Electrical and Charging Struggles

[McLaughlincreek]

We are over a year into owning our ElkRidge 29 RKSA. We love the 5’er. However, in reading some of the posts in regards to dealerships, it’s worth buy from one that you can trust and get good service. I’m not the happiest guy about ours…I get better service at our lawnmower shop.


I still have some struggles with our ElkRidge mostly having to do with electrical and charging. I quit asking questions to our dealership as they look at me like I’m stupid or “just flip the cutoff switch”. To which they can’t show me the switch!




So, I think I have figured out the charging issue with our ER from another post on this forum, I believe a tech. Most of the time our ER doesn’t charge the batteries unless we are hooked up to 30 or 50 amp service. At home I use 15 amp 110 extension cord. This gets power to the microwave and various 110 items however no battery charging. A post from a tech reference the converters not charging when the voltage drops under a certain number. I’m sure that’s what is happening to us. So a shorter, heavier gauge cord is needed to achieve the higher voltage. Maybe I can put away the battery charger now!


I’m ready to replace the batteries as I believe they are worthless. They hardly hold a charge very long. My debate is to replace the 2 12 volts with better quality 12 volt’rs. Blue Top Optima’s possibly, or a series of golf cart 6 volts.?


My last struggle is the switching between being plugged in to the truck for power and stand alone. There is no switch to be found to switch between the two (dealer can’t show me where it is). So, we are hooked up to 50 amp all weekend. We hookup to travel home. We stop for a rest stop. Turn the truck off. Use the bathroom in the ER. The switch panel for Water Pump, etc is totally dead. No lights for tank levels etc… Probably because we are still hooked up to the F250 and it is turned off. Any solutions for this situation? Either it will be resolved with the new batteries, but I can’t imagine the batteries having no charge at this point. It must be a switching issue? Is the switching an automatic sensing operation now rather than a physical switch?


Any input is welcome. We truly love the rig other than these struggles I’m having!


Thanks


Doug

 

[Bob&Patty]

Are you sure the battery cut off switch is turned on?? It should be located on the ground side of one of the batteries. One other thing to look at. You did not say what TV you have. Sometimes the fuse that charges the battery was not put in at the factory. If the fuse is missing/blown your trailer batteries will never get charged while driving.

 

[Ron-Cookie]

Have you tried resetting the "Manual Reset Circuit breaker"? With it popped you would get this indication... Check out Owners Manuals under "Electrical" and then "DC Buss Bar"... Good Luck.. By the way I upgraded to the Blue Top Optima and love it.. Also my 5'er didn't come with battery shutoff switch but I added one..

 

[avvidclif]

Not knowing the year of your Ford but my 2009 only has power to the rv when it is running.

 

[danemayer]

My last struggle is the switching between being plugged in to the truck for power and stand alone. There is no switch to be found to switch between the two (dealer can’t show me where it is). So, we are hooked up to 50 amp all weekend. We hookup to travel home. We stop for a rest stop. Turn the truck off. Use the bathroom in the ER. The switch panel for Water Pump, etc is totally dead. No lights for tank levels etc… Probably because we are still hooked up to the F250 and it is turned off. Any solutions for this situation? Either it will be resolved with the new batteries, but I can’t imagine the batteries having no charge at this point. It must be a switching issue? Is the switching an automatic sensing operation now rather than a physical switch?

Hi McLaughlincreek,

With the truck OFF, you're probably not getting any power from the truck. But your trailer batteries should be powering the interior lights and water pump, etc. If everything is completely dead, it could be your batteries being dead, but it seems more likley that you have a tripped 12V Mini-circuit breaker and need to manually reset it. The mini-circuit breaker sits on a buss-bar in-between the batteries and the interior fuse box. So when the breaker trips, no power gets from the batteries to the fuse box. Also, since the Power Converter is in that circuit, near the fuse box, no power gets from the Power Converter to the batteries to charge them while on shore power.

I've attached some pictures that may help. The reset button is teeny tiny and easy to miss, especially for eyes as old as some of us have. Sometimes it's easier to feel for it on the bottom edge of the breakers.

We also have an owner-written 12V Block Diagram and Diagnostic Guide that explains all this in more detail.

Your buss-bar and breakers may differ a bit from the ones shown below, but the principle is the same.

 

[McLaughlincreek]

Good info. Thanks!

There are no switches to be found inside the battery compartment or any of the other compartments that I have found. Maybe someone can post a picture of what one looks like?

I forgot about that tiny reset button so I'll try that out.

Thanks for the feedback on the optima.

i am also in search of the inline fuse for the rear jacks if anyone has found it. I found the one inline breaker for the front jacks in the battery compartment close to the battery.

Appreicate the help!

 

[danemayer]

The rear stabilizers may also use a 12V mini-circuit breaker on the buss-bar rather than an inline fuse.

 

[TravelTiger]

As a fellow ElkRidge owner, I believe you do not have a battery cut-off switch unless you or a previous owner added it.

When our converter went out, we could not locate "the mini-circuit breaker sits on a buss-bar" that Dan was referencing.

