TV Not Charging Battery

[Butch & Kathy]

Returned from a 5 hour trip and the battery did not have enough power to run the hydraulics even with TV connected and running. Battery is one year old, Group 27 Lead Acid that come with camper. Had the battery tested and it checks out well above specs. Checked battery voltage from TV – OK. Checked wire connection at RV junction box – OK. Where to check next and how should the connections be made to the battery, parallel? Where do the wires go? Help is appreciated…

[rmthelen]

If your battery was low when you started out, 5 hours is not enough to fully charge. The charge rating from your truck is only designed to maintain your battery.

[Rondo]

Check in your convenient center and see which way your battery disconnect switch is turned. It sounds like it may be off. Now this sounds dumb but when the battery disconnect switch is turned to off it is actually on. When it is turned to the on position it is actually off. Others will chime in if I am wrong here. You asked where the battery wires go and they go to the battery disconnect /cutoff switch. My cutoff switch is on the right hand side of the convenient center, yours may be in a different position, but I doubt it. I found out one thing about this cutoff switch when doing some work in the basement-- there is no protection cover over the back of the switch. Some day I'm going to take off the convenient center cover again and try and figure some way of covering that bugger because it is open with no cover on it. It will arch if you aren't careful. Don't ask me how I know this! LOL

[rohrmann]

Also about the switch, I believe it was said the red key can be removed if the switch is deenergized/open, and the key can not be removed if the circuit is energized/closed. The on and off labels are way too confusing and really should be open and closed instead.

[Irlpguy]

While it is important to know which position the battery cut-off switch must be in to cut off the batteries, it has nothing to do with the power coming from the TV.

I am curious as to how the battery was tested to determine it was "well above specs". There are only a couple of ways to properly confirm the state of a battery. One is to use a hydrometer and check each individual cell, the other is to load test it.

The 12v provided from the TV goes directly to the + terminal of the battery via the Auto reset switch that controls the hydraulics this should be the first reset in line with the battery. There should be a "black" wire approx 10guage that if you trace it will go up to the junction box on the pin box.

If I were you I would disconnect the RV and check pin #4 on the TV plug, you should read 12V, with the engine running that might be as high as 14V. Still disconnected check pin #4 on the RV plug, if you have voltage there you are confirming a connection from the plug through the junction box all the way to the RV battery. If both above are "true" then you have connection from the TV battery/charging system to the RV battery.

Keep in mind there is no possible way the wire size between the TV and the RV will carry sufficient current to be of much value in assisting the RV battery in operating the hydraulics.
Check all 12V electrical connections at the battery, the auto reset breakers and ground. Oh yes I would also recheck the RV battery properly as well.

No idea where you are but colder weather puts additional strain on the battery when operating the hydraulics.

Hope this helps in some way, good luck.

[Butch & Kathy]

Thanks for the suggestions. The battery switch is in the on position. I yoke the battery to Sams and has it load tested. The voltage at the tv connector is good but does not make it to the battery. Battery voltage is the same with tv connected and disconnected. Seems the wiring is not there from the tv to the battery. I will do so,e ,ore checking,

[Butch & Kathy]

Boy oh boy I messed up that post. Lol

[mlh]

Naw man I understand you completely. That's the way we talk down her.
Lynwood

[DQDick]

This may not apply at all, but if I remember right some Ford owners reported a while back that they had to do something (install a fuse or something) before the truck would send power to the rig.

[hickory]

Re:Red battery disconnect---- If the key is turned to ON, the battery disconnect is ON. Meaning it is disconnected. If the key is turned to OFF, the disconnect is turned off, meaning the connection to the battery is on. Anyone care to comment. That's the way mine is.

[hickory]

I guess I should have said is ----------- I agree with Rondo!!

[Irlpguy]

Just want to repeat this part of my previous post:

If I were you I would disconnect the RV and check pin #4 on the TV plug, you should read 12V, with the engine running that might be as high as 14V. Still disconnected check pin #4 on the RV plug, if you have voltage there you are confirming a connection from the plug through the junction box all the way to the RV battery. If both above are "true" then you have connection from the TV battery/charging system to the RV battery.

