Ah, the joys of Boondocking - Montana Owners Club

Gramps · 07-07-2009, 12:51 PM

Well, Monty took her first trip into the wild over the holiday weekend. The mountains were wonderful, no phones, no television, did some serious reading, walking, and fishing. BUT, not having a generator or the 6 volt battery set-up we were without power by the time we were ready to leave. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate closing the glides and retracting the legs by hand. We tried charging the batteries from the truck, but somethings haywire in Denmark, because that little backup plan was a non-starter. Am I incorrect in thinking the batteries should take a charge from the TV? Now we're looking into installing a set of 6 volt batteries and picking up a small generator. Would there be any advantage to installing solar to keep the batteries charged?

All that aside, it was still a good weekend.

KTManiac · 07-07-2009, 01:43 PM

I have also had no luck with charging the 5er battery by running the connected tow vehicle, with any of my rigs. I have, however, done the following in an emergency:

1. Disconnect TV
2. Remove battery from trailer
3. Start TV
4. With TV running, disconnect battery and put in the battery from trailer
5. Drive TV around in the woods for awhile
6. Turn off TV and swap the batteries back

My 2000 F-350 with single battery system does not charge the trailer battery while connected, and my 2007 Dodge 3500 with dual battery system doesn't either. Not sure why.

I wound up getting two Honda eu2000 generators and quit worrying about it.

kerry · 07-07-2009, 02:05 PM

The charge lead is a fused supply from the tow vehicle. It's one fuse you will not know is blown unless you check the voltage at the plug. In our shop, we built a test box that we plug into the trailer plug to test all the wiring, turn , stop, tail light, charge. We put an old brake magnet on the brake line, (the one from the brake controller) to electric brake control. Find a lot of charge lead fuses blown, it takes a lot of stress, especially with a low trailer battery and trying to operate slides. It will charge a battery and should as you tow, it just takes a little longer to charge an RV/Marine battery. Kerry PS: You don't have to have two batteries to have the charge lead. If you have a tow package, you should have a charge lead. You can also wire one if you don't.

Art-n-Marge · 07-07-2009, 02:06 PM

Sounds like you guys have something wired incorrectly. There should be a hot lead used for recharging your batteries at the 7 pin connector. It works for me.

If you are boondocking and need to mess with the slides, leave the TV plugged in. If this does not work it sounds like your hot wire is not connected. The wires have been known to come loose and not necessarily at the 7 pin connector. You might have to trace the wire farther back. It happened to me a couple of times when the dealer got sloppy intalling my connections.

Solar recharging is a good solution for recharging, but make sure your system trickle charges and includes a device to prevent overcharging (and sulfation). You must check the battery water level to ensure it's at the right level.

KTManiac · 07-07-2009, 02:47 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by kerry

The charge lead is a fused supply from the tow vehicle. It's one fuse you will not know is blown unless you check the voltage at the plug......

Is the one you are talking about the center pin (Auxillary), or the #4 pin (12V black/red) in the following diagram:

Thanks!

HamRad · 07-07-2009, 02:48 PM

Gramps,

Glad you had a great time out in the woods. As far as the battery thing goes my experience is about the same as yours. The battery(ies) will not get charged very quickly by the connection to the TV. Apparently it simply supplies a very slow 'trickle' type charge. When this happened to me I was lucky my friend had a small Honda 1000 with him. We were able to get the slides back in with it.

We currently have the two 12 volt battery setup. They last at least a complete weekend. We now have a Honda 2000 so are able to recharge as needed and to supply good 110 when needed.

Good luck with your future boondocking. Come join us at Quartzsite this coming January. There you will see several thousands of fellow boondockers.

HamRad

kerry · 07-07-2009, 02:53 PM

That's the one, just couldn't remember for sure. You can also check the vehicle owners manual to find out what fuse it is, the check the fuse at the fuse panel. Still a good idea to check it at the plug. Kerry

KTManiac · 07-07-2009, 03:58 PM

?!?!?!?!?

Which one? Center pin or #4 pin?

kerry · 07-07-2009, 04:02 PM

I'm sorry, #4

KTManiac · 07-07-2009, 04:15 PM

Bingo!!!! We have a winner!!!

Blown fuse in truck. Took my multimeter out to the truck and checked the #4 pin on the connector, no juice. Pulled the fuse, no continuity! Replaced fuse and now have power to the pin. Yippee!!! For my 2007 Dodge 5.9L, it is fuse #19. It is in the fuse box under the hood, and is a 30amp that looks like this:

Next, I will check my 2000 F-350. Betcha that one is blown too.

Gramps, Since you have a 2000 F-350 too, I will post location of offending fuse when I find it.

You just have to love this place!

Thanks loads!

tbhd2 · 07-07-2009, 05:15 PM

Also, if you have a Ford, the ignition has to be on (truck running) to get power. If your key is off, no power.

BirdingRVer · 07-08-2009, 03:53 AM

Gramps wrote "Have I ever mentioned how much I hate closing the glides and retracting the legs by hand."

You can close the glides by hand?!?!?!? How is that done?

**Rondo** · 07-08-2009, 06:16 AM

I recently moved my Monte from one location to another at home and I've got a 2007 Chevy with the message board in the dash! When I unhooked the power I got message "Sevice Trailer Brake System". Now what is on the system to service??!!?? Took the truck into the dealer to have some other work done and told them about it. They checked it out and told me the fuse was blown. When I had the hitch put in they also put another receptical on the inside of the bed to make it easier to hook up. Come to find out they just connected that plugin to the same line as the bumper receptical and the two units were to much and blew the fuse. This has happened to me several time(all under warranty before)! They rewired the second unit and each plugin is now on a separate fuse. Where the fuses are at I have not idea but they are on separate fuses now!

