New Batteries Showing Low Voltage

[Pbonaventure]

Looking for information. I replaced our two 12 volt deep cycle batteries with 4 Trojan T105 batteries wired in series/parallel. When plugged into shore power the show 13.6 volts, but when not on shore power they show 12.6 to 12.4 volts. They are not able to fully open or close the slides without me allowing the batteries to "rest" for a few seconds.

Thanks,
Paul
2016 3160RL
2019 F350 SDW FX4

[kdeiss]

T105 are 6V correct? So a reading of 12.4 to 12.6 with two 6V wired in series is fully Charged. Sounds like their is another issue with the slide or cable connection .Not sure if Golf Cart batteries will take the load of the slides similar to starting load of a car or truck. Hopefully someone will come along that has a similar setup

[mazboy]

something isn't right.

try a simple test and put just one 12 volt battery in and close your slides.

and 4 batteries? you must live on the wild side.:-)

[kdeiss]

Mazboy that is a great idea!

[Carl n Susan]

Four 6V batteries are more than enough to run the slides and power the whole coach. The voltage reading you are seeing are normal. When you are hooked to shore power the converter supplies 13+ volts to recharge the batteries (specific voltage varies depending on the current battery charge.), When the shore power is removed then the normal battery state of 12.6 or less is what you will see.

The "battery resting" you observe is the 30, 40, 50 amp self resetting circuit breaker quitting on you. Replace the breaker (80 amp is best) and the problem will go away. Do a "search" here with the term "self resetting breaker" and you should find 100's of posts on the subject.

[DQDick]

If your slides are coming in and then stopping and will start again after a time it's your auto reset breaker. Keystone replaced our 40 amp one with an 80 amp under warranty years ago.

[twindman]

I don't think the 12.6 is fully charged for 6 V batteries. The chart I have says 6.37, or 12.74 for 2. at 12.6 you are about 90% and at 12.4 your are right at 70%.

[mlh]

Four 6V batteries are more than enough to run the slides and power the whole coach. The voltage reading you are seeing are normal. When you are hooked to shore power the converter supplies 13+ volts to recharge the batteries (specific voltage varies depending on the current battery charge.), When the shore power is removed then the normal battery state of 12.6 or less is what you will see.

The "battery resting" you observe is the 30, 40, 50 amp self resetting circuit breaker quitting on you. Replace the breaker (80 amp is best) and the problem will go away. Do a "search" here with the term "self resetting breaker" and you should find 100's of posts on the subject.


Listen to this Carl as usual got it right again.
Lynwood

[beeje]

Yes I believe Carl it correct. I have 2- 6 volt and 2 -12 volts wired up in my unit and still have this issue from time to time. The replacement of my breaker is on the to do list. However I make it a point to either plug in to shore power or a genny before moving the slides and have not had the issue while plugged in. Plugging in is something you are most likely going to do anyway, so why not do it first upon set up and disconnect last upon departure. Running the slides and or the level up (if you have it ) use ALOT of amps.

[jetskier]

My new trailer does the same on battery power. Once the hydraulic pump runs for about half a leveling cycle, the circuit breaker will trip and reset the who 12V system (lights flash inside the trailer). In my case they wired the interior 12V fuse panel to the same CB as the pump. I need to rewire to isolate the pump with its own CB. That's next on my list and easy compared the other mods I've done since delivery a month ago.

[Montana Man]

My new trailer does the same on battery power. Once the hydraulic pump runs for about half a leveling cycle, the circuit breaker will trip and reset the who 12V system (lights flash inside the trailer). In my case they wired the interior 12V fuse panel to the same CB as the pump. I need to rewire to isolate the pump with its own CB. That's next on my list and easy compared the other mods I've done since delivery a month ago.

100 of us had the same issue. Change the cheapazz breaker keystone used for the 80 amp as lippert prescribed. You may find that the problem is solved at that point without rewiring anything.

[Carl n Susan]

Yes I believe Carl it correct. I have 2- 6 volt and 2 -12 volts wired up in my unit and still have this issue from time to time. The replacement of my breaker is on the to do list. However I make it a point to either plug in to shore power or a genny before moving the slides and have not had the issue while plugged in. Plugging in is something you are most likely going to do anyway, so why not do it first upon set up and disconnect last upon departure. Running the slides and or the level up (if you have it ) use ALOT of amps.
I boondock about 4 months a year with a couple of 6V batteries. I NEVER have to fire up a gennie or plug into non-existent shore power to operate the slides and the levelers.

The shore power/gennie is supplying enough power to reduce the draw from the battery through the self resetting CB.

REPLACE THE CB and your need for shore power will go away.

[phillyg]

Agree, circuit breaker is what's resting.

[BuilderBob]

Agree with Carl 100% I have 6V battery's in are 5er and haven't had any problems when we boondock replacing the auto reset beaker should fix your problem.

[beeje]

Carl, If you can go without any shore power or generator for 4 months you must have one hell of a solar system. There is no disagreement that the 40 amp breaker is the problem and the 80 amp replacement is the fix. I am simply trying to prevent the issue from happening to others by supplying a/c power to the unit while operating the slides.

[Carl n Susan]

<snip?...Carl, If you can go without any shore power or generator for 4 months you must have one hell of a solar system....
</snip>
No solar, just a Honda 2000i to charge the batteries a few hours each day.

