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Old 11-03-2019, 06:48 PM   #1
yesiamapirate
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Dead battery

Quick question...I went to the storage lot and my trailer battery was dead. Left a light on. I pulled up the truck and hooked to my 7 pin. I needed to raise the electric tongue jack. Truck running and I waited a bit bit still not enough charge to run the jack. Someone said put the car in drive. With the break on of course. Sure enough pushed the button for the jack and up it went. Can anyone explain what putting it in drive did?
Thank you in advance!!
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Old 11-03-2019, 07:19 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by yesiamapirate View Post
Quick question...I went to the storage lot and my trailer battery was dead. Left a light on. I pulled up the truck and hooked to my 7 pin. I needed to raise the electric tongue jack. Truck running and I waited a bit bit still not enough charge to run the jack. Someone said put the car in drive. With the break on of course. Sure enough pushed the button for the jack and up it went. Can anyone explain what putting it in drive did?
Thank you in advance!!
Truck apparently has a lockout that disables the truck-to-trailer battery feed pin unless truck is in drive. I've heard of trucks that disable the battery feed pin unless the truck was running, to avoid draining the truck battery while parked, but needing to be in drive is a new one on me (which doesn't mean much).
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Old 11-03-2019, 07:27 PM   #3
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That makes sense. Thank you for your thoughts. For whatever it’s worth, it’s a 2016 Ford F 150.
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Old 11-04-2019, 05:22 AM   #4
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That makes sense. Thank you for your thoughts. For whatever it’s worth, it’s a 2016 Ford F 150.
Sure glad that was not the case with my 2001 Ram 2500! I had an unknown missing leg of power on a 50 amp connection, that was the leg feeding the converter. we after a day of many lights and furnace running battery low on voltage Propane alarm starts going off due to low voltage. I simply plugged the 5er into the Ram and slept the rest of the morning.
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Old 11-04-2019, 09:22 AM   #5
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Originally Posted by yesiamapirate View Post
Quick question...I went to the storage lot and my trailer battery was dead. Left a light on. I pulled up the truck and hooked to my 7 pin. I needed to raise the electric tongue jack. Truck running and I waited a bit bit still not enough charge to run the jack. Someone said put the car in drive. With the break on of course. Sure enough pushed the button for the jack and up it went. Can anyone explain what putting it in drive did?
Thank you in advance!!
Unless you disconnect either the + or - battery cable your battery will be dead in about a week regardless if a lights left on or not. The factory disconnect DOES NOT completely disconnect all drains on the battery. The CO/LP detector, slide motors & illuminated switches all stay hot with the factory disconnect "off".
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Old 11-04-2019, 09:29 AM   #6
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Use the search function and use the term "parasitic drain" and you'll have lots of answers.

One recommendation, use a set of jumper cables next time. The wire from the truck to the battery of the trailer might be 12 GA if your lucky. Most likely #14. It takes a long time to charge a dead battery via a small gauge wire. A good set of jumper cables will charge the battery faster and carry a much higher current to operate electric motors.
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Old 11-04-2019, 01:12 PM   #7
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And the best advice (which you didn't ask for) is don't leave your battery with the trailer in storage unless you can leave the trailer connected to shore power. Otherwise, bring the battery home and place it on a maintainer, like a Battery Tender. This is what I do. It's a small pain, but it keeps the batteries in tip-top shape.
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Old 11-04-2019, 06:07 PM   #8
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CW told me that removing the battery will mess up the automatic leveling system? CW said even a low battery will cause the leveling system act up? Has anyone experienced this? I want to put my battery on a trickle charger at home this winter. The cougar is my first experience wth the Lipert 3.0 system.
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Old 11-04-2019, 06:41 PM   #9
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Removing the battery will not cause any problems with any systems in the trailer. The CW fellow was misinformed. I would not use a trickle charger, however. I would recommend a battery maintainer, like a Battery Tender.

Now a low battery will cause problems for the auto-level system, but that's a different story
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Old 11-04-2019, 07:13 PM   #10
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Since the trailer most likely DIDNT have a battery in it while it sat on the sales lot, that makes me laugh at the things some people will tell you.

Your autolevel will be just fine if you take the battery out. As stated above, a weak/dead battery will play havoc with the electric auto level system.
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Old 11-04-2019, 08:18 PM   #11
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And the best advice (which you didn't ask for) is don't leave your battery with the trailer in storage unless you can leave the trailer connected to shore power. Otherwise, bring the battery home and place it on a maintainer, like a Battery Tender. This is what I do. It's a small pain, but it keeps the batteries in tip-top shape.
No need to remove battery when in storage! Simply install your own disconnect switch, place it either in the Positive or negative cable of the battery. This will completely disconnect the battery and it will hold a charge for a couple months. I did this on our 5er before we started full timing the 5er sat one time for two months went up turned on and ran out the slides, worked a while with a light on, then ran slides back in, no issues.
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Old 11-17-2019, 09:02 AM   #12
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Batteries will discharge when not in use.

