Battery

[russmathias]

Help please. We have a 2012 - 5th wheel Cougar and the battery is charged but will not run anything. I can not find where the inverter is located either. BTW - I am only 4 months into our new full time adventure. I’’m very green. Your help will be appreciated. Thanks

[chollahan]

Might want to have the battery load tested. If it has a bad cell it will still show good voltage, but under load won’t deliver.


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[chollahan]

Also look for your battery disconnect and make sure it isn’t disconnected. Sorry I can’t help on locating it.


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[Terry W.]

Also look for your battery disconnect and make sure it isn’t disconnected. Sorry I can’t help on locating it.


Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkWhen you say run are you meaning the slide? Or are you meaning lights, heater, refrigerator? As for the inverter it should be close to the power panel where fuses & breakers.

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[sourdough]

When you say run are you meaning the slide? Or are you meaning lights, heater, refrigerator? As for the inverter it should be close to the power panel where fuses & breakers.

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x2^^. What isn't working? Have you checked anything? If so, what? A little more info would help in trying to figure it out.

[Tinner12002]

Also look for your battery disconnect and make sure it isn’t disconnected. Sorry I can’t help on locating it.


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Sorry used the wrong quote...lol

It should hopefully be somewhere close to your battery. If nothing works then that's also what I'd be looking for.

[russmathias]

Thanks Chris.

[russmathias]

Thanks . No lights, no slides, no electrical unit will come on unless it is hooked to the truck or other electric. I have found the switch for battery & it is on.

[sourdough]

I'd suspect the battery or something preventing the battery from getting to the trailer. Check your ground.

[Bisjoe]

Our inverter is under the fuse panels, we can hear it running. To get to it requires removing a wooden panel.

[Canonman]

Trace your hot lead from the battery to a connecting block that is close by. Our Cougar has a fuse there between the battery an the connector post that the trailer wiring uses.
There's a name for that type connector but I can't remember it (CRS). Not hard to find or test.

[DocWMB]

Help please. We have a 2012 - 5th wheel Cougar and the battery is charged but will not run anything. I can not find where the inverter is located either. BTW - I am only 4 months into our new full time adventure. I’’m very green. Your help will be appreciated. Thanks
I had a similar problem with my NEW Cougar after taking it home a year ago. Turned out to be the battery terminal was loose. They also had me check the Battery on-off switch (mine's in the area for water/cable connections in the storage compartment) and the small breakers that were within 2 feet of the battery - the lead goes directly to them. They are circuit breakers on my Cougar and can be reset with a push of a button.

[chuckster57]

Our inverter is under the fuse panels, we can hear it running. To get to it requires removing a wooden panel.

What your describing is most likely the CONverter.

When plugged into shore power, it changes the 110VAC to 12VDC to power the 12V stuff and charge the battery(s).

An INverter uses the battery(s) to change the 12VDC to 110VAC to power 110V stuff. Most common is a residential fridge.

[sourdough]

Thanks . No lights, no slides, no electrical unit will come on unless it is hooked to the truck or other electric. I have found the switch for battery & it is on.


Realize that there are 2 components to your electric; 12vdc and 120vac. The things you mentioned, lights/slides are 12vdc, what about your AC/fireplace/TV? They are going to be AC. Sounds like the DC side (battery) is belly up but you need to know which portions of it are faulty. Your converter could be bad and it let the battery(s) die. Do you have AC going to the trailer? You need it to keep the batteries charged.

[hankaye]

russmathias, Howdy;

Just went through a similar experience, only not near as severe.

Last night I noticed that my furnace wasn't making it normal noises.
I went and put my hand near the outlet and found that it wasn't pushing out
the regular amount of air so I checked the so called "Control Center" the
idiot board with the lights that is supposed to so how full your tanks are
along with the battery level. If your CONverter is working properly it will
always show a FULL level, if the CONverter is not doing it's job then it will
show a less then full amount. Mine was down to 2 out of 4 lights so I. shut
off the furnace and turned on my electric back-up.
This morning I went outside to check the batteries with my multi-meter and
found it to be below any king of good level, but good news, my refrigerator
was still working (it has a requirement for 12vdc even if you have it plugged
into 120vac), until the RV repair guy showed up with a replacement
CONverter.
All is working fine as I type this.

SO, find where all your fuses are located, and the CONverter is in the bottom
of that unit. I'd also go ahead and buy a new battery as you have most likely
'cooked' or boiled out the old one. Expensive lesson to learn but one you'll
most likely not forget.

Hope this helps.

hankaye

[russmathias]

Thank you all for your help. Me Being naive, i trusted that the dealer put in a working battery, as three individuals from the dealership verbally verified, unfortunately, not the case. The battery has been replaced and is working fine. Again, thanks for the information, I'm sure it will also come in handy in the future.

[russmathias]

hankaya,

thanks so much for the information. I did replace the battery and everything is working fine. It's nice to know where the converter is located.

[sourdough]

Thank you all for your help. Me Being naive, i trusted that the dealer put in a working battery, as three individuals from the dealership verbally verified, unfortunately, not the case. The battery has been replaced and is working fine. Again, thanks for the information, I'm sure it will also come in handy in the future.


When I bought my last trailer I specified 2 batteries (it had one). They said it had been done and everything was AOK. Shame on me I did not open the boxes because you have to dismantle the propane tanks to get to them. I did verify that I had two boxes and wiring going to both. The first time I opened the boxes to service I found the original Exide battery coupled to a Camco!! battery that was covered in grease/goop. Maybe it was new when it was installed or maybe it was something off the shop floor - I don't know but I do know it didn't get goop on my watch.

Glad you got things going.

Long story short, I did not replace the batteries immediately - bad decision. The next thing I know is I'm having all kinds of weird light effects, converter running funny etc. Checked the batteries again and the Exide had toasted; whether trying to carry the Camco, it expired on its own because it was a year older than the Camco....? I do know that I will specify the batteries to be installed on my next trailer and have that verified visually by me.

[hankaye]

russmathias, Howdy;

Good on you for following up and informing us as to what you found to be
the problem and the 'fix'. It's how we pay-it-forward. Have an excellent
camping season.

hankaye