Help, tow vehicle not charging trailer betteries.

[dbbls59]

Solved, Help, tow vehicle not charging trailer betteries.

It was my battery. One of them had a dead cell.

tow vehicle has stopped charging the batteries in my Big Country. The plug in the truck is hot and the black wire in the pin box is hot, but I don't know where to go from there. The three fuses on the outside of the converter are all good. Is there another fuse in the line between the pin box and batteries?

 

[danemayer]

Hi Don,

Hot wires would suggest something is pulling more current than intended. My guess would be a shorted cell in the battery sucking a lot of power but not letting the battery get charged. A Walmart auto center or most auto parts stores can test the battery for you.

 

[branson4020]

Is your converter still charging the batteries (read: 13.2 V or greater at the battery terminals)?

 

[dbbls59]

By "hot wires" I mean there is voltage there. Yes, the converter charges the battery when connected to shore power.

 

[danemayer]

Do the trailer lights work when connected to the tow vehicle?

 

[Ron-Cookie]

Looking at the schematics provided on this forum there is a Auto Reset 30 Amp circuit breaker in the circuit to the plus side of the battery... Check Electrical (60) then DC Buss Bar (2), then Heartland (2), then Buss Bar for LM - BH - BC.pdf

 

[dbbls59]

Do the trailer lights work when connected to the tow vehicle?

Everything works except the battery charging.

 

[Mullins]

You should have a 30 AMP fuse in the tow vehicle. called (tow/haul or something like it) If the batteries in your rig are low and you plug into the rig while the engine is running, your tow vehicle will draw to much power for the fuse to handle and it will blow. Also, make sure the tow vehicle engine is turned off b4 you plug into your rig, this might help too.

 

[DocFather]

You should have a 30 AMP fuse in the tow vehicle. called (tow/haul or something like it) If the batteries in your rig are low and you plug into the rig while the engine is running, your tow vehicle will draw to much power for the fuse to handle and it will blow. Also, make sure the tow vehicle engine is turned off b4 you plug into your rig, this might help too.

I think he said he checked the voltage, etc.

 

[JohnD]

You should have a 30 AMP fuse in the tow vehicle. called (tow/haul or something like it) If the batteries in your rig are low and you plug into the rig while the engine is running, your tow vehicle will draw to much power for the fuse to handle and it will blow. Also, make sure the tow vehicle engine is turned off b4 you plug into your rig, this might help too.

I always shut my truck off and turn off the lights when I plug or unplug the trailer to/from the truck.

Just a safety feature for me, I guess.

Anyway, there is probably a module on truck somewhere that may have been blown out as well!

On my old truck, there was a module under the truck by the trailer hitch with all of the wiring to the trailer plug when through (have a photo of it, will find it later).

That thing burned out three times over the years and my lights and trailer brakes would get screwy . . . not sure about the charging line though.

 

[Bob&Patty]

What voltage is at the TV plug...engine running?? What is the TV voltmeter reading?. Is the trailer charging fuse in the TV good...probably under the hood in the fuse/circuit breaker box. Are the battery cables clean and tight at the battery posts??

 

[danemayer]

The wire from the pinbox may go through a 12V DC mini-circuit breaker near the battery. See if there's a small gauge wire on the positive battery terminal and if so, trace it to see if it goes to a breaker.