The symptoms of the converter failing:

On 50 amp service, converter was not charging batteries, batteries run down, lights gradually get dimmer and dimmer. Manually charge battery, everything is ok until battery runs down again. Solution, replace converter.


I am no expert, but it could be your batteries are past the point of holding an effective charge, but the converter is working to convert AC to DC while on 50amp to keep lights, etc. working. Once off of the 50amp, battery holds no charge so it goes dead, which you discover at a rest stop.

 

[McLaughlincreek]

Well I'll try looking again tomorrow but so far I've found no switches and I couldn't find a little reset button on the bus.

However, Ron what size Blue Optima did you go with? I was thinking of just biting the bullet and getting the D31s as long as they fit. Cabela's had a pretty good price on them.

Doug

 

[Ron-Cookie]

5'er is over on storage lot right now so can't check Optima number (think it was a D27 though). I bought it at Sam's and it was the only model they had.. Optima batteries do not need to be vented so fit may not be a problem...

 

[McLaughlincreek]

I decided to pull the batteries from the ER and get them tested. Les Schwab said it was dead. "Yep, can you test the acid levels?"
"Nope!"
Great, I'm getting used to having to do everything myself....

I pull the covers on the batteries to fill them. They are pretty much bone dry. To bad our dealers service center didn't check them when I told them the RV is not charging. (Blank stare). Reading thru the manuals, my fault not to keep up on the levels.

However, I have the RV plugged in to 110, I believe I read 150 volts in the RV. Should be enough to run the converter and charge the batteries DC. I read zero power in the battery compartment on any buses period.

If there are any techs out there could you tell me if my WFCO Ultra III WF-8930/50 Series should be converting AC to DC if it is being supplied 150volts(?) on a 110 15amp service? Or do I have to be on a 30 or 50 amp service to get this to happen?

We are camping this weekend with 30/50 service so I should be able to test the battery compartment for charging.

 

[justafordguy]

Yes, if you are plugged into a 15amp 110 volt circuit you converter/charger will charge the batteries if the battery switch is turned on.

 

[jimtoo]

I hope that is a typing error ,,, 150 volts,,, If you are getting 150 volts you have something wrong and need to unplug before something burns up.

 

[fredwrichardson]

I decided to pull the batteries from the ER and get them tested. Les Schwab said it was dead. "Yep, can you test the acid levels?"
"Nope!"
Great, I'm getting used to having to do everything myself....

I pull the covers on the batteries to fill them. They are pretty much bone dry. To bad our dealers service center didn't check them when I told them the RV is not charging. (Blank stare). Reading thru the manuals, my fault not to keep up on the levels.

However, I have the RV plugged in to 110, I believe I read 150 volts in the RV. Should be enough to run the converter and charge the batteries DC. I read zero power in the battery compartment on any buses period.

If there are any techs out there could you tell me if my WFCO Ultra III WF-8930/50 Series should be converting AC to DC if it is being supplied 150volts(?) on a 110 15amp service? Or do I have to be on a 30 or 50 amp service to get this to happen?

We are camping this weekend with 30/50 service so I should be able to test the battery compartment for charging.

My batteries charges no matter what power hookup I have. The charger does not require a lot of current. Actually if you are using a 15 amp (standard plug) vs. a 30 Amp (30 amp RV socket) the trailer does not know the difference as long as you stay under 15 amps. The charger takes 10 amps and that would be if the batteries needed to be fast charged. Most cases the draw would be around 2 to 3 amps well within the 15 amps you would get from a standard plug. Also I believe you mean 120 volts and not 150 volts. At 150 volts most everything in the trailer will fry.

 

[Brazos]

Look on the front of the converter and see if there is a fuse that is blown. See this link for manual Link It explains how those fuses can get blown. Also your batteries are in question if Les Schwab said they or it was dead. Was it dead and possibly frozen over winter. If this is the case you probably need new batteries. As mentioned earlier check for a manual reset button on the end of the breaker for the converter on a buss bar probably on a wall behind the battery.

 

[McLaughlincreek]

Good suggestion on that fuse. Thanks! I will check that out tomorrow.

As soon as the batteries were filled with distilled water properly the battery had charge. I have them on a charger. We'll see how long they hold a charge. They may be compromised.

Thanks for the great information Fred.

if the fuse doesn't work I'm off to find a new dealership for service to checkout the converter.

Yes, voltage was a typo.

thanks all

Doug

 

[Bob&Patty]

If the batteries were dry and left charging that way. They are probably junk. If you leave your trailer plugged in all the time....you have to check the water level every 45-60 days. As long as the lead plates are covered with water you are OK. BTW, distilled water is a myth. In all my years as an auto tech (46), I never used ditilled water in any battery even mine. GM never posted anything about using "distilled" water for any repair.

 

[McLaughlincreek]

Good info. So just tap water?

 

[branson4020]

All battery manufacturers specify distilled water for maintenance. Here's an example from the Interstate Battery website: http://www.batteries-faq.com/activekb/questions.php?questionid=6.