Keystone springdale 2002 DC power issue

[Joeybert]

Hello. My TT has no DC power. Battery was tested and is OK. I am going to replace the circuit breaker right near the battery. Anything else to check? How do i use a volt meter to test?

[ctbruce]

A few clarifying questions. Dont skip any in answering.
1. How do you know the battery is good if you are not sure how to use a multimeter?
2. Did you disconnect the battery and then reconnect it again?
3. How do you store your trailer?
4. Do you know it worked before and how do you know?

That's for starters. We can go from there.

[Joeybert]

1. I brought the battery back to the RV service location that I purchased it from and they checked it out and said it was looking good. Fully charged. I understand the basics of a multimeter... I was able to determine that there was voltage at the battery terminals, just not sure how to check down the line.

2. I did disconnect and bring to the store for a checkup, and now it is back installed.

3. My trailer sits outside in the cold winter of New York. I bring the battery into the garage. I trickle charged it for a full day in the garage, and then trickle charged it while it was installed overnight for 12 hours before my last trip out.

4. The camper has only been with us for a year. It was a hand me down. I cant actually say for sure that it EVER worked without shore power to be honest.

The only reason why I realized there was even a problem, was because I was and AM having slide out issues which I believe to be related to the lack of DC power making it into my trailer.

I purchased a replacement 50 amp DC breaker which is the first component inline between the battery and the inverter and I will try that out tonight. Next it must be a loose wire or a bad fuse at the inverter or the inverter is no good.

[MarkEHansen]

I suspect you mean converter rather than inverter. An inverter takes 12V DC and "inverts" it to 120V AC. The converter takes shore power (120V AC) and converts it to 12V DC for trailer power, battery charging, etc.

If your converter is bad, the battery should still provide power to your DC systems inside the trailer (slides, lights, radio, etc.). It just won't charge your battery.

You can set your multi meter to DC volts and with the ground probe on the negative battery terminal, start probing other areas to see where you lose the voltage. You can place your + probe on the battery side of a fuse to make sure it shows 12V - and then on the other side of the fuse to make sure it still shows 12V. If not, the fuse is bad.

I would do this probing with the shore power cable disconnected, just in case you should accidentally hit a 120V contact point.

Trouble shooting a bad converter is another issue. I would take these one step at a time.

I hope this helps.

[Joeybert]

OK I will take a look later today and post and update. Thank you.

[JRTJH]

You may have an issue with "reverse polarity" if you hooked up the battery "backwards"...



The black cable is NEGATIVE (ground) and the red cable is POSITIVE (power) in automotive applications. It's the opposite in RV trailer applications.

In your trailer, the black cable is POSITIVE (power) and the white cable is NEGATIVE (ground). THIS IS HOW YOU WANT IT CONNECTED !!!!

If you happened to connect the battery in reverse, you've blown the reverse polarity fuses in the power center/converter. They are two red 40 amp fuses and are likely blown, protecting your power center/converter from damage.

You should check the battery connection to make sure it is correctly connected to the electrical system and check the two red fuses located on the converter to make sure they are OK.

[MarkEHansen]

FYI: In my 2019 Keystone 26RBSWE, the negative battery cable is Black and the positive battery cable is Red. Perhaps Keystone is changing?

[ctbruce]

Thanks John JRTJH, that was my next avenue of questions and comments. Darn work got in the way.

[JRTJH]

FYI: In my 2019 Keystone 26RBSWE, the negative battery cable is Black and the positive battery cable is Red. Perhaps Keystone is changing?

Keystone changed (I believe in 2018) to "automotive color codes) on battery cables. I think it was a part of the conversion to the "fully color coded trailer wiring harness" that they advertise as being "industry standardized"....

Prior to that changeover, Keystone used black (POS) and white (NEG) cable colors. The OP's trailer is a 2002 Springdale, so that's what I used as the basis for the post.

You're right, later model RV's "should have" automotive color cables (red (POS) and black (NEG). But then, as we all know, the "black/gray dump valve labels" provide us with a means to always question Keystone's work.... :facepalm:

[sourdough]

Keystone changed (I believe in 2018) to "automotive color codes) on battery cables. I think it was a part of the conversion to the "fully color coded trailer wiring harness" that they advertise as being "industry standardized"....

Prior to that changeover, Keystone used black (POS) and white (NEG) cable colors. The OP's trailer is a 2002 Springdale, so that's what I used as the basis for the post.

You're right, later model RV's "should have" automotive color cables (red (POS) and black (NEG). But then, as we all know, the "black/gray dump valve labels" provide us with a means to always question Keystone's work.... :facepalm:


^^^^^That's why I start at the battery on anything.....+ = the positive cable (and color) and - is the negative (and color). Hasn't failed me yet......:D Start working on older things and there is no telling what someone may have "hooked up" because it was close at hand.

[Joeybert]

Battery is hooked up correct as oer your color coding. Where are the red 40 amp fuses? The reverse polarity ones?

[Joeybert]

All fixed. I replaced the 50 amp short stop breaker and lights are back on and slide out is working again. Thank you all for the explanations.

[JRTJH]

If you have a 30 amp shore power system, then you probably have a WFCO 45 amp or 55 amp power center. On most models, the converter is mounted to the back of the power center (the part with circuit breakers and a vertical row of DC fuses). On older models, the reverse polarity fuses were located on the converter. You'll need to pull the power center away from the wall/cabinet to access the fuses. On newer models, the reverse polarity fuses are located on the face panel of the power center, just to the left of the vertical row of "blue 15 amp fuses".

The first picture is the old style, located behind the power center
The second picture is the newer style with the two fuses (red) located just left of the DC distribution panel.