Batteries Stop Connecting Inadvertantly

RECourser · 10-15-2022, 07:00 PM

My trailer suddenly stopped working on battery. I checked the battery disconnect and it was off. I also connected it directly but it still didn't connect up. The In-command didn't work and the lights wouldn't turn on manually. I took it in and they said that the In-command needed an update and when I got it back it worked fine. That was Wednesday. They said the batteries were a little low so I charged them, one yesterday and one today. But when I went in the unit wouldn't work on the batteries. Again I checked the battery disconnect, turning it on and then off again but still no power unless I plug it in. Any thoughts?

Old Mustanger · 10-15-2022, 07:15 PM

Maybe your Battery disconnect needs to be in the ON position? If your disconnect switch has the red key, you cannot pull it out when in the connected position.

**chuckster57** · 10-15-2022, 07:39 PM

Did you take the batteries out to charge? If you did, did you hook the leads up properly?

RECourser · 10-15-2022, 07:45 PM

No, I didn't take them out. I just turned the disconnect on so that the nothing would be draining the battery. The RV place said the batteries were a bit low, one was 10.8 and the other 11.2. Yesterday I charged the first one and this morning it was working fine. Today I charged the second one and after I unhooked the charger and turned the disconnect back off...nothing. No power from the batteries at all. When this first happened, I suspected the batteries might be bad and I disconnected them and took them in but the battery store said they were in great shape.

rhagfo · 10-15-2022, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RECourser

No, I didn't take them out. I just turned the disconnect on so that the nothing would be draining the battery. The RV place said the batteries were a bit low, one was 10.8 and the other 11.2. Yesterday I charged the first one and this morning it was working fine. Today I charged the second one and after I unhooked the charger and turned the disconnect back off...nothing. No power from the batteries at all. When this first happened, I suspected the batteries might be bad and I disconnected them and took them in but the battery store said they were in great shape.

Pretty sure that disconnect switch needs to be in the ON position. On means battery power to the trailer, OFF means no battery power to the trailer.

LHaven · 10-16-2022, 02:19 AM

This switch is a human interface nightmare.
See this post for clarity [LINK].

**flybouy** · 10-16-2022, 05:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RECourser

My trailer suddenly stopped working on battery. I checked the battery disconnect and it was off. I also connected it directly but it still didn't connect up. The In-command didn't work and the lights wouldn't turn on manually. I took it in and they said that the In-command needed an update and when I got it back it worked fine. That was Wednesday. They said the batteries were a little low so I charged them, one yesterday and one today. But when I went in the unit wouldn't work on the batteries. Again I checked the battery disconnect, turning it on and then off again but still no power unless I plug it in. Any thoughts?

I think there's some confusion with semantics that needs clarifying. It may me counter intuitive but when the battery disconnect is ON that means the batteries are connected to the trailer electrical system. When in the OFF position, the batteries are NOT connected. Think of it like an on-off switch for your 12vdc system, just like the on-off switch for a battery powered flashlight.

RECourser · 10-16-2022, 07:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flybouy

I think there's some confusion with semantics that needs clarifying. It may me counter intuitive but when the battery disconnect is ON that means the batteries are connected to the trailer electrical system. When in the OFF position, the batteries are NOT connected. Think of it like an on-off switch for your 12vdc system, just like the on-off switch for a battery powered flashlight.

You are correct, that is indeed counter intuitive. However, I also wondered about that so I've tried it with the key in the on position, in the off position and even removed. But the trailer remains without power. The battery charger says that the batteries have plenty of power, so I'm sure it's not them.

**JRTJH** · 10-16-2022, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RECourser

You are correct, that is indeed counter intuitive. However, I also wondered about that so I've tried it with the key in the on position, in the off position and even removed. But the trailer remains without power. The battery charger says that the batteries have plenty of power, so I'm sure it's not them.

Which battery charger ???

If you're plugged into shore power and using the In-Command system to monitor "battery voltage", then you're reading the converter/charger voltage, that is on the system, not the battery voltage. The "status panel voltage" is NOT literally battery voltage, unless you are disconnected from shore power and wait about an hour after disconnecting, then pressing the "battery voltage" switch will give you the battery voltage that is present (after voltage drop and voltage use/demand) that is present "at the point of connection to the monitor panel"....

