No 12v Power when unhooked from shore power

bmlentz17 · 10-03-2019, 07:32 AM

I have a 2005 Springdale, recently I noticed that when I am unhooked from shore power, my slides work, however, nothing else which generally runs off 12v works (Lights, Fridge, Pumps, ect). I have tested my battery and it is fine, i have also replaced the circuit breaker solenoids which are behind the battery, both of which are receiving proper voltage. Inside the RV, the pannel box seems to be getting no power, i recenly replaced all of the breakers and fuses so I know all of them are good, but again there is no power reaching the box. I have checked every corner of the camper for a battery cutoff switch but i have not located one. Any ideas on what may be going on with the camper?

**JRTJH** · 10-03-2019, 07:46 AM

Just a guess, but with all of the electrical work you say you've recently done, is it possible that you inadvertently connected the battery backwards, even momentarily???

There are two reverse polarity fuses located on the converter assembly. They are NOT located with all the other fuses on older converter/power center models, but physically located on the converter. In current production models, they usually are 40 amp fuses, but in some older (like your 2005) models they may be 30 amp or even 20 amp fuses.

If you even "instantaneously" touched the battery cables in reverse polarity, those fuses are blown. They "disconnect the battery from the converter/power center, so the converter would provide power when connected to shore power but when unplugged, the fuses would prevent battery power from reaching the 12 VDC fuse panel.

Dig around behind your power center, locate the converter and check those two fuses.... Might fix your problem.

Here's a photo of where the fuses are located on "older WFCO converters". On "newer converters" they are just to the right of the 12 VDC fuse panel, but are well hidden on older models.

bmlentz17 · 10-03-2019, 08:12 AM

Hey thanks for the reply, when i bought the camper, i belive the previous owner did hook the cables up backwards and i had to correct him. I took the converter out yesterday to check for blown fuses and it looks nothing like the one pictured above. I checked and recheck and there were no fuses to replace. this may be the same one i have in my camper or at least very similar.

**hankpage** · 10-03-2019, 08:19 AM

If you have a battery disconnect in the off position the slides and jacks would still work but nothing else like you describe. Do you have a battery disconnect??

bmlentz17 · 10-03-2019, 08:22 AM

bmlentz17 · 10-03-2019, 08:26 AM

Not that know of, I have checked the entire frame, everywhere around the battery, and the storage areas, pretty much everywhere one would commonly be found. The issue is mimicking what would happen if there was a battery switch (killing power to the pannel box) but i havent found one. I thought it was the converter util i removed it and observed that it consisted mainly on a circuit board and fan (No fuses), but like i said idk

**flybouy** · 10-03-2019, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmlentz17

I have a 2005 Springdale, recently I noticed that when I am unhooked from shore power, my slides work, however, nothing else which generally runs off 12v works (Lights, Fridge, Pumps, ect). I have tested my battery and it is fine, i have also replaced the circuit breaker solenoids which are behind the battery, both of which are receiving proper voltage. Inside the RV, the pannel box seems to be getting no power, i recenly replaced all of the breakers and fuses so I know all of them are good, but again there is no power reaching the box. I have checked every corner of the camper for a battery cutoff switch but i have not located one. Any ideas on what may be going on with the camper?

How did you test the battery and how old is it? When you checked for reverse polarity fuses did you check for voltage at the converter. Also on the 12v resettable fuses from the battery you may have to look hard to find them. On my unit it had one on the inside of the frame under the unit and was hidden quite well.

bmlentz17 · 10-03-2019, 08:32 AM

is it? Ill correct the title, but the battery is less than a year old and I regularly charge it on quick and maintainer cycles. The batter charger reads the battery and tells me good or bad but i have also put a meter to it and im getting an average of 13.5+ volts

**flybouy** · 10-03-2019, 08:38 AM

I edited and removed the post title after reading it again. I guess the brain had some flautas the first time read it.

bmlentz17 · 10-03-2019, 08:40 AM

to further answer your question, i am getting zero power at the converter

**flybouy** · 10-03-2019, 09:09 AM

If you have no DC voltage at the converter with no shore power and the battery is connected then something's interrupting the circuit. Take your meter and go from pos battery terminal to the frame. If you have voltage then there's a disruption between the battery and the converter. I'd suspect a disconnect switch, or resettable fuse. Could also be a poor connection from corrosion anywhere along the line as well. As you are not the original owner who knows what they have done. Let us know when you find the issue.

**JRTJH** · 10-03-2019, 09:37 AM

I agree with Marshall. If the battery is putting out 13.6 VDC and it's getting to/through the mini-breakers mounted on the trailer bulkhead and that same voltage is not present on the wire going from that mini-breaker to the 12VDC distribution panel, then there's "something" blocking/interrupting power along that wire.

One way to test "that wire" is to completely disconnect the battery and use a volt meter to check for voltage at the battery cable connectors. With the trailer plugged into shore power, there should be 13.6 VDC at those connectors. If there is, then barring a diode in the line (very unlikely) if power is flowing in one direction, it's also going to flow in the opposite direction. This would indicate that the wiring is OK....

If there isn't 13.6 VDC at the battery connectors, then the branch wire from the mini-breakers to the converter is bad.

You know that the branch wire from the mini-breaker to the slide motor is working as they slides are operable, so I'd guess the battery itself is functional or that part of the system would also be inoperable (if the battery was bad)...

I would focus on the wire (it should be a direct wire from the battery mini-breaker to the converter fuse panel lug). Either that wire has corroded or the previous owner put a cut off switch in the line.... Owners can be "devious" so it may be located anywhere from in a wheelwell, a cabinet, under a cushion or even in an overhead cupboard. Sometimes there's no rhyme or reason to what people think is the best plan..... Anyway, there's something interrupting the power along that wire from the mini-breaker to the fuse panel lug.....

ADDED: As an afterthought after I posted, is it possible that during your rewiring and replacement of the mini-breakers, could you have connected a ground wire to one of the + leads? If you did, it would "trigger the mini-breaker to always be OFF"... Just a thought, but I know that sometimes I "fool myself" by "knowing I wired it correctly" so I couldn't have.... but when I back away and blink a couple times, and go back to check, it's obvious I wired it wrong and "knew" I'd never do that.... but.....

**flybouy** · 10-03-2019, 09:54 AM

Also check those resettable circuit breaker for proper orientation. Typically one stud is marked "BAT" and the other "AUX" or "LOAD".

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