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Old 06-19-2019, 02:49 PM   #1
Jberndt10
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Power from tow vehicle

Connected the power cord from our 2670 Passport to truck. The outside lights on camper worked fine but nothing powered on the inside. Had an electric site and knew the electricity was working so let it be. Got home attached a 12 volt and the inside power worked so not the converter. What should we check next?

The only time it really matters is keeping the fridge cold as we travel and once a year we camp non electric and keep the truck running while we open the slide and awning.
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Old 06-19-2019, 03:03 PM   #2
Northofu1
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Silly question. Battery connected?
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Old 06-19-2019, 03:04 PM   #3
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Your inside electrics will be one of two things: 12V DC and 120v AC. When plugged-in to shore power, you should have both. When plugged into the truck (or nothing) you should have only the 12V DC.

The 12V DC power should actually come from the coach batteries, so when you say nothing inside worked, that makes me wonder if you're looking at the 120V components, rather than the 12V components.

Do you have a coach battery? How long has it been on the trailer since the last time it was fully charged? Perhaps it's gone dead - a very bad thing for these batteries.
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Old 06-19-2019, 03:52 PM   #4
Jberndt10
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No the battery wasn’t connected. I just thought it would use the truck battery. I swear there were other times we had no battery hooked up and we had inside power, just from the truck. Did I just not notice?
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Old 06-19-2019, 04:08 PM   #5
NH_Bulldog
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Depending on the truck, there may not be any power unless the truck is running. Our Ford only supplies power if it is running so that the trailer won’t kill the truck battery leaving you stranded. It’s also way too easy to forget the cord plugged into the truck and you pull out of the site for a store run and you rip the cord out of the trailer and or the truck....then you’re really screwed.

Finally, the breakaway switch needs power in case of a separation on the road, so having the battery hooked up serves many vital purposes!
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Old 06-19-2019, 04:21 PM   #6
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As stated, Ford's do provide 12VDC through the trailer 7 pin connector, but only when the truck is running. There is a "small gauge wire from the truck power distribution system to the 7 pin umbilical, it typically is only rated at 10-15 amps and usually only carries about 4-8 amps. So, without a battery connected to the trailer, if you activate a slide motor, the awning motor or another "high amp component" you may blow the fuse in the truck's fuse panel. On Ford's it's located under the hood, in the "high current distribution center".

If you have used the truck to power the trailer and activated any high current device, you may have blown that fuse. If that happens, then ALL power from the truck to the 7 pin umbilical charging line will be stopped. The tail, turn, clearance lights and the brakes "should still operate" just the "charging 12 VDC" would be affected.
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Old 06-19-2019, 05:12 PM   #7
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I guess inquiring minds want to know....why would you consistently travel and camp without a battery(s)? They provide many things as well as protecting your converter, and.....they don't cost much of anything.
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Old 06-19-2019, 05:49 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by sourdough View Post
I guess inquiring minds want to know....why would you consistently travel and camp without a battery(s)? They provide many things as well as protecting your converter, and.....they don't cost much of anything.

Not to mention, the trailer battery is required for the break away switch to work. If the OP is towing his trailer without a battery, and it comes unhooked it’s an unrestrained missile.
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Old 06-19-2019, 06:45 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sourdough View Post
I guess inquiring minds want to know....why would you consistently travel and camp without a battery(s)? They provide many things as well as protecting your converter, and.....they don't cost much of anything.
We typically don’t, DH just didn’t think of it, didn’t think of the other issues. Consider us schooled. Just glad it wasn’t a costly repair or mistake.
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Old 06-19-2019, 06:48 PM   #10
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You get an A+ on this exam.
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Old 06-19-2019, 08:13 PM   #11
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Whoa

Quote:
Originally Posted by chuckster57 View Post
Not to mention, the trailer battery is required for the break away switch to work. If the OP is towing his trailer without a battery, and it comes unhooked it’s an unrestrained missile.
Consider me schooled as well. Not something I was aware of anyway. It’s a short mile tow from storage tow site, but haven’t connected until I get to site before.......until now.
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Old 06-30-2019, 08:48 AM   #12
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I believe unless you actually unhook the battery rather than just shutting off the disconnect there is still 12 volts are your break away switch. That's how mine is wired anyway.
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Old 06-30-2019, 09:03 AM   #13
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The coach battery also powers the trailer breaks if the trailer ever becomes disconnected. If you run without the battery it is against the law in most states and your insurance will not cover any accidents. Food for thought.
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Old 06-30-2019, 11:11 AM   #14
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Don't most trailers have a CO/Propane monitor/alarm system that is powered by the 12V battery? With no battery power, you lose this important safety system and place yourself at risk while camped. I know this applies to our 2018 Raptor - in fact, we had a malfunction with this system and this alarm went off during our last trip - so it CAN happen. [In my trailer, the smoke detector is powered by its own 9V battery, so no issue with that system.]

Just another reason not to use the trailer without a battery...
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Old 06-30-2019, 05:05 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jberndt10 View Post
Connected the power cord from our 2670 Passport to truck. The outside lights on camper worked fine but nothing powered on the inside. Had an electric site and knew the electricity was working so let it be. Got home attached a 12 volt and the inside power worked so not the converter. What should we check next?

The only time it really matters is keeping the fridge cold as we travel and once a year we camp non electric and keep the truck running while we open the slide and awning.
Make sure your fridge is running either on propane, or on auto...
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