RV Battery Won't Charge

MHSRattler · 01-02-2013, 12:49 PM

We have owned our 2004 Springdale 250 RKL-S for about 6 months now. Very clean used trailer when we purchased it from an individual everything works great except I have discovered that the battery will not charge when the trailer is plugged in to power. Anyone have any suggestion on what to check before I take it to the shop. I am pretty much a do it yourself kind of guy with everything, most of the time successful!

so I would really like to try to fix this myself but I have no idea where to start since we a new to RVing. Any help is appreciated.

Bob Landry · 01-02-2013, 01:29 PM

If you have a battery cut-off switch make sure it is turned on. No-brainer? Yes, but it's easy to overlook. While you are at the battery check the inline fuse that should go to the hot post on the battery, usually inside the battery box. Also there should be two 30A fuses in the front of the converter. These will blow if the battery cables have been connect backwards connected backwards. There will be a circuit breaker on the converter panel that feeds the DC part of the converter. Check it and turn it to the off position and then back on.

This covers the basic stuff. If it all checks good, you'll have to check 120VAC to the DC part of the converter and then 12VDC out. Check your converter manual for the location of everything and a call to the converter manufacturer's customer service may be beneficial. If you have voltage in and nothing out, you have a bad converter.

**JRTJH** · 01-02-2013, 01:34 PM

Inside the power converter you'll find the 120VAC circuit breakers and between them and the 12 VDC fuses, tucked way in the back are two 30amp DC fuses. Check them, they may have either corroded or blown. They are in the circuit to protect the converter/charger from being destroyed if the battery is connected backwards, however they will also blow if other things occur. If they are good and if you have 12 VDC power inside the RV when plugged into shore power, then check the battery terminals for corrosion and/or loose connections, check the 30Amp circuit breakers in the wiring from the battery to the trailer, if that is good, then take the battery out, go to AutoZone or another auto parts store and have them check the battery. It may be your problem. Otherwise, if it's not the battery and it's not the fuses in the converter, chances are it's the converter. If you're handy with tools, it's fairly simple to replace, but if you're "afraid of electricity, I'd have the RV service center check it out.

This may seem easier to follow:

1. check the converter fuses
2. check for power to lights in the trailer on shore power
3. check the battery terminal connections for tightness and corrosion
4. check the 30Amp circuit breaker(or breakers) in the main wire from the battery to the RV electrical circuits
5. remove the battery, take it to a dealer to have it checked.
6. if none of the above, chances are it's the converter/charger that's not working

MHSRattler · 01-02-2013, 02:10 PM

Good information, sounds like I need to invest in a good electrical meter. I did replace one of the two inline circuit breakers that are mounted to the frame right by the battery because it hung on some brush and pulled off. Maybe the other one shorted out as well. Thank you very much. My breaker panel is at floor level in front of the sink. Are the 30 amp DC fuses tucked away in the back that you spoke of actually behind the front of the panel?

MHSRattler · 01-02-2013, 02:14 PM

Are the two 30 AMP those flat fuses automotive type fuses with the two prongs?

Bob Landry · 01-02-2013, 02:19 PM

They are probably accessible from the front. Connecting battery cables in reverse is a pretty common problem and they made the fuses easy to get to. Look in the manual for the converter and it will give you all of the info yo need.

**JRTJH** · 01-02-2013, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MHSRattler

Are the two 30 AMP those flat fuses automotive type fuses with the two prongs?

If you replaced one of the circuit breakers by the battery box, chances are that's where your problem is. I'd focus there before going too much further.

Yes, they are the two fuses inside the front of your converter, tucked away between the AC and DC sides.

They should look like this:

Bob Landry · 01-02-2013, 02:38 PM

If you have a 30A fuse in the battery box, any circuit breakers located near it are going to go to something else, slide outs, electric jack, etc. They would not have put both a fuse and circuit breaker between the battery and the converter. Now if someone has gone in and "rewired" something then it's a different matter.

MHSRattler · 01-02-2013, 02:50 PM

No fuse in the battery box just these two blocks attatched to the frame. Each block hast two threaded posts and I believe they are on the positive side if memory serves. And yes the first time I did try to hook the battery up backwards. Note to self always read the little lable that tells you what color wire is what on the frame! :-)

Htfiremedic · 01-02-2013, 03:13 PM

Those are circuit breakers. They should self reset. They do get weak sometimes.

Bob Landry · 01-02-2013, 03:15 PM

Some self reset, but if they have a little button on the case, those have to be manually reset.

**JRTJH** · 01-02-2013, 04:10 PM

The biggest problem with the "autoreset" circuit breakers is corrosion. Over the years, they get damp inside, corrosion sets up and they tend to stop resetting as well as they used to. Then, it seems that when you need them most, they stop working. i carry a couple of spares with me after having issues in the past. It seems like with most things, a 10 cent part stops the space shuttle and a faulty circuit breaker stops an RV.....

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