot of reading on here and I am thinking that the batteries died for some reason but not sure what. So my plan is this, because everything was working fine as is, there is no rush. On my return to the trailer in one week I plan on getting into the belly of the beast and make sure the 30 amp fuses are ok (lights wouldn't work if the fuses were blown would they) and also that it is plugged into 110 volts.(the vacuum cord became unplugged once so why not this). I am going to measure the voltage coming into the batteries to see if it is ok. If is ok then I guess new batteries are in order, if not, a new converter, but I am leaning towards the batteries. I just find it strange that the batteries would go stone cold dead like this. One question I have is this. If a converter fails to charge batteries would the 12 volt lights still work when on shore power. Thanks for any response.
 

boatto5er

Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
Unless something has changed since my 2011 was built, if the converter stops charging the battery, all 12 volt systems will stop working.


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danemayer

Well-known member
Hi Gerry,

If the converter failed and let the batteries run down, I think you would have seen problems with the 12V lights and other things while plugged into shore power. If the converter was working, but the batteries failed, while plugged into shore power, the lights would get power from the converter and still work.

If the landing jacks worked when you unhooked, that takes a fair amount of battery power, so it seems unlikely that the batteries died just as you extended the jacks.

I would start by checking the 12V circuit breaker near the battery. If it popped, that would interrupt power to the pump and 12V lighting. There's a teeny, tiny reset button on the end. I've attached some pictures.
 

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beardedone

Beardedone
Thanks for the pictures Dan. The trailer was still plugged into the truck when I lowered the landing gear, I didn't discover the issue until I was completely unhooked. So I will the reset buttons and if no other obvious thing is observed it will be off to the battery store. We winter camp so I will have to replace the batteries before freeze up or I will have a big mess on my hands also.
 

beardedone

Beardedone
Lots of thanks to Dan again. I got back out to the trailer and installed new batteries because the old ones were seven years old anyway. It turns out that the problem was that little wee reset button on the relay. Many thanks. I needed new batteries anyway, lol. Just for info purposes I put the voltmeter on the old batteries and they still looked good. When I put the meter on the battery cables I didn't get any reading at all. That is when I checked the relay. So I am back in business now.
 
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