Got to go back to the dealer and find out where the two fuses are! I think by removing the umbiical cord to slowly for the Monte while the TV was running shorted out as I removed it and thus the blown fuse. Anyway, pertaining to the subject-- When my battery is low and I can't get enough power to bring in the slides I just hook up the umbilical cord and have no problem bringing in the slides. As noted in a previous post- the TV must be running to do this!

8e3k0 · 07-08-2009, 08:36 AM

Maybe just to add to this: when the TV is hooked to the Unit towed, the TV has to be running or if engine is not running the ignition switch has to be in the on position to activate power to your wire that runs to the 12 volt system on the Monty. When boondocking, we disconnect 5th wheel and leave plug in with vehicle running while leveling end to end and extending slides. This reserves the batteries in the Monty for needed use when not connected to the TV or alternate power source. Ellis

KTManiac · 07-08-2009, 09:30 AM

Mystery solved on the 2000 F-350!

There is a fuse in the power distribution box, fuse #16, that is for the trailer battery charge. It is for the #4 pin on the 7-pin connector at the back of the truck. I pulled mine, and it was good. But still no power to the pin, even with ignition on or with truck running.

But that is not the end of it! There is also a relay that controls power to that circuit. My truck does not have the relays! Evidently, if the truck was not ordered from the factory with the Tow Package, they do not include the relay. Whoever it was that added the 7-pin connector to my truck didn't put them in either!

There is a small auxiliary black box, next to the main fuse/relay box (under the hood, drivers side, near the firewall). It had two wraps of electrical tape around it. It was empty, with sockets for 2 relays. I think the one for the trailer battery charge circuit is the one toward the front. The other one, I think, is for the trailer back-up light circuit (center pin on the 7-pin connector) They are listed in the owners manual as being relay #39 for the trailer battery charge, and #38 for the trailer back-up lights, but it doesn't tell you where they are, nor does the box lid have any diagram or numbers on it for the location of said relays.

The Ford part number for the relays is FOAZ-14N089-A, and they are about $12 or $13 each.

I will go and get a couple of them and report back with my results.

Gramps · 07-08-2009, 12:13 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by BirdingRVer

Gramps wrote "Have I ever mentioned how much I hate closing the glides and retracting the legs by hand."

You can close the glides by hand?!?!?!? How is that done?

Take a large adjustable wrench or an open end (1" I think)and turn the square connecting bar under the glide. It's a 2 person operation though. I could turn it little, then had DW press the "in" switch so the pump would release presure, then repeat until the glide is in. After you get one glide in, you will have to close the valve for that glide at the pump, otherwise when you do the next glide, it will create pressure in the system and push the previous one back out (found that out the hard way). As for the bed room glide, we managed to get it in before the batteries died, but I believe the mechanism for it is under the bed beneath the wood pannels. It's actually not hard, other than laying on the ground to do it and the sheer annouyance of it all.
KTManiac, Thanks for locating that fuze. I bought my truck used and of course the owners manual was not included in the deal. I'll check that when I get home from work. A fellow at Carol and Waynes favorite dealer indicated that may have been the problem, also said worst case I could have nosed the TV up to the trailer and hooked up a set of jumper cables.
NOTE to SELF: bring jumper cables and the big extension cord to plug into my buddies generator (lesson learned)

ols1932 · 07-08-2009, 01:43 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by BirdingRVer

Gramps wrote "Have I ever mentioned how much I hate closing the glides and retracting the legs by hand."

You can close the glides by hand?!?!?!? How is that done?

Grant,

On the hydraulic pump you will see a note on how to do it by hand.

Orv

KTManiac · 07-08-2009, 01:59 PM

Success!!!!

I went and bought two relays, Ford part number FOAZ-14N089-A $12.06 each at my local Ford dealer.

The relays fit in the auxiliary box. The aux box is black and is about 1.5" x 3.0" in size and may have some black tape wrapped around one end. It is between the main fuse block and the brake master cylinder.

I installed the relays, and now I have power to the 7-pin connector for trailer battery charge and trailer back-up lights.

The front socket for the relays in the auxiliary box is for the trailer battery charge circuit. When activated, by turning on the ignition switch, it allows 12v to feed out to pin #4 of the 7-pin connector.

The socket toward the firewall is for the relay that controls power to the trailer back-up lights through the center pin of the 7-pin connector.

Hope this helps!

KTManiac · 07-08-2009, 02:10 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by ols1932

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by BirdingRVer

Gramps wrote "Have I ever mentioned how much I hate closing the glides and retracting the legs by hand."

You can close the glides by hand?!?!?!? How is that done?

Grant,

On the hydraulic pump you will see a note on how to do it by hand.

Orv

Yes, you are supposed to remove the protective sticker on top of the hydraulic pump motor and use a drill with the proper socket on it to spin the pump motor. One way to open, and the other direction to close the slides.

HamRad · 07-08-2009, 03:49 PM

This is just a note to the folks who have Fords. My relays were in the car pocket. All I had to do was install them in the appropriate places. They even had a nice little note with them on how and what they did.

HamRad

You may also like: