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Old 03-01-2019, 09:18 AM   #1
Jeff Hill
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Battery Power Leveling System Problem

My problem is with my 2016 Montana 3721's leveling (front jacks) system when on battery power. The unit has 2-12v deep cycle RV/Marine batteries in parallel, my 2015 2500HD also has 2 batteries.

The front jacks and leveling systems operates fine when on shore power, but when trailer plugged into the truck, the front jacks will not operate. The batteries are fully charged with ample deep cycle drawing power. All fuses are in good shape. There are 14 wire leads from the trailer stepping down to the 7 pin connector.

Has anyone ever experienced this same problem, and if so what was the fix?

Any ideas and suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Will take to authorized repair center as a last resort.

Regards,

Jeff
 
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Old 03-01-2019, 11:36 AM   #2
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Jeff,
Funny you should post this.
Just yesterday I went to work on my camper in storage.
I plug the camper and leave my truck running to make up for running the slides in and out.

When I first hooked up I took note of the Voltage, 14VDC at the Levelup control panel. That should have given me a clue right away.

I ran the slides out and in and noticed they were running a bit slow. I grumbled to myself that I will need to charge them up more or bring it home to work on.

Well when all was said and done I went to disconnect the batteries I found I had not connected them first (knife switch)

Granted temps were 75 degrees so hydraulic fluid was not thick.

So at least my truck can run the hydraulics on a warm day with no Battery.

I am willing to bet yours should, or at least with some help from the batteries.

Now for the trouble shooting part.

What is your voltage at your Levelup panel-- just hit the up or down arrow until it shows.
Do this with and without hooked up to your truck and your truck running.

Do you have a battery disconnect at your batteries that totally isolate your batteries?

When you plug into your truck and run the leverlers, is your truck running?
Have you tried it with your truck running?

How do you know your batteries are good?
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Old 03-01-2019, 12:00 PM   #3
Jeff Hill
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Thank you for the prompt response. I will need to recheck voltages at the control panel. It has been some time now. In answer to your other question, I leave truck running when trying to drop the front jacks. Only when shore power applied does the jacks work.


Thanks for your response. I will recheck when weather permits longer stays outside.


Jeff
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Old 03-01-2019, 01:07 PM   #4
GAinaMontana
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Is it only the front jacks that will not work? Will the rear jacks work when only on battery?
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Old 03-01-2019, 02:11 PM   #5
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If the jacks only work (move, click or otherwise react) with shore power, take a good look at the self resetting circuit breaker. It sounds like it is permanently open. Without the truck or shore power attached, jumper the breaker and see if the batteries then activate the jacks.
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Old 03-01-2019, 02:21 PM   #6
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2x what Carl said.
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Old 03-01-2019, 04:48 PM   #7
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Assuming he’s got six point hyd system... the resettable breaker is one and the same for ALL jack functions and ALL hyd slide functions... DC power goes from battery thru one resettable breaker directly to the dual polarity solenoid on the hyd pump motor..

He states it works with shore power but not with truck hooked up and no shore power...

When hooked to truck the current capability is no where near what the output is coming off the converter in the RV...wire harness gauge is not large enough to carry much amperage from truck to RV

If the resettable breaker were open the jacks would never operate with or without shore power

I’d be removing the DC connections at the battery and checking for corrosion on the under side ...
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Old 03-01-2019, 09:23 PM   #8
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Could be a bad connection off the batteries, or a bad ground from the batteries to the frame, or very likely it is the auto reset breaker. Obviously, if it works with shore power, there isn't enough or any power coming from the batteries for the system to work with the batteries alone. Unless the batteries are bad, it could be a simple bad connection. The way these rigs are wired, the main feed from the converter is piggybacked to the same cable that goes to the hydraulic pump, so with a bad connection at a battery, the power from the converter is directly going to the hydraulic pump, bypassing the reset breaker. In the photo, the single cable to the bottom of the 80 amp breaker is the cable coming from the battery, via the common connection at the smaller auto reset breaker. One of the cables off the load side of the 80 amp breaker feeds the pump and the other cable off the same connection goes to the converter via the battery disconnect switch. I would first check the auto reset breaker, and while there check all the other connections, too. Most likely the breaker.
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Old 03-02-2019, 04:55 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ChuckS View Post
Assuming he’s got six point hyd system... the resettable breaker is one and the same for ALL jack functions and ALL hyd slide functions... DC power goes from battery thru one resettable breaker directly to the dual polarity solenoid on the hyd pump motor..

He states it works with shore power but not with truck hooked up and no shore power...

When hooked to truck the current capability is no where near what the output is coming off the converter in the RV...wire harness gauge is not large enough to carry much amperage from truck to RV

If the resettable breaker were open the jacks would never operate with or without shore power

I’d be removing the DC connections at the battery and checking for corrosion on the under side ...

Read my earlier post. It is possible ,but not recommended, to operate at least the slides from just the 7 pin connector from the truck.
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Old 03-02-2019, 06:58 AM   #10
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Either the slides or the hyd level up gear will work via using the tow vehicle running and with the RVs battery slightly.. but the tow vehicle charging system can’t provide enough current thru the 7 pin connection if batteries on the RV are dead or a bad cell... just not heavy enough gauge wire

This OP has either batteries that are bad or he’s got corrosion or loose connections..

Hopefully OP will update with what he finds as the fix...
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Old 03-02-2019, 09:12 AM   #11
Jeff Hill
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Bat Supply Leveling Sysem

Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffba View Post
Read my earlier post. It is possible ,but not recommended, to operate at least the slides from just the 7 pin connector from the truck.

Thanks for the reply,
All cells are good in twin batteries. All lugs and terminals clean and free of corrosion, even the frame grounds.

Have load tested batteries with result of 12.15+.

Coach has 2 Bat disco switches, one in bat compartment with leads to inverter, 1 in the utility hook up to house.

I have not tried lowering rear stabilizers, just the front on occasion if disconnecting trailer for a short period of time.

Jeff
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Old 03-02-2019, 09:36 AM   #12
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Do you have the original 50 amp resettable breaker, or have you upgraded it?
If it is resettable is it manually resettable
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Old 03-02-2019, 09:42 AM   #13
Jeff Hill
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffba View Post
Do you have the original 50 amp resettable breaker, or have you upgraded it?
If it is resettable is it manually resettable
Not sure, where do I check? Are you talking main breaker panel?
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Old 03-02-2019, 11:08 AM   #14
jeffba
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Look earlier on Bob Rohman's post. The red resettable breaker it he Red one.
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Old 03-02-2019, 01:04 PM   #15
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The auto reset breaker with the red cover is one of the original breakers, and this one powers loads that do not come from the main panel. The manual reset 80 amp breaker replaced the original 40 amp breaker that was installed that powered the hydraulic pump and the main power panel. If the hydraulic system only works when the shore power is connected, but nothing when on battery only power, the most likely problem is the breaker that feeds the hydraulic pump, because the 12 volt feed from the converter, that is powered by the 120 volt shore feed, is coming to the load side of the breaker, and through the common connection to the hydraulic pump. If the breaker was making a connection, then the batteries would power the system, assuming the batteries were still charged. With that breaker not working, the converter will not charge the batteries. There is still a possibility that there is an open connection coming from the batteries, or an open ground, which is fairly simple to check with a volt meter
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Old 03-07-2019, 07:57 AM   #16
jeff pedersen
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If the voltage on the batteries are 12.15 at resting then they are close to dead. The batteries should be at 12.8 to 12.9 when charged and without a load. They are dead at 12.0 and 50% at 12.4 as a rule of thumb. After a few times of draining the batteries below 50% you can cause damage to the batteries and reduce the life of them.
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Old 03-07-2019, 10:25 AM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jeff pedersen View Post
If the voltage on the batteries are 12.15 at resting then they are close to dead. The batteries should be at 12.8 to 12.9 when charged and without a load. They are dead at 12.0 and 50% at 12.4 as a rule of thumb. After a few times of draining the batteries below 50% you can cause damage to the batteries and reduce the life of them.
Pretty much everything I have found/read says flooded batteries are at 50% at around 12.0V.



Source: The 12V Side of Life -

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Old 03-08-2019, 09:51 AM   #18
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This chart kind of splits the difference between the 2
https://batteryuniversity.com/learn/...tate_of_charge
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Old 03-10-2019, 01:57 PM   #19
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Leveling system

Our problem was the batteries. We replaced them, everything was fine.
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Old 03-16-2019, 08:59 AM   #20
Jeff Hill
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Battery Power Leveling System Problem

I would like to send a big thank you to all those Montana owners that responded to my request for assistance. All of you had great information and suggestions that I will file away.

I did find the problem and was able to correct with a $4.00 breaker. It took mapping out my hydraulic electrical system and then checking each terminal while under shore power and BAT power. I was able to notate all voltages and finally isolate problem down to the 2nd breaker powering the pump.

All works great now. So, good travels to all and thanks again.

Respectfully,

Jeff Hill
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