I had the problem everyone does with battery drain. After learning the factory disconnect does not kill everything, I installed a Perko 9601DP disconnect switch on the negative cable from the battery. Went back two weeks later to hook up and the leveler controller said "low voltage." I later installed a second Perko switch on the positive side (in case there was some small short somewhere). This helped a little but the battery still drained down too much over several weeks. In talking with an old-timer at Interstate Batteries, he said just sitting on a bench will slowly discharge a battery. Always pull it and put it on a Battery Tender when it's going to be more than a week between trips when not plugged in to shore power.
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Old 11-17-2019, 09:46 AM   #13
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Here's much the same information from the Interstate Battery website FAQ's:

How should I store my battery, when not in use?

Clean the battery case with baking soda and water and scrub the terminals with a wire brush. Check the water level and add water if needed. Test your battery with a hydrometer and/or a voltmeter to ensure the battery is fully charged. If needed, charge your battery. Check the water level and state of charge every 45-60 days. If needed, add distilled water and charge.

NOTES: Batteries stored in a discharged state are susceptible to freezing in cold weather and sulfation. A fully charged battery will not freeze unless the temperature reaches approximately 75° F (24° C) below zero. But if discharged, it can freeze at 15° F (-9° C)

Store your battery in a dry, cool, well-ventilated area and out of the reach of children and pets.

What are the most common causes of premature battery failures?

• Deep discharges: Discharging a battery deeply will wear it out faster than normal
• Misapplication: Such as using a cranking battery in a deep-cycle application can dramatically reduce life
• Using an undersized battery: This can cause the battery to be deeply discharged or fail to crank the engine in cold weather
• High temperatures: Under hood heat, hot climates or overcharging. Most batteries mounted under hood will have a protective thermal wrap to protect it from excessive temperature. If it’s missing it will shorten the life of the battery.
• Undercharging: This will cause the battery to be sulfated. Fully charge batteries after use and look for charging system problems like a loose alternator belt or faulty charger. Batteries in storage must be periodically charged to keep them healthy.
• Excessive vibration: Batteries will be damaged due to the holddown bar being loose or missing. Batteries not properly held down can also be dangerous if they flip over and short.
• Corrosion: Corrosion can cause an increase in the self-discharge leading to an undercharged battery. Corrosion can also damage the battery terminals and cables.
• Freezing: This is caused by having a discharged battery in cold weather. A fully charged battery will not freeze until the temperature is 75° below zero F (-60° C). Frozen batteries are not warrantable and are dangerous. Do not test, charge or jump start a frozen battery as it could explode.

Lots of good information from "battery experts" on the Interstate Battery website: https://www.interstatebatteries.com/support
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Old 11-17-2019, 09:55 AM   #14
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I had the problem everyone does with battery drain. After learning the factory disconnect does not kill everything, I installed a Perko 9601DP disconnect switch on the negative cable from the battery. Went back two weeks later to hook up and the leveler controller said "low voltage." I later installed a second Perko switch on the positive side (in case there was some small short somewhere). This helped a little but the battery still drained down too much over several weeks. In talking with an old-timer at Interstate Batteries, he said just sitting on a bench will slowly discharge a battery. Always pull it and put it on a Battery Tender when it's going to be more than a week between trips when not plugged in to shore power.
If the "first" battery disconnect was properly installed, the "second" disconnect is not needed. It doesn't matter which terminal the switch is on + or - posts, if all the connections from that terminal are disconnected when the switch is opened then there cannot be a circuit for the flow of electrons.
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Old 11-17-2019, 10:06 AM   #15
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It’s an F150 issue. Hook up the truck then start it and watch the message centre. It will usually indicate trailer connected but battery not charging. Put vehicle into gear then back to park will activate the charging relay. It’s a protective measure put in by Ford so it doesn’t blow the trailer fuse. You’ll find that light will still work but that’s it
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Old 11-17-2019, 10:06 AM   #16
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As the manufacturer States, a sitting battery will degrade over time. It's a chemical reaction which moves electrons and metal from one location to another. That's why plates begin to sulfate, why batteries go dead. They're not made to last forever, and you're simply lengthening their lifetime by putting them on a maintainer. It's always a good idea to disconnect your battery at the trailer, and connect it to a source where it can be maintained by a charger.
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Old 11-17-2019, 10:06 AM   #17
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Originally Posted by flybouy View Post
If the "first" battery disconnect was properly installed, the "second" disconnect is not needed. It doesn't matter which terminal the switch is on + or - posts, if all the connections from that terminal are disconnected when the switch is opened then there cannot be a circuit for the flow of electrons.
Absolutely true !!!!!

I know you already know this, but for the benefit of some who may not be "up to date on batteries":

That said, most batteries will "discharge internally" either by "electron flow across the plates/through the electrolyte" or "electron flow through the battery case"... The first is still an issue (Interstate recommends recharging every 45-60 days) and the second is why we "used to not set batteries on concrete surfaces"... That essentially changed with the invention of "improved battery containers" (plastics)
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Old 11-17-2019, 10:52 AM   #18
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I have the auto level system on our 2014 HC. I remove the batteries when in storage the only problem I have had is when I go to hookup in the spring is the unit does not return to the last unhook position. So is the memory lost when the batteries are removed? If so could the level zero position also be gone ?
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Old 11-17-2019, 12:33 PM   #19
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By zero position, do you mean the level position? That is not lost when you remove the batteries. I'm surprised the hitch position is not remembered, but I'm not sure about that one.
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Old 11-17-2019, 02:27 PM   #20
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Yes . How is the memory retained without power.
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