Help needed diagnosing cause of loss of power when hooked to tow vehicle.

[campntn]

**Not sure which forum this needs to go into, so mods please move wherever you think is appropriate and where it'll get seen.

Hi forum!
Not sure how to ask this:
Bottom line is I don't have any power in my trailer right now.
2009 North Trail 28BHS
had LONG 10 or 12 gauge extension ran to it to, prob 125 foot or so just to have lights/etc. And to occasionally run ac in summer.
YES I know that's a long way to run an extension cord, but it's worked fine for 2 years or so.
Here's what happened.
I THINK, where the cord connected to the camper, it got a lil too much rainwater around it (was laying down) and shorted it out. Threw a breaker, etc.
There is a black mark on the plug end of the extension cord where it plugs into the house outlet. And on the outlet itself. Strangely, the outlet still works.
So, anyway, I thought fine, I'll just replace the end of that cord and the outlet and we'll be good to go. But I haven't yet.

Then today, just as a test, I backed my truck up to the camper and plugged it in like I was hooking up to tow and nothing..no lights/power or anything.
Breaker isn't flipped in the camper. I didn't check all of the fuses, but the two big orange ones appear ok.
So, my question is not about the extension cord. I only included that to help diagnose the problem.

My question is:
What could cause the loss of power in the camper when hooked to the tow vehicle?

Thoughts???
Thanks!

 

[2010augusta]

The extension cord would provide 120 volt AC, and should have powered the converter to keep batteries charged, but if you had a power spike it could have blown the converter, and over time the battery would die. The Truck can not supply enough power to the trailer to power much, especially if the battery is dead. The truck also has a fuse that needs to be installed to activate the 12+ circuit to the trailer harness.

Have you checked the voltage coming from the battery? Have you checked the fuses and the output on the converter? Does any of the 110 volt stuff work in the trailer?

 

[fljlcw]

sorry for your troubles if you have no powerto lights blinkers etc. it could be A grounding problem at the truck or trailer I would also check the fuses in your converter for the 110v problem Fred

 

[jnbhobe]

There still are a lot of things that would cause no power. Is the battery charged?? You need a 12V test light. Start at the battery and work your way back. You may have a bad fuse in your truck also.

 

[branson4020]

So, when hooked to the truck, you have no 12V power to the trailer. How about when not hooked to the truck? Do you have on-board battery power to the trailer?

 

[campntn]

It works, everything is alright now....I think.
Here this is a case of taking somebody elses word on something.
The battery was dead, I knew that but forgot to put that in original post.
I guess it just ran down over time with no charge coming from the house.
Anyways, a buddy told me that the truck should run the camper EVEN if the camper battery is dead.

So awhile ago, I ran another extension cord, regular gauge just as a test, and plugged it up and the camper resurrected.
So, I'm gonna take the battery to see if it's ok and have it charged.

That should fix it all, if it doesn't I'll come back. Well, either way I'll let you guys know.
Thanks for all the replies and help!
Mark

 

[TXBobcat]

Hello Mark.
I will try to give you my 2¢ worth.
If you leave your trailer setting idle for a long time the battery will discharge because of all the electronics that are running. TV, Alarms, Refer, Alarm clock and a lot of other things that draw just a bit of power over a period of time.

Also if you are connecting your trailer to 120V AC using a 100ft extension cord you should check the voltage drop. You may find that you do not have enough voltage to run the converter and such thus it is still operating on battery power.

You do not want to run the HW heater, Airconditioner or heaters in the trailer when using the long extension cord. Your voltage will go down and the amps will run high and cause the cord to heat and maybe melt.

This could also be the reason for

There is a black mark on the plug end of the extension cord where it plugs into the house outlet. And on the outlet itself.

To much current

FWIW
BC

 

[lwmcguir]

If your battery was completely dead and it was well below freezing it most likely is ruined or wont hold a charge long. Batteries have to be charged to avoid freezing the cells.

 

[campntn]

If your battery was completely dead and it was well below freezing it most likely is ruined or wont hold a charge long. Batteries have to be charged to avoid freezing the cells.

That's what it was. Battery was dead. I took another friend's word on that and he was wrong.
Battery tested fine, took a charge and hooked up to truck, all is well.

Thanks!

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

That's what it was. Battery was dead. I took another friend's word on that and he was wrong.
Battery tested fine, took a charge and hooked up to truck, all is well.

Thanks!

I'm betting that long extension cord is toast. Check it with a meter and I'd guess one side is shorted out near the plug end.

 

[campntn]

Update:
I will post pix when I'm done but here is what has happened and it's worth telling. LOL.
I bought some romex wire and was getting ready to run it out there, 100 ft. In the process of that, I pulled up the old wire that was just laying on top of the ground. And to my surprise, it came up in segments.
Water or distance was not the problem.
A Poulan chainsaw was the problem. Earlier this year, I decided to cut down this row of shurbs and I had forgotten the cord ran so closely to that line of shrubs.
So, I had cut the cord..in SEVERAL pieces I might add, as I cut down those shrubs close to the ground. They were very thick and I just didn't see on the other sides of the stump.
SO, the plans are coming together.
I am going to stub up a weatherproof box out by the camper. And, to decrease the length of wire, I"m going to run the camper cord out as far as it'll go and put the plug there. (cutting off the cord not needed)
I"m going to encase the romex in conduit, probably not bury it though.

Well, anyways, I am glad to find that out.
Actually, one of the biggest boogers was running Romex underneath the 3 foot sidewalk. But I got it done. Big sledge hammer and long metal conduit.

 

[cookie]

Wait a minute here. It sounds to me like the gardener cut that wire........couldn't have been you.
Well easy fix anyway.


Peace
Dave

 

[campntn]

Good point! It WAS the gardner! And the repairman! And the _______man!
That's me...hahaha...yea, it needed doing anyways.