The manual that came with our 13QHB is no help.
Anyone know where to get a complete schematic and explanation how the battery is supposed to be charged? Just got home after a 1700 mile trip to pick up our New trailer ( salesperson did not go over how 12v system works) At this time nothing works on battery power. Confused camper..any help would be greatly appreciated.
I'm sure others will chime in on schematics but to get started, did you check the battery voltage too see if indeed the battery is flat? It could be other things in the system, fuses and such. Did all the stuff work at the dealer when you picked it up?
Assuming you have the 7 pin trailer plug, the battery should be charged while towing. The diagram at the site below shows the plug pins. The battery is also charged by the converter in the trailer when plugged into shore power. Mitch had a good idea to check fuses and to see what the battery voltage is. 12.7 volts is full charge when the battery is not being used. When the battery is being charged, the volt meter should read about 13.5-14.5 volts.
https://www.etrailer.com/faq-wiring.aspx
[font size="3"]Merlin and Mitch pretty well covered the essentials. Most, but not all, tow vehicles come[/font][font size="3"] wired to charge the battery assuming you have the 7 pin round Bargman connector. Some vehicles require the installation of a fuse or relay to activate the charging connection. Check the voltage on the 7 pin connector with the engine running and trailer disconnected. (Click on the picture to magnify).
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Some owners have had problems with blowing a 15A fuses due to the way the panel is wired. Check the fuses and let us know what you find.
If you have the 4 light status monitor, don't put too much faith in it. Four lights only means the battery is being charged. It is normal for it to drop back to three lights when the charger or TV is disconnected. The only true indicator of charge is a voltmeter as Merlin describes or a hydrometer. As for a schematic and a proper instruction book, there ain't no such thing. Your best source of info is right here on this forum.
Welcome to our little group. 8-)
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Check the TV. Are you sure it is sending power ? It could be a fuse blown, or as was the case with my F-150, there is a relay that controls power to the tow vehicle. That $25 part is what you get with the $800 Tow Package.
TV is all good. The battery which is hooked up to a good charger in my garage is not taking a charge.
Quote from: @easwen" source="/post/22553/thread" timestamp="1466954909TV is all good. The battery which is hooked up to a good charger in my garage is not taking a charge.
[font size="3"]Good. Take this opportunity to replace the bad battery with two 6V golfers and camp happily every after. ;) [/font]
The dealer probably installed the battery and let it sit on the lot too long (a month will do it) and the battery discharged flat due to parasitic loads like a CO detector. Once a battery goes dead flat, it is gone.
And I totally agree with Charlie if you can live with the extra tongue weight. Buy a heavy NOCO battery box for two six volt golf cart batteries and replace the existing battery support with two aluminum cross members bolted to the frame members. Then bolt the NOCO box down to the aluminum frame.
If you can't live with about 70 lbs more tongue weight, then look for either a flooded cell battery with removable caps and a real amp hour rating or an AGM battery that will fit your existing box.
And yes, many TVs even with the tow package need a fuse installed to charge through the 9 pin connector.
David
Yep, new trailer, they let it sit. I have a long list of complaints against this particular dealer but won't get into that now.
going out to buy a new battery....silly me, I thought a new trailer came with one.
Livin'Lite supply the trailers to dealers with no batteries. It's then up top the dealer to throw one in -- or charge the buyer for one -- or leave it to the buyer to get their own. If the dealer does offer a battery, its totally up to that dealer as to what quality is provided. First-time buyers typically lack the knowledge needed to ask the dealers the kinds of questions it would be good to ask.
So...PEIslander...since the dealer said it was a new battery but I didn't test it...it is my fault....got it.
Well, I think you could reasonably expect a dealer to install a decent battery after all you're dropping a sizable chunk of money on the camper. The fact that you got a bad battery speaks more to the quality of that dealer then it does to your experience as a camper buyer.
Read my post a half dozen or so before this one. Batteries Plus is a good but expensive source of batteries. You probably only need a single battery. You will need a support structure like I describe above and a battery box. Ask Batteries Plus for a Group 27, either an AGM (no electrolyte to fill and a decent deep cycle battery, but expensive) or a flooded cell battery with filler caps and one with an amp hour rating. There are many, probably most ersatz deep cycle batteries out there and filler caps and an amp hour rating give you some assurance that it really is deep cycle. Interstate makes a decent one.
David
Quote from: @easwen" timestamp="1466978165" source="/post/22576/threadSo...PEIslander...since the dealer said it was a new battery but I didn't test it...it is my fault....got it.
No, as Mitch notes, since the dealer provided a battery they should of course provided a decent one. As a minimum it is reasonable for you to expect it to be capable of taking a full charge. They should be maintaining the batteries in their inventory. They could (and probably should) have tested it prior to your taking delivery
or offered a battery warranty. I did not intend to be insulting to you or anyone else by saying new buyers don't know what questions to ask. We are all in the same boat. They tell us what we want to hear like "It has a battery" and we don't know to ask for more information.
[quote source="/post/22588/thread" timestamp="1467026613" author="Rachel"][div][/div][div][/div]Just bought a 6.0 and it didn't come with battery. We were not planning to get one since we usually camp electric sites, but we just booked at a campground with only primitive sites left. So now I'd like to get a battery. Can anyone tell me best place to buy this? Brand new camper opener...only tent camping previously...so a lot of this is new to me.
Thanks![/quote]I bought my last one at Sears. Not the best but adequate. The biggest advantage was that if it had problems, the warranty is good at any Sears. I spend time away from Pennsylvania in the NorthWest and in Utah. I feel safer with Sears being everywhere.
Michael