Dead batteries while plugged in

[rleblanc]

I apologize up front for not being an electrical guy. We leave our 375 high country plugged in at home. We were going to leave I. The morning for the weekend, and when I got home none of the slides or the jacks are working. The auto level system won’t come on. All of the 110 items inside are still working. As soon as I plugged it to my truck, everything is working. Unplug and batteries slowly loose voltage. Rig is only 2 years old, but I have never unplugged it unless we were traveling. Looking to trouble shoot the problem, wether it’s bad batteries or bad inverter.

[sourdough]

It's 2 years old and you keep it plugged in all the time. How often do you check the water in the batteries? How often have you filled them? They should be checked at least every 4-6 weeks and replenished with distilled water if plugged in all the time. If not, they're shot and need to be replaced.

[rleblanc]

Thanks sourdough. Pretty good chance that is the problem. Going look now. I just can’t understand why it’s dead while plugged into shore power, but works plugged in to the truck. I’m certain this 300 dollar mistake will teach me a lesson. Thanks again

[Carl n Susan]

Ensure the battery disconnect key in the convenience center is in the position where it can't be removed.

There has been a rash of failed 50 amp self resetting circuit breakers recently. They are behind the battery on the wall with red plastic covers.

With shore power plugged in, there should be 13.4V +/- out from the converter, into and out of each of the CBs, and at the battery.


checking these all out should identify where the problem lays. If not, come back and let us know.

[rleblanc]

Thanks Carl. Naturally while your in a rush, I just broke my meter. I’ll check it all out tomorrow when I can get a new one and respond. I can make it with it plugged in my truck and put a charger on it when I need to. I’ll let you know what I find.

[h2ojocky]

Even before you get a new meter make sure you do what Carl suggested.
Ensure the battery disconnect key in the convenience center is in the position where it can't be removed.

[speedster100]

If everything checks out with the key in the disconnect as it should be I suspect the fuse in the converter has blown. It is a slo-blow 50amp and on occasion they've been known to blow. If you replace it and it still doesn't work I suspect the converter is shot.... I can't imagine your batteries being toast after only two years, especially as all these new units come with smart converters that limit the charging to the batteries which prevents them from overcharging & boiling dry. The converter will be in behind the panel in your storage area. Make sure you unplug it from the wall receptacle prior to opening it up. The fuse is inside.......

[Sweetrig]

That key is a mystery. A mechanic said when the rig is plugged into shore power or when power is attached to the truck, the key should be in the "ON" position. When stored, I pull the key out- literally.
So, I got used to reading it as Battery 'connect' versus Disconnect.

Can someone please explain if this summary is correct.

[Carl n Susan]

The "Key" and it's position has been confusing for a long time. On and Off mean nothing by themselves without further explanation. And I think at one time keystone changed how they labeled the disconnect.

Consequently, whatever position that allows the Key to be removed is where the batteries are disconnected. If the Key can't be removed, the batteries are connected. Your labels for those positions are the answer for your rig. As my RV is always plugged in I never remove the Key and disconnect the batteries. If I do need to disconnect, I do it at the battery and kill everything at once.

[mazboy]

I never use the key!

If i have to disconnect I also just disconnect the negatives....ALL electric is disconnected then.

[bigred715]

I unplug the main positive connection and that prevents any drain on batteries. Works for me.

[rleblanc]

Thanks for all of the information, I just wanted to update. I called our dealer on Friday, and the immediate response was that if I plugged it in to my truck or a battery charger, and everything began working immediately, it is a good chance that the converter is out. But I did add water to the batteries, as they were low, and put a charger on them for a while. On the first cycle, the charger gave a “bad battery” alarm after a couple of hours. I let it run again and it fully charged them. The batteries held up fine while hooking back up this morning to return home, without any voltage loss. I’m going to run a few more tests this afternoon after it cools down a little bit, and I’ll let everyone know what I find. Thanks again

[laverdur]

This info may be too late. My Monty is plugged in to shore power all the time unless towing. If you determine that your batteries are cooked and have to be replaced, consider Centennial batteries. They are true maintenance free batteries and never need to have the electrolyte topped up. For a brief time I had Interstate batteries and they had to be topped up with distilled water about every 3 months.

[rleblanc]

Originally Posted by laverdur

This info may be too late. My Monty is plugged in to shore power all the time unless towing. If you determine that your batteries are cooked and have to be replaced, consider Centennial batteries. They are true maintenance free batteries and never need to have the electrolyte topped up. For a brief time I had Interstate batteries and they had to be topped up with distilled water about every 3 months.

Thanks for the information. Ours has interstate batteries as well

[h2ojocky]

I only add water a couple of times a year and it only takes 5 minutes. I think all the newer trailers have newer style converters that won't allow the batteries to boil. It works fore me but not for everybody.

[Bnrc73]

When you get your new tester, test the battery while plugged into shore power. If you don’t get 13.5 volts, your converter could have a blow fuse or a bad converter. I got lucky and only had to replace the 3 fuses and not the converter. Seem all good so far.

[Mikelff]

Even with your key turned to off position you will still have battery drain. Disconnect battery cables and keep battery on a trickle charger while in storage. You will not have a dead battery unless the battery goes bad. I use a lithium battery. Comes with an auto shut off when it gets down to 20% reserve. Get a full 80 amp hours of use out of a 100 amp hour battery and don't have to worry about over discharging the battery. Also has a full replacement 10 year warranty. Not cheap, but saves money and issues for years.

[D A Busman]

IMHO Interstate batteries have gone downhill in quality the last few years. I hear they are manufactured by someone else now and not what they used to be. I had 2 that failed within 2 years of being new. I paid the price and got different batteries and have not had a failure again.