Electrical Question 22rbs

rabbit59 · 05-08-2021, 06:02 AM

Ive been down this road before, but dont remember which way to go. My slide (dinette) tripped out half way out. Gave it a long while for auto reset breaker. Still wont work, but, if I hook up vehicle to trailer, it works. Is it an auto reset breaker or something on electric panel? Which auto reset breaker, 50 amp or 30 amp? Do they go bad and can they be opened and serviced? Clean contacts etc... I just installed 2 6 volt , series, gc batteries. I show 13.7 volts on Icommand, but that could be from charge circuit. I sure hope these batteries arent bad sitting on the shelf at B.J.'s. Give me your opinions please where to go from here. Thanks in advance.

Tom

**chuckster57** · 05-08-2021, 06:07 AM

Disconnect from the tow vehicle and shore power, then measure voltage at the batteries. Post back for further instructions.

rabbit59 · 05-08-2021, 07:20 AM

13.22 volts across 2 batteries in series. Right after removing shore power. Voltage kept dropping little bits, probably until 12ish I would assume.

rabbit59 · 05-08-2021, 07:23 AM

Also Chuckster57, I see 3 of those auto resetting breakers. Should I test all 3? Or the one with the purple wire coming out? Isn't that the slide 12v+ ?

**chuckster57** · 05-08-2021, 07:25 AM

Ok. 12.7 VDC is full charge. Wait another hour and test voltage again. Then if you can, get a load tester and do a load test across both batteries (12V) and individually (6V).

**chuckster57** · 05-08-2021, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rabbit59

Also Chuckster57, I see 3 of those auto resetting breakers. Should I test all 3? Or the one with the purple wire coming out? Isn't that the slide 12v+ ?

If the slide works when hooked up to an outside power source, I want to eliminate battery issues first.

**JRTJH** · 05-08-2021, 07:28 AM

It sounds like your battery voltage is low. That means the amperage is up, causing the circuit breaker to blow. You hooked up the tow vehicle which increased the battery voltage and things worked. That tells me your battery is either discharged/dead or you have faulty wiring. Since it worked with the truck connected (supplying additional voltage) I'd suspect it's your battery that's causing the problem...

As Chuck said, disconnect the shore power and truck power, wait about 30 minutes and measure the battery voltage (at the battery terminals), It should be 12.5-12.6 VDC. If it's not, the battery is discharged. At 12 VDC the battery is 50% discharged and at 11.3 VDC, it's 90% discharged....

If it won't hold a charge, replace the battery and if the replacement has "CCA" on the label, never discharge it below 70% (12.3 VDC) If it's a "true deep cycle battery" never discharge it below 50% (12 VDC). That will prolong your battery life by around 75-80 percent.

rabbit59 · 05-08-2021, 09:53 AM

After an hour and a half, 12.72 volts....still won't even make a noise like motor on slide getting anything....I can understand batteries not being good...but fully charged, showing good voltage, the slide should at least moan, move, make a sound. I believe there is a breaker or fuse somewhere I'm missing. All the auto reset breakers have voltage across them. When I try slide on batteries alone, I can hear a click from inside camper near front passenger side. What am I missing? Works with vehicle hooked up, but not batteries.

**chuckster57** · 05-08-2021, 10:05 AM

Did you LOAD TEST the batteries?

rabbit59 · 05-08-2021, 10:14 AM

Not yet. I struggle with them as I'm partially disabled. Can't lift much weight. The clicking is from the icommand panel in the pass through. Sounds and feels like a relay or maybe 2 or 3. I will get those load tested asap, but need help. I just bought them new and really hope it's not that. I'll be a wee bit ticked off if I have to return them.

**flybouy** · 05-08-2021, 10:34 AM

There is no difference in circutry if plugged into the truck, plugged into shore power, or just on the batteries. The ONLY difference is the voltage and amperage that's available. Take a voltage reading on the battery with no other source of power WHILE someone else operates the slide switch. I'm guessing you will see a substantial voltage drop.

**chuckster57** · 05-08-2021, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rabbit59

Not yet. I struggle with them as I'm partially disabled. Can't lift much weight. The clicking is from the icommand panel in the pass through. Sounds and feels like a relay or maybe 2 or 3. I will get those load tested asap, but need help. I just bought them new and really hope it's not that. I'll be a wee bit ticked off if I have to return them.