I will add that if you are "NOT" connected to your TV and have 12V on any junction box wire or RV plug, but particularly the one that goes to pin #4 on the RV plug then you have a connection to the battery in the RV, that is the only way you could read 12V at the junction box or plug.

Also when "NOT" connected.. if you have 12V or higher at pin #4 of the TV plug then you are connected to the TV battery or you would have no reading there. DQDick is correct regarding either the Ford or Chev on having to put a fuse in, however if there is no fuse already there then there would be no voltage at the plug.

If you can remove the battery disconnect key, the battery is isolated from the converter...nothing else, but again this has no bearing on what happens between the TV and the RV and that part of the 12V system.

Good luck with the testing.

[Phil P]

Hi

You can do all discussing you want and that is all you can do because Keystone doesn’t follow any wiring diagrams on the production line so there is no way to try and compare one trailer to any other trailer that came off that production line and expect them to be the same. They may or may not be the same.

Phil P

[Butch & Kathy]

Good tip About checking the plug disconnected Ed. I will try that.

[Irlpguy]

quote:Originally posted by Phil P

Hi

You can do all discussing you want and that is all you can do because Keystone doesn’t follow any wiring diagrams on the production line so there is no way to try and compare one trailer to any other trailer that came off that production line and expect them to be the same. They may or may not be the same.

Phil P

Phil while I certainly agree with the apparent lack of standard wiring methods even in the same models and years, in spite of that the issue with which Butchy is facing really does not matter. All the units use the same 7 pin connectors, they all have a junction box and testing this small portion of the system is relatively easy. You are not trying to figure out why one signal light is working on the wrong side or that the running lights are flashing when they should not be, you are just tracing "one" wire. The color may be different, where it connects to the RV battery components may be dissimilar but if it was connected at the factory then these tests will determine that fact or "not".
By the same token these tests will determine the TV plugs connection as well.

Testing any electrical problem is more difficult for some than others, the intent of the "discussion" is to put forward a method of testing and what results you should get.
Discussing the cut off switch may enlighten some on how it works as to being on or off but does nothing to solve Butch's problem.

I am fortunate in that I have done lots of troubleshooting on electrical and hope my input will assist Butch in finding his problem. Anyone is welcome to put forth their ideas.

[Lenny K]

quote:Originally posted by DQDick

This may not apply at all, but if I remember right some Ford owners reported a while back that they had to do something (install a fuse or something) before the truck would send power to the rig.

I am thinking the same as DQDick.

[mlh]

All the 7 pin plugs on all campers are wired the same no matter who built the camper. No 4 is the hot wire to the camper just like Irlpguy said.
Lynwood

[Razrbk]

I had a similar problem - it was a blown dedicated fuse on my 2015 Ram 3500.

[Phil P]

quote:Originally posted by Irlpguy



Phil while I certainly agree with the apparent lack of standard wiring methods even in the same models and years, in spite of that the issue with which Butchy is facing really does not matter. All the units use the same 7 pin connectors, they all have a junction

Hi

The point I was making is the wire coding and any similarity of an organized wiring system stops at the end of the wire the molded plug is on. After that it is all Keystones and no one knows what happens from there on.

I have had them tell me according to the build ticket options were not included on my unit when years later I find the option located in a totally unusable place that it will only be observed after and appliance was removed for inspection / repair like the fire place or television.

The quickest way to determine if the trailer wiring is correct is to hold the trailer plug in your left hand with your index finger on the “key “and insert a 30 amp blade type fuse in the 2 upper slots closest to you index finger. If the fuse doesn’t blow and your tail and marker lights come on the trailer is wired correctly.

Phil P

[mazboy]

this sounds like a 2017 lecture at the goshen,in rally. lets get someone in to discuss and show all of us what is what.
see you all at the rally