Dead battery questions

[dshores]

We have had the misfortune of not having a chance to user our trailer for several months. When I went to pick it up the battery was dead. I was unable to hitch up because the hydraulics would not move.

I assumed the hydraulics would work after I connected the wiring harness. But the hydraulics would not move.

So my question is, should the hydraulics work with only the truck power?

[chuckster57]

As long as your truck charge line is active, it should provide power to start charging the trailer battery.

When you bought the truck it probably had a relay and/or fuse in a bag in the glove box that needed to be installed to make that line “active”.

[bsmith0404]

Typically, the charge coming from the truck is not enough to power the hydraulics. It will SLOWLY charge the battery. You’re better off taking the battery home to charge it, then go back with a good battery to get the trailer.

[sourdough]

Here's my thinking; you need a good battery to operate your heavy hitters like slides. Your battery, if OE, is about 4 years old. You have depleted it to 0 so it's ability to charge and hold charge has been greatly reduced/impaired. I would go buy a new battery (preferably 2) and install it. Going forward the batteries always have to be maintained whether you are using the RV or it's in storage.

[JRTJH]

As said, the charge line from the truck umbilical isn't large enough to provide the amperage needed to run the hydraulic pump on the trailer. It will take "hours" for the truck to charge the battery enough to run the pump.

So, alternatively, if you're between a rock and a hard place and ABSOLUTELY have to get the hydraulics working to move the trailer "right now", then pull the truck up next to the battery compartment and use jumper cables from the truck battery to the trailer battery. Make sure you keep the truck running while you use the jumper cables.

[travelin texans]

In the future while in storage either remove the battery to your garage & keep it on a maintainer checking the water levels monthly topping off with distilled water. Or at the very least remove the negative cable from the battery that's going directly to ground or your new battery will be dead in as little as a week from parasitic drains.

[PoCoDep]

If batteries are ruined, is it possible/safe to run everything off shore power?

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by PoCoDep

If batteries are ruined, is it possible/safe to run everything off shore power?

There is probably a sticker next to/near the slide buttons that says battery hook up required. The converter isn’t designed to operate the slides.

[Camp CA]

Originally Posted by dshores

............When I went to pick it up the battery was dead. I was unable to hitch up because the hydraulics would not move.......

Same issue once on my fifth wheel trailer so purchased a small, portable, chargeable battery charger https://www.amazon.com/Imazing-Porta...384318147&th=1 to jump the battery. If it will not start will have to replace the battery. In the future, suggest disconnecting the battery or installing a battery on/off switch.

[BookPaul74]

If you have a portable generator just plug the trailer in for a while. Might be a good time to install a couple of solar panels for the batteries of course not going to help if you have covered storage.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by BookPaul74

If you have a portable generator just plug the trailer in for a while. Might be a good time to install a couple of solar panels for the batteries of course not going to help if you have covered storage.

If the battery is defective (shorted or open cell) then the shore power or generator (both power the converter) will not charge the battery. If the battery is run down well below 50 % then it may take several hours to restore the charge. The only "quick" way to operate a heavy load is either replace the battery or run a heavy set of jumper cables from a good battery to the trailer battery cables. The truck 7 way cable may not carry enough amperage depending upon the load. A good "jump strating" portable battery should work as previously suggested.

[rhagfo]

Originally Posted by sourdough

Here's my thinking; you need a good battery to operate your heavy hitters like slides. Your battery, if OE, is about 4 years old. You have depleted it to 0 so it's ability to charge and hold charge has been greatly reduced/impaired. I would go buy a new battery (preferably 2) and install it. Going forward the batteries always have to be maintained whether you are using the RV or it's in storage.

Originally Posted by travelin texans

In the future while in storage either remove the battery to your garage & keep it on a maintainer checking the water levels monthly topping off with distilled water. Or at the very least remove the negative cable from the battery that's going directly to ground or your new battery will be dead in as little as a week from parasitic drains.

I find this all interesting, Yes, solar is nice, but not cheap. The quick and easy and effective thing is to install a disconnect switch on your negative or positive lead to the battery. Your battery(s) will hold their charge just fine. Before we full timed this is what I did, 5er could sit for at least a couple months and the battery would have enough charge to put slides out and back in and run the landing gear.

[LHaven]

Originally Posted by dshores

I assumed the hydraulics would work after I connected the wiring harness. But the hydraulics would not move.

So my question is, should the hydraulics work with only the truck power?

One point I don't see that anyone made is that on some trucks (including the F-250 depending on year) the wire from the truck that charges the battery isn't energized until the truck is started AND in gear. Mine is that way.

I've used this feature to run up the tongue jack, but as others have said, the hydraulic levelers require a pretty fully charged battery even to begin to run.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by rhagfo

I find this all interesting, Yes, solar is nice, but not cheap. The quick and easy and effective thing is to install a disconnect switch on your negative or positive lead to the battery. Your battery(s) will hold their charge just fine. Before we full timed this is what I did, 5er could sit for at least a couple months and the battery would have enough charge to put slides out and back in and run the landing gear.