I understand completely, Years ago I had a customer that had a Datsun 280Z. He lived 30 miles away and I had to rescue him 3 times when his brand new battery failed. Alternator was fine, just 3 bad batteries from the get go.

rabbit59 · 05-08-2021, 11:45 AM

Yeah....I was hoping something easier. But nothing in my life is easy. So....ill pull them and get them load tested. I'm pretty sure I'll be returning them.

**chuckster57** · 05-08-2021, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rabbit59

Yeah....I was hoping something easier. But nothing in my life is easy. So....ill pull them and get them load tested. I'm pretty sure I'll be returning them.

BTDT a few times myself, SUX but at least they are new and should be exchanged for free. Let us know what they find. I have found it rare for a 6V battery to be bad from the start but you never know.

rabbit59 · 05-08-2021, 12:51 PM

Just out of curiosity....if they were sitting on shelf at B.J.'s for a couple years, never used....should I attempt to charge them with charger. Will they even charge from tt sufficiently? Would you put charger on and close battery shutoff? Or shouldn't I even bother and just get them load tested? Thanks Chuckster57.....

**chuckster57** · 05-08-2021, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rabbit59

Just out of curiosity....if they were sitting on shelf at B.J.'s for a couple years, never used....should I attempt to charge them with charger. Will they even charge from tt sufficiently? Would you put charger on and close battery shutoff? Or shouldn't I even bother and just get them load tested? Thanks Chuckster57.....

IMO if they sat on a store shelf for 2 years, I wouldn’t trust them.

**JRTJH** · 05-08-2021, 05:09 PM

Marshall's suggestion in post #11 might have been overlooked...

If taking the batteries out to load test them is hard for you, as he suggested, just disconnect the truck and shore power, have someone push the slide switch while you use a voltmeter to check the voltage "before and during the load placed by pushing the extend switch"....

If the voltage is 12.7 VDC when you check it and pushing the switch causes it to drop to 10 or even 9 VDC, then you know the batteries are not supplying adequate power. On the other hand, if the voltage remains 12.7 VDC and the slide doesn't move, but when you plug the trailer into shore power or into the truck umbilical and it does work, then either the batter cutoff switch is bad or there's a wiring issue....

rabbit59 · 05-09-2021, 04:03 AM

Ok...so here is the result. With voltmeter on battery, attempt to operate slide shows not 1/10 change in voltage. Slide does not even creak or move. Something somewhere is open, blown, etc...if battery cutoff was bad, what else would not work? How do you test these switches? And how to get into them? Underneath from removing coraplast? One more thing, when I test both sides of auto reset breakers, does juice from converter flow back through one of these on shore power and should I test them with shore power off? Maybe I believe they are all good but 12 volts is there from other side?

**JRTJH** · 05-09-2021, 05:21 AM

General rule (at least for me):

If testing the converter, use shore power
If testing the battery, use battery power
The two will "confuse the issue" if testing one while powering with the other..

So, when checking the converter, plug in the shore power and disconnect the battery
When checking the battery, disconnect shore power.

As for the "mini-breakers"... If you've got shore power "feeding from the converter" AND battery power "feeding from the battery" then the converter will be sending power to the "aft end" of the mini-breakers and the battery will be sending power to the "front end" of the mini-breakers. So, even if there is an open mini-breaker, you'd read 12VDC on both terminals. One terminal from the battery and one terminal from the converter.

Determine which "power" you're checking and disconnect the other side. THEN check the mini-breakers for power on both sides.

As for accessing the battery cutoff switch, mine is mounted on a bulkhead and the back side is enclosed with a plastic dome that has 4 screws holding the plastic dome in place. Remove the screws and the entire "switch connection area" is accessible.

rabbit59 · 05-09-2021, 06:43 AM

One more question....both 6 volts tested ok. But, tech said they are putting out 6.7 volts each. In series I noticed the voltage was 13.25. Is this causing my problem with slide? Can there be too much voltage? Slide worked with my old 12volt deep cycle. Btw....I know how to series 2 - 6 volt batteries. So, that's not the issue....

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