Battery not charging on shore power

[HarleyCowboy]

I have a 2013 Cyclone 4100. It stays plugged into power all the time to keep the Fridge cold. When I tried to start the generator, the battery is dead. I don't understand why. Shouldn't the AC power keep the battery charged.
Anyone have any ideas?
Thanks,
Kent

 

[danemayer]

Hi Kent,

When plugged in, the Power Converter changes 110V AC into 12V DC to supply power to your interior lights and other 12V DC devices, and to keep the battery charged. There is a 12V DC mini-circuit breaker inbetween the battery and Power Converter. If that breaker trips, over time you'll lose the charge on the battery.

The generator, hydraulics motor, and a few other devices are powered from the battery, through the buss bar on which you'll find that 12V mini-circuit breaker.

You can read more about this in our owner-written 12V Block Diagram and Diagnostic Guide.

Here are some pictures that will help. The breaker you're looking for will have a teeny-tiny reset button on the end. For some of us with older eyes, it's easier to feel the reset button than to see it. If you have a volt meter, after resetting the breaker, the battery should read around 13.6 volts.

 

[HarleyCowboy]

Thanks Dan, You have come thru again. I'll check the reset this afternoon.
Thanks,
Kent

 

[HarleyCowboy]

One other question, Shouldn't the battery charge off the tow vehicle going down the road?
Thanks,
Kent

 

[Garypowell]

The easy answer here is "yes if your truck is set up that way". I know mine was not....I had to put a fuse in the system for it to work. My understanding is this might be a common thing to have to do with most any brand.

Then there eyre is the question of how fast your battery might charge from the truck.....I'll leave that to people wiser than I am. But I don't think it happens very fast.

 

[danemayer]

One other question, Shouldn't the battery charge off the tow vehicle going down the road?
Thanks,
Kent

Generally yes, but some people have found that their tow vehicles don't always come with the right fuse installed to deliver power to the umbilical connector. It's also possible to have a poor connection at the umbilical connector. The wiring to the umbilical cord and through the coach to the battery doesn't carry a lot of current, so even when charging, it may take quite a while to bring up a dead battery. And sometimes when a battery is really dead, it can be hard to bring back. Finally, if your 2013 coach was built early in the model year, it could be 3 years old and might need to be replaced.

 

[Bob&Patty]

Heres one or two other things. Check and make sure ...if you have a battery cut off switch...its turned on. If everything checks good to that point. Drop the basement wall and make sure the convertor is plugged in. Mine came loose and fell out. You need to check the battery with voltmeter and see what it reads. BTW, is the 50 amp cord installed and twisted all the way to "lock".

 

[HarleyCowboy]

Thanks Bob, The Battery Switch is "on". The converter is working. The 12V lights, AC Thermostats are working, The cord is locked but I'm only on 30 amps.

 

[TedS]

Check fuses on the converter output.

 

[MagnoliaTom]

I had a similar problem. I do not have a generator. I did find that the nuts holding down the battery cables were not tight.

 

[Bob&Patty]

Tom is correct. Make sure the battery cables are not green and fuzzy. That will do it everytime.