The only way to read "true battery voltage" is to disconnect the battery from the RV,, so there is no load on the battery, then wait about an hour and use a voltmeter to measure voltage.

Many people think that when they push the "battery monitor button" they are reading battery voltage, so if it's 13.2 VDC, the battery "must be fully charged"... The fact is, you can completely disconnect the battery from the trailer, push that same button (if you're plugged into shore power) and read the same 13.2 VDC.

So, when you say, "The battery charger says that the battery has plenty of power"... Under what conditions are you making that measurement? If plugged into shore power or if using a stand alone battery charger, the voltage reading will not be "battery voltage" but will be "battery charger voltage".

Completely disconnect your battery from EVERYTHING, let it sit, with no connections for about an hour, then use a voltmeter to measure voltage. Better yet, take the battery to any auto parts store (like AutoZone, etc) and ask them to load test the battery. That will give you a much more accurate evaluation of battery condition and charge status. I don't know of any battery charger in any Keystone RV that will give you a "battery charge condition" on the status panel.

**sourdough** · 10-16-2022, 09:48 AM

With the stuff you've done this doesn't sound like the issue but....

Have you checked that disconnect switch? It would be a huge coincidence but I've had one go bad and wouldn't connect no matter where you put the switch. Quick and easy to check with a meter.

**flybouy** · 10-16-2022, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RECourser

You are correct, that is indeed counter intuitive. However, I also wondered about that so I've tried it with the key in the on position, in the off position and even removed. But the trailer remains without power. The battery charger says that the batteries have plenty of power, so I'm sure it's not them.

From this description it sounds like either the battery disconnect is defective or the reverse polarity fuses on the converter are blown.

bobbecky · 10-16-2022, 03:03 PM

Is there an auto reset breaker between the batteries and the disconnect switch? And if so, maybe that’s defective.

RECourser · 10-16-2022, 04:50 PM

The battery charger I was talking about was the one I used to charge the batteries. It indicates when the battery is full. I had not had the shoreline plugged in for about 24 hours and was hoping when I turned the battery disconnect over to reconnect the batteries, the In-Command would tell me what it thought the batteries were charged at...but unfortunately, that was when what ever is causing the batteries to be blocked from the system kicked in and I've not been able to get In-Command back up with batteries.

RECourser · 10-16-2022, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flybouy

From this description it sounds like either the battery disconnect is defective or the reverse polarity fuses on the converter are blown.

Where would I find the reverse polarity fuses? I by-passed the battery disconnect to see if that was defective and got no where with that.

RECourser · 10-16-2022, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourdough

With the stuff you've done this doesn't sound like the issue but....

Have you checked that disconnect switch? It would be a huge coincidence but I've had one go bad and wouldn't connect no matter where you put the switch. Quick and easy to check with a meter.

Yes. That was actually the first thing I did. I by passed it completely, hoping it was a simple as a bad switch but it didn't make any difference.

**JRTJH** · 10-16-2022, 05:25 PM

If you follow the POS battery cable from the battery terminal, you should find it connected to a distribution box that is mounted on the trailer bulkhead in the battery compartment. Open that distribution box (it's called a Giggy Box in travel trailers and by a different name in fifth wheel trailers). Once open, you'll see several DC circuit breakers that are connected to the battery cable.

Based on the symptoms you're having, I'd suspect that you might have a bad or an intermittent DC mini-breaker (or a loose connection) in that distribution box.

If your trailer does not have the "distribution box" it still has the DC mini-breakers, they're just "out in the open" but are still connected to the POS battery cable directly or are "jumpered to the POS battery cable".... If the In-Command will not power up, I'd check those breakers and all the connections on them.

Just follow the POS battery cable from the battery terminal, it goes directly to them.

RECourser · 10-19-2022, 09:28 AM

Thank you John, you were close. I was able to talk to a technician at RV Corral in Eugene, Oregon, where we bought the trailer and he pointed me to the circuit breakers. Mine however were mounted outside the distribution box, between it and the batteries. One is for the outside power, Tongue jack and stablizer jacks, and the other was for the interier of the RV. While the external power was working, I went ahead and replaced them both. The interier breaker actually had a cable connector fused to it and I had to pry the connector off of the cable and replace it as well. Now I have power to the inside, including the In-Command once again. Thanks to those who sent in suggestions. I appreciate the help of this online community.

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