[Texan]

I have the 80 amp manual reset and two Trojan six volt 105's and have no problem. If everything is working correctly then you don't need shore power for slides and jacks. You get more amps out of two 6-volts than two 12-volts. And like Carl i also have a Honda 2000i and is plenty for my needs.

[Jerry B]

REPLACE the dang breaker to 80 amp!

[StageCoachDriver]

Check the Trojan web site. It has a series/parallel wiring diagram. Also, advise buying a hand strap to life the batteries. Trojan EZGO 609628 Battery Lifting Strap For T105 Battery (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00699WCUM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1). Costs about $10.

[DebNJim B]

Is that CB one of the one's located in my front storage compartment near the battery?

[jetskier]

Yes, there's a couple, just trace the wire from the pump to the existing circuit breaker

[Eddiea]

I could only find 50 amp breakers, two paces told me they no longer make the 80 amps ones??

One of these have caused much trouble, replaced with a 50amp, good so far

[Jerry B]

My breaker is in front compartment just above and behind the batterys. However, mine is a 2009 model so....., drove me nuts on slide till I read these forums!

[MARK A]

Also Trojan has a battery watering system available, you can fill all 4 batteries with a couple squeezes of a siphon bulb. Good money spent.

Mark

[rohrmann]

I could only find 50 amp breakers, two paces told me they no longer make the 80 amps ones??

One of these have caused much trouble, replaced with a 50amp, good so far


These breakers are still available. Sounds like those two places are just too lazy to get them for you. Order them online and save some money too.

https://www.amazon.com/Bussmann-BP-CB185-80-Circuit-Breaker/dp/B001PYL1VM

[jetskier]

Also Trojan has a battery watering system available, you can fill all 4 batteries with a couple squeezes of a siphon bulb. Good money spent.

Mark

This is what I did for watering system ... The two circuit breakers are behind the battery box.

[Eddiea]

Thanks for the information

[Montana Luxury]

I had a similar setup and it work fine for me. Aa stated the levels are correct. I think the issue may be in the battery cabling is not large enough or you are not drawing from acros the bank. Trailer positive from one pair and trailer neg from the other.

[rohrmann]

Carl, If you can go without any shore power or generator for 4 months you must have one hell of a solar system. There is no disagreement that the 40 amp breaker is the problem and the 80 amp replacement is the fix. I am simply trying to prevent the issue from happening to others by supplying a/c power to the unit while operating the slides.


Having AC power connected does very little to help with operating the slides of leveling system, because there is so much amperage needed from the batteries in a very short period of time, the converter can not supply enough current to make much difference. Good well charged batteries, good wiring connections, and of course a good breaker are all that is needed. When I replaced our breaker with an 80 amp one years ago, I also found slightly loose connections, which I tightened while changing the breaker.

[rohrmann]

My new trailer does the same on battery power. Once the hydraulic pump runs for about half a leveling cycle, the circuit breaker will trip and reset the who 12V system (lights flash inside the trailer). In my case they wired the interior 12V fuse panel to the same CB as the pump. I need to rewire to isolate the pump with its own CB. That's next on my list and easy compared the other mods I've done since delivery a month ago.


Our rig is wired the same way, and when I replaced the breaker, I left it that way. There is very little to no current draw from the inside panel when you are putting jacks down or up and extending slides or retracting them, so it is really is not necessary to have an additional breaker to feed the inside panel through the battery disconnect switch. It won't hurt anything, but not needed.

[beeje]

Having AC power connected does very little to help with operating the slides of leveling system, because there is so much amperage needed from the batteries in a very short period of time, the converter can not supply enough current to make much difference. Good well charged batteries, good wiring connections, and of course a good breaker are all that is needed. When I replaced our breaker with an 80 amp one years ago, I also found slightly loose connections, which I tightened while changing the breaker.

While I agree that the replacement of the breaker with an 80 amp unit will more that likely solve the issue, being plugged in to shore power DEFINATLY supplies more power for the slides to operate without stopping. While operating them with shore power, mine have NEVER stopped. I can see the evidence while watching my LCD meter while they operate. While on just battery, the meter dips into the 11 volt range as opposed to the 12.5 volt range while on shore power.

In my case it also makes a difference if I leave the umbilical cord pugged into the running truck while operating them. They never stop while plugged into the truck.

Like I stated before in this tread, most of us camp with access to shore power (me about 1/2 the time). With that being said, simply hook up to it first and disconnect last. You are going to do it anyway so why not do it in an order that prevents the issue from happening in the first place.

[phillyg]

Having AC power connected does very little to help with operating the slides of leveling system......

Before I changed to an 80a breaker (got mine from NAPA), the original breaker would trip, probably two to one, when only on 12v.

[Rebel702]

My 2018 3811MS has the Buss Hi-Amp 150A, 42v, manual resetting breaker, #184150F.
Guess Keystone and LCI stepped it up.

[Carl n Susan]

My 2018 3811MS has the Buss Hi-Amp 150A, 42v, manual resetting breaker, #184150F.
Guess Keystone and LCI stepped it up.
That sure sounds like the breaker to the inverter running the refrigerator. Keystone has never put in anything above a 50 amp self-resetting breaker for the main power systems.

[Razahoryin]

Listen to this Carl as usual got it right again.
Lynwood
Replace the breaker
I always level and push or pull the slides out umber battery alone... shore power has never been required