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Old 08-01-2021, 09:17 AM   #1
Rich R
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Dead Battery

My 19 Outback 328RL has been parked at my summer property since April plugged into shore power and all has been working properly.
Today I tried to bring in my slides which have been out all summer and found that all three were unresponsive when activating the switches. I checked fuses and breakers but found nothing tripped or blown. I got a test light and found that the battery was 100% dead! It wouldn't even light up the test light? I assume this is why the slides would not function and pulled the battery out and brought it home with me to see if it would except a charge and pass a load test. My question is, why if the trailer has been hooked up to shore power all this time did my battery completely drain down and why was it not being constantly maintained by the onboard charger while plugged into shore power?
I am leaning towards the main battery disconnect not being in the right position but If it was in the disconnected position, it wouldn't receive a charge but also should not have run 100% down as there wouldn't have been any load?
Any ideas?
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Old 08-01-2021, 09:21 AM   #2
Stumpy75
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My guess is that your inverter boiled the battery dry. Some inverters are worse than others. Even the "maintenance free" batteries have caps that can be removed to check the water in them.
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Old 08-01-2021, 09:34 AM   #3
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With the disconnect switch in the off position, meaning it is open, the battery is still connected to some loads like the propane detector and on some rigs the CO detector and possibly others. The only way to totally disconnect the battery is to pull the ground or positive cable off the battery. Most disconnect switches have the handle removable when the switch is open, so, if you can pull the handle out, it is open or off.
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Old 08-01-2021, 09:44 AM   #4
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My initial thought is like Stumpy; when was the last time you checked/refilled the water in the battery(s)? When you checked and found the 100% dead what was the water level like? Also, at 100% dead you need to replace it/them.
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Old 08-01-2021, 09:52 AM   #5
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I have all of the negative wires connected to the frame and the battery cable from the frame to the battery with the switch in that length of cable. When the switch off, there is no sacrificial electrical draws like radio setting, gas detectors, etc.
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Old 08-01-2021, 10:03 AM   #6
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Rich you are going in 2 directions without finging any facts. The battery switch, was it on or was it off? If it was off or battery disconnected, and it's a factory switch, then the parasitic loads have killed the battery.

If the battery disconnect was on, battery connected, and the converter was charging the 3 year old battery for months unattended then I'd suspect the electrolyte has boiled out. Any wet cell battery constantly under a charge (even a trickle charger) should have the electrolyte level checked every 4 to 6 weeks. The level should be maintained byusing distilled water only.

In either case, with essentially zero volts the battery is just a door stop now. It will never hold a full charger (if any) again. Replace the battery and monitor the vojoltage.
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Old 08-01-2021, 10:29 AM   #7
Rich R
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Disclaimer;
When this happened, I was short on time and in a rush to solve the issue or gain further info to bring home and prepare for a return next week.

Update;
To much surprise, the battery has excepted a charge and has passed a load test.

As to the switch, it is a factory install and the position is well a mystery as I was an idiot and didn't take notice (or remember due to "Old Man Syndrome") the original position. I did notice that the switch seemed to have three positions though? On, Off and then a 3rd position where I was able to remove the key? If I had to guess (again, old man syndrome) the switch was in the Off position.

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Old 08-01-2021, 11:08 AM   #8
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Just to restate what has already been said - even when that switch is in the completely OFF position (the key removed from its slot), battery power is still being supplied to your detectors and the breakaway switch. It doesn't take long for those "parasites" to drain a battery. The only way to stop feeding the parasites is to disconnect the battery with either a disconnect switch or by removing a battery cable.
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Old 08-02-2021, 05:19 PM   #9
GHen
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Dead Battery

Those factory disconnects are worthless, don’t know why they install them. (They will power the trailer brakes which is good)In most systems, they batteries will be dead in Less than 10 days.

We Installed a proper full disconnect, just remember it needs to be on while traveling for trailer brakes.

