Getting out the camper, battery issue

[jim Kneiszel]

I'm getting out our 1999 Coleman Sea Pine trailer for the first time this year. Last year it was seldom used, and when I did use it, I couldn't get the camper to operate off the battery, only off the electric system plugged into the campground service. My battery has remained fully charged using a trickle charger, but didn't power anything up when I attached it to the camper. I'd like to fix this, but I'm a novice and don't know where to start. Any help how to diagnose this would be greatly appreciated. The whole family would appreciate it if I drag them to a campground that doesn't have a plug in!
Jim

[wavery]

I'm getting out our 1999 Coleman Sea Pine trailer for the first time this year. Last year it was seldom used, and when I did use it, I couldn't get the camper to operate off the battery, only off the electric system plugged into the campground service. My battery has remained fully charged using a trickle charger, but didn't power anything up when I attached it to the camper. I'd like to fix this, but I'm a novice and don't know where to start. Any help how to diagnose this would be greatly appreciated. The whole family would appreciate it if I drag them to a campground that doesn't have a plug in!
Jim

The first thing that you should do is check the battery, right at the terminal, to be sure that it is putting out over 12v and all of the connections are tight. If your lights are working from shore power, your fuses are good.

Next, check to see if the battery has water in it. If the water is so low that the plates are exposed, you may need to replace the battery. If the water is low but plates are not exposed, add distilled water to the full mark and charge with 3-stage charger. It is very common for batteries to go dry and die when constantly charged with a trickle charger.

After 24 hours, check each cell with a hydrometer ($3 at most auto parts stores or Walmart). If one cell reads (much) lower than the others, buy a new battery. If the readings are all over the place but still read in the good to fair range, you might want to try de-sulfating the battery (I'd still buy a new one).

Once that you have established that the battery is putting out 12+v, check your lights. If they still don't work, you may have a bad ground wire from the battery to the frame. Also, clean the terminal on the frame and tighten the screw. You could also have a bad positive wire going to the converter. Change that wire and see if it works. If it still doesn't work, you may have a bad converter.

[jim Kneiszel]

Wavery -- Thanks for the step-by-step. I recall having the battery tested when I couldn't get it to work last year. It was fine then, and my trickle charger says it's charged now. I'll go out to where it's stored and hook it up and try it again. If it doesn't work. I'll have the ground checked out. Thanks again for the reply.

If anyone out there has this type of popup, I'd be curious to hear if this is a common problem and there are common solutions.

Jim

[garym053]

There MAY be a fuse, on or IN the Converter on the 12v line from your battery. There is one inside the converter in my BIL and My Jaycos. He had 12V power while plugged in, but not off the battery. I took his converter apart and found a small fuse inside that had blown. WHY it's inside the converter, one could only guess, (can you say planned service income!)
Anyway, I replaced the fuse, and he's had no problems since. I think the fuse blows if you happen to reverse polarity, although they swear that didn't happen.
Wish I could remember the name of the company that made the converter: Century maybe?
Anyway, good luck!