I've never had much luck just disconnecting a battery and let it sit for several months. It will be hit or miss if it has enough charge to start a car or pull in a slide. I used battery tenders for many years and now just leave it plugged into shore power all year long. Just "disconnecting" the battery and letting it sit for who knows how long and then expect/need to use it will lead to unexpected surprises....and I just don't like those.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by sourdough

I've never had much luck just disconnecting a battery and let it sit for several months. It will be hit or miss if it has enough charge to start a car or pull in a slide. I used battery tenders for many years and now just leave it plugged into shore power all year long. Just "disconnecting" the battery and letting it sit for who knows how long and then expect/need to use it will lead to unexpected surprises....and I just don't like those.

Agreed, there's several conditions that contribute to the reduction of "shelf life" for a flodded cell battery. Dirt for instance conducts electricity because it attracts moisture and contains minerals. Dirt and dust running from post to post will carry a millivolt current. Yes, it may be millivolts but like most things it's cumulative. That's just one example. There are many other causes but the point is the gondition and history of use (lots of high amperage drains/high amperage or less than ideal charger profiles will damage the plates (warping or coating them with sulfur, and may alter the chemistry of the electrolyte.

[Hblick48]

If you have 110 volt ac, a battery tender works great. If not, solar is the only way to go. I have four 6 volt batteries, 200 watts of solar, and a MPPT charge controller. Batteries are always fully charged. Also great for boondocking. Just check the water once a month.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Hblick48

If you have 110 volt ac, a battery tender works great. If not, solar is the only way to go. I have four 6 volt batteries, 200 watts of solar, and a MPPT charge controller. Batteries are always fully charged. Also great for boondocking. Just check the water once a month.

In my experience, if you have 110 volts, just plug the trailer into shore power and let the converter/charger do what it's built to do. Buying an "add on battery tender" depending on how much you pay for it, may do more harm than good. You've got a "very sophisticated battery tender" built into the trailer power center that's specifically designed to keep the battery charged without damage.

That said, EVERY FLA battery should be checked monthly for electrolyte level regardless of what type battery charger is connected to it.....

[rhagfo]

Originally Posted by flybouy

Agreed, there's several conditions that contribute to the reduction of "shelf life" for a flodded cell battery. Dirt for instance conducts electricity because it attracts moisture and contains minerals. Dirt and dust running from post to post will carry a millivolt current. Yes, it may be millivolts but like most things it's cumulative. That's just one example. There are many other causes but the point is the gondition and history of use (lots of high amperage drains/high amperage or less than ideal charger profiles will damage the plates (warping or coating them with sulfur, and may alter the chemistry of the electrolyte.

Well the first battery we killed deader than a door nail, with parasitic draw. Replaced and installed a disconnect switch. With that battery would hold charge easily for a couple months here in the PNW. We noticed shortly after that we would get occasional brighting of the lights. Best option was to replace the WFCO converter with a Progressive Dynamics converter. The battery was an interstate SRM27, never seems to lose water. Last March we added a second SRM 27, as we had a couple of extended power outages, in cold temperatures, so wanted reassurance that the furnace could run all night, even though it did find on the single SRM27.

[dshores]

Thanks everyone. A lot of good information there. I realized I left out some information about the setup. I have two batteries on my trailer, maybe they all do not sure. The battery that is in the same compartment as the hydraulics is new, I replaced it 8-10 months ago. Both of the batteries have a battery disconnect switch which I turn and usually remove the key when it is in storage. I did not remove it this time.

Which brings up a new question: what is the purpose of the disconnect switch? Is it a factory option or aftermarket (I know I am not providing a lot of information about it, just a red T handle that has a metal piece that goes into a hole).

I'll get a picture of it and post it here.

I am considering getting a battery pack to take and run the jacks with so I can pick up the trailer and bring it home. Is there any reason NOT to do that?

I really wish I had some type of users manual for my trailer.

[JRTJH]

There is no "comprehensive user's manual" for any Keystone trailer. All they provide is a "barely adequate to maybe help" generic manual that covers the entire spectrum of Keystone's brands. It does very little except take up space in a cupboard in the trailer.....

As for the OEM battery disconnect switch, in your model year, RVIA still required the safety devices (CO monitor, Smoke detector, LP Gas detector) to be powered on if there is a potential that humans would be in the trailer. So, the battery disconnect switch is wired so those devices always receive power. That is what's called a "parasitic drain" and will discharge your battery if as little as 3 or 4 days, even with the battery disconnect switch "disconnected with the red key removed".

The only way to eliminate that condition (prasitic drain) is to either rewire the OEM battery disconnect switch or to install a second switch "at the battery cable" so the battery cable is "phisically disconnected from the circuits when the switch is used. Many people just simply remove the negative battery cable to solve the problem.