If a lead battery has gone to 0, it’s always toast. Get new batteries before they deprive you of heat at 2 in the morning.
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Old 08-02-2021, 08:58 PM   #10
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We camp almost monthly, mostly dry camping, but I keep our trailer plugged into shore power between trips. We recently had our TT at the dealer for some warranty work and they discovered the batteries were toast. We never drain the past 12.1v and cycle them regularly while camping, but the dealer’s service manager said that keeping the batteries charging for a few weeks at a time between trips is what killed them. She suggested that we disconnect the batteries between trips and charge them for 2-3 days before a trip…
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Old 08-03-2021, 01:38 AM   #11
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Rich, this activity is live and learn. You learned, now buy a new battery.
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Old 08-03-2021, 06:26 AM   #12
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My factory disconnect seems to work great. Haven't had a dead battery even if I leave it for a month, and I know when it is disconnected it still powers some things like the jack and the slide. Maybe it disconnects the co2 sensor...not sure. That would be the only thing that has a light on it, except for the lights, but I know they don't work with the disconnect off. Even the panel for checking battery and tank levels is off.
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Old 08-08-2021, 10:26 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nickofosho View Post
We camp almost monthly, mostly dry camping, but I keep our trailer plugged into shore power between trips. We recently had our TT at the dealer for some warranty work and they discovered the batteries were toast. We never drain the past 12.1v and cycle them regularly while camping, but the dealer’s service manager said that keeping the batteries charging for a few weeks at a time between trips is what killed them. She suggested that we disconnect the batteries between trips and charge them for 2-3 days before a trip…
I use a battery disconnect on the negative side of the battery, not the rv switch, which cuts off ALL power to the rv when in storage. Then hook up a trickle charger to maintain a good battery charge. I also regularly check water level in battery. A good trickle charger will not boil out your battery and only comes on when the battery charge drops below a certain level. When charging, it does so at no more than 1.5 to a max of 2 or 3 amps, depending on your charger. Once fully charged, it cuts off and monitors your rv battery charge. If your battery will not maintain a charge it should cut off, and stay off, and indicate a bad battery. I have never had any battery issues when using a true trickle charger to maintain a battery. If I have used my battery and have say 60% charge, I will let the trickle charger re-charge the battery. It will take a few days but it is the best way to charge a deep cycle battery and get the longest service life out of the batteries. I have had battery’s last years past their average service life by not discharging past 50%, keeping the water full, and charging with a trickle charger. You can use a faster, higher amp charge if needed and be fine, but on a regular basis, a trickle charger is best.
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Old 08-08-2021, 01:45 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nickofosho View Post
We camp almost monthly, mostly dry camping, but I keep our trailer plugged into shore power between trips. We recently had our TT at the dealer for some warranty work and they discovered the batteries were toast. We never drain the past 12.1v and cycle them regularly while camping, but the dealer’s service manager said that keeping the batteries charging for a few weeks at a time between trips is what killed them. She suggested that we disconnect the batteries between trips and charge them for 2-3 days before a trip…
I have several meters, but I won't tell you which one pegged at this explanation.

My battery ONLY becomes toast at the dealer's. That's because when I bring it in for a "one day job" it invariably turns into a week or more, and I didn't turn the battery disconnect key, and they don't plug it in while they have it.

If you have your battery on a true battery "tender," you should be able to leave it on indefinitely, provided you check the water periodically. That's the state your battery is kept in when you have shore power, and it doesn't damage the battery.

If you put it on a "quick charger" and left it there for a few weeks, you can toast it.
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Old 08-08-2021, 02:23 PM   #15
sourdough
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I have several meters, but I won't tell you which one pegged at this explanation.

My battery ONLY becomes toast at the dealer's. That's because when I bring it in for a "one day job" it invariably turns into a week or more, and I didn't turn the battery disconnect key, and they don't plug it in while they have it.

If you have your battery on a true battery "tender," you should be able to leave it on indefinitely, provided you check the water periodically. That's the state your battery is kept in when you have shore power, and it doesn't damage the battery.

If you put it on a "quick charger" and left it there for a few weeks, you can toast it.


^^^^The highlighted is something everyone needs to keep in the back of their mind when they take their RV into the dealership. Even if you turn the disconnect off, if they keep it weeks or months and don't charge the batteries they are going to be dead. If they just keep it a week or 2 and they get in it (which they probably will) invariably I find lights left on or something. I made my dealer buy me one set of new batteries due to their lack of paying attention (pulled the breakaway switch and just left it) and warn them every time I go in. So far it hasn't happened again.....yet.
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