Low battery warning even when plugged into truck

[EdPav]

Have you actually disconnected BOTH batteries from the trailer, let them sit for about 2 hours, then performed a "cell by cell specific gravity test" ??? If not, I'd recommend that before doing any further "exploration of the trailer systems" ....

Yes. Did that already.

 

[EdPav]

A lot can change in two months... Corrosion on the Giggy Box battery switch, failure of a DC mini-breaker, a "bolt head" on the ground connection breaking off from the RV service center overtightening it.... Lots of potential for things to change in 60 days....

I just went back out and re-checked all connections on the ground to the trailer and the inControl control panel. Nothing loose. Again, battery is fully charged but in the RV I'm getting 10.3V when disconnected from the truck and 11.2V when connected with the truck running. Slide won't open either way.

 

[flybouy]

Sounds to me like a failed battery. A battery can show a "full charge" according to a voltmeter when checked immediately after charging but hours later show low or no voltage. They used to call that "a top charge" and was typically indicative of a shorted cell. As stated previously, either check the specific gravity of each cell or if it's a sealed battery take the battery to an auto parts store and get it load tested.

 

[EdPav]

Thanks. My battery was load tested so I have to believe it’s something else. I talked to a Rv mechanic today and he leaned toward a bad converter.

 

[RacerX-KEY]

Converter takes 120v to 12v. It would help supply power if attached to a shore connection but wouldn’t be in the loop otherwise. (Unless you are also plugged in?). Based on your symptoms and assuming you are disconnected from shore power I would not suspect the converter.

 

[chuckster57]

/\ /\

I agree. Your converter is not the issue. I’m not convinced your batteries are up to the task. Have you done a cell by cell hydrometer test?

 

[Eman85]

Where does the trailer sense voltage? Measure voltage where the trailer is looking at voltage and see if it's 10.5v. Can you check voltage at the InControl panel?

 

[EdPav]

Ok. I bought another new battery this AM just to be sure. Hooked it up and still got low battery warning on InContol. Only 10.6w getting to controller. Somehow I’m loosing power from full battery to controller. Plugged into shore power and everything works fine so not the converter. Leaning towards bad ground to trailer. The bolts are rusting. Thoughts?

 

[chuckster57]

Time to find the ground lead from the battery, follow it to the frame and make sure it’s clean and secure.

 

[EdPav]

I’m thinking the same thing! The connections to the trailer frame are rusted! Appreciate it!

 

[flybouy]

Remove the bolt holding the ground battery cable to the frame. Throughly clean the surface of the frame, the threads in the frame, the cable connector, and the bolt. After reinstalling the connection you can spray it with some battery post protectant if you wish. Cleaning that ground connection should be on your spring maintenance list and performed at the beginning of every camping season.

 

[Kirk's Outback.]

I have had issues in the past with the internal power only working when connected to shore power. Camping World checked all connections and said the battery was bad. I replaced the battery and everything seemed to work well. Today, after being in storage for a few months, I hooked up my new , charged battery and plugged into my truck to open the slides. Now I’m getting a “low battery” warning and the slides stop working. I don’t get it. If the RV is pulling 12w from the truck why am I getting a low battery warning? Shouldn’t it draw the power it needs Fromm there?

My F250 won't supply power to trailer until I put it in gear first, then back in park.

 

[EdPav]

Remove the bolt holding the ground battery cable to the frame. Throughly clean the surface of the frame, the threads in the frame, the cable connector, and the bolt. After reinstalling the connection you can spray it with some battery post protectant if you wish. Cleaning that ground connection should be on your spring maintenance list and performed at the beginning of every camping season.

I don’t think I’ll ever solve this. Battery brand new, cable connections all cleaned including ground on the frame. Battery load tested with 12+v, iN Command still says only 10.6v and giving low battery warning. All systems work fine when connected to shore power. IN Command tech said my software needed updated but probably isn’t the problem.

 

[NH_Bulldog]

Aside from the fact that the InCommand system is a solution looking for a problem, maybe you should be looking at the BCM? That is the panel of wire connections and relays in the front compartment.

 

[jxnbbl]

Disclaimer: I do not have nor "know Command". BUT what I would do is that since this is really a question of what value Command reads this voltage I would measure it from the wire. I googled the manual and found manual (link) I'm not sure it this is your model or what but there is a wiring diagram in there and it looks like "terminal 90" is what it he input voltage. I suspect that either 1. this is 10.6v and the other end of the wire should be investigated or 2. the module itself is faulty if this reads 12v.

 

[Eman85]

I'd be looking where the command gets it's voltage AND where it grounds. With the
meter I'd measure using a good ground all the way back to the battery negative and measure using the command's negative.

 

[JRTJH]

Back to Post #18, have you removed the Giggy Box cover and measured voltage on each of the DC mini-breakers ??? One of them (I can't tell you which one) supplies battery power to the In-Command system. A loose or corroded terminal connection on one of those mini-breakers will cause the voltage drop as will a bad crimp on a wire, or a corroded/bad connection on the red battery cutoff switch just above the mini-breakers. If you have 13VDC at the battery terminals, then you should have 13VDC at the "trailer ends" of the battery cables. One is connected to the trailer ground, the other is connected to the Giggy Box battery cutoff switch. If you have 13VDC at that measurement, then I'd suspect a bad mini-breaker or a bad connection on one of the mini-breakers.

 

[drrelli]

Any update?

 

[LHaven]

Oh ya, it’s running. Just like when I’m towing it.

Used to be that the truck plug always delivered 12V. Then it delivered 12V only when the truck key was on. Then the engine had to be actually running. Now, the motor has to be running and in gear. So always worthwhile checking that.

What complicates things is that when you get "low battery" indications from a motorized accessory like slides or jacks, you can only cure that with an actual battery. Shore power, truck power, or a charger can't solve this problem because they can't deliver the flood of raw amps these accessories are depending on the battery to provide. Paralleling another battery would work, though.

 

[DDuncan51]

Check the resistance in all the battery cables. They should be 0. A while back, I had a jumper cable (between two batteries) go bad, but it looked just fine.