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Old 08-07-2017, 01:50 PM   #1
Jag2440
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Batteries not holding a charge.

Hello, I have a 2017 Keystone Cougar 21rswbe. Went on our first dry camping trip. Batteries did not hold a charge. Would charge up with a generator and still died less than a day. I have two batteries and they both look new. Any easy way to check and see if my trailer charging system is working? PS. I am not very mechanically inclined. The trailer has always been plugged in when stored at home.
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Old 08-07-2017, 02:54 PM   #2
Ken / Claudia
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1st thing you need to check the batteries. 1 do it yourself or 2 remove them and test at a shop. Could even be as simple as loose connections. I would not due anything else before you make 100% sure the batteries are fine, holding a charge and connected right. They should have a age date on them. Even if they are great shape, when low it takes hours to get a full charge. Other things to check, the switch is it on or off? The lights on the control panel showing battery charge are a guide and not prefect. They always show full charge when hooked to shore power.
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Old 08-07-2017, 04:13 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jag2440 View Post
Hello, I have a 2017 Keystone Cougar 21rswbe. Went on our first dry camping trip. Batteries did not hold a charge. Would charge up with a generator and still died less than a day. I have two batteries and they both look new. Any easy way to check and see if my trailer charging system is working? PS. I am not very mechanically inclined. The trailer has always been plugged in when stored at home.
How comfortable are you with using a digital volt meter? There are a couple of easy checks you can do with the DVM that will tell you if there is a problem with the batteries or the charging system.
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Old 08-08-2017, 05:46 AM   #4
Jag2440
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Batteries

The batteries are in great shape. Dated 2/17. I would feel comfortable using a voltmeter with some detailed instructions. After charging our batteries on our camping trip with our generator the next afternoon they were so dead we could not even close our awning. Where would I find the converter and is there a easy way to check that?
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Old 08-08-2017, 06:44 AM   #5
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Batteries not holding a charge.

I wouldnt declare them in "great shape" based on the date sticker. I've seen new battery's go bad in days.

Hydrometer test is the best way, followed by VOM.
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Old 08-08-2017, 06:49 AM   #6
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You say "My batteries are great, 2/17". Then you go on to say that after charging them, the next day they are "dead and won't pull in the awning".

What's not stated is whether immediately after cutting off the generator, the batteries indicate a full charge and drain rapidly. It would seem that might be the situation and would indicate that the batteries are NOT in great shape.

One thing to remember is that deep cycle batteries need to be "cared for" and not allowed to completely discharge. They should never be depleted below about 30% and staying about 40 or 50% is even better. Repeated "complete discharge" can destroy the lead plates in any battery, sometimes in as short a time as 3 or 4 weeks, so unless you've removed the batteries, fully charged them and load tested them, you may not be working with "good batteries".

As for the converter, disconnect the batteries, plug the trailer into shore power, be sure the converter circuit breaker is on and use a volt meter to measure the voltage at the battery cables on the trailer. You should have 13.6 VDC. If you don't have voltage, the converter is "dead". Check the reverse polarity fuses on the converter (two 40 amp fuses). If they are good, your converter probably needs to be replaced. If it's less than 2 years old, contact the manufacturer (it comes with a 2 year warranty) if it's older than that, replacements are available online or from almost any RV dealer.
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Old 08-08-2017, 06:55 AM   #7
Jag2440
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Thanks for the replies, yes, after charging them with my generator it shows full on the indicator lights. I honestly have no idea where the converter is. I will check the batteries with a voltmeter tonight.
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Old 08-08-2017, 07:23 AM   #8
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On our 2014 Cougar we had the same issue, brand new batteries and they would only last a day, if that, after a bit of research and investigating I found that the Entertainment system, IE the radio was drawing most of the power to keep that nice comforting blue glow. So I installed a toggle switch before the radio and that stopped that electrical draw.

Eventually we ditched the 12 v deep cycle batteries and invested in a couple of 6 volt batteries, also went and purchased a solar panel to keep them charged up.

Also found that the converter popped it's 2 fuses, problem with that is Keystone hid the darn thing under the stairs behind a wall and I had to remove the paneling to replace the fuse, going to have to mod the wall for easier access.
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Old 08-08-2017, 08:13 AM   #9
Jag2440
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Thanks. I am charging the batteries right now. I will check them and make sure the stereo is off. Hopefully that is all it is.
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Old 08-08-2017, 08:17 AM   #10
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Thanks. I am charging the batteries right now. I will check them and make sure the stereo is off. Hopefully that is all it is.
The problem with our radio was that it was on 100 % of the time, which is why I installed a toggle switch, so that I could turn off power to the radio, mostly due to the clock circuit.
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Old 08-21-2017, 06:34 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by Jag2440 View Post
The batteries are in great shape. Dated 2/17. I would feel comfortable using a voltmeter with some detailed instructions. After charging our batteries on our camping trip with our generator the next afternoon they were so dead we could not even close our awning. Where would I find the converter and is there a easy way to check that?
I've been having the same problem with 2 new T105 6v batteries. A few hours off charge and they wont pull the awning it....they weren't dead or even 10% discharged. Keystone says it's the awning motor and sent me a new one which I will replace tomorrow.
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