I have an 08 Rockwood Ultralite 5er. Model8281ss. When I am hooked up to a vehicle or shore power I am able to have 12v power, but when I am unhooked from either of these I cannot use any of the 12v items (lights, front power jacks, etc.) I took the battery out and had it charged and tested. Everything checked out okay. 12.2volts after a charge. I checked for corrosion on all the wiring to and from the battery, pulled it all apart cleaned it and ohmed out the wiring. Everything looks and tested good. The fuses all checked out okay also. Am I missing something. Why can I still not get 12v power unless I am hooked up?

The battery is not connected to the converter. You either have a disconnect open or perhaps you have connected the battery backwards or shorted the converter and blown the reverse polarity fuses on the converter.

you either have a resetable fuse or a badfuse coming off the battery isolating the batt out of the circuit

I'm guessing the converter on my unit is on the bottom side or behind my electrical board and breakers under my fridge?

Ditto on what others have said. In addition, your battery doesn't sound healthy. 12.2 volts after a charge of how long? Have you checked the water levels in it recently?Consider the following:

Look close to the battery for a circuit breaker or fuse. Some circuit breakers have a small reset button.12 volt DC fuses could be located behind metal plate adjacent to the 120volt circuit breakers. Look for a main battery fuse.

12v power | Good Sam Community

14 Replies

red31
Explorer
Jul 30, 2015
Some 'charge' lines are always hot!! in the popup world with the ability to operate a 100-125 watt fridge while towing the trailer battery can take a beating with poor or no alternator charging, no one installs a relay to turn the fridge off when there is no vehicle/alternator power and drain their trailer battery. Forget to turn the fridge off while stopped and both trailer and vehicle battery can be drained in some instances.
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Jul 30, 2015
Running a feeder circuit direct.to the load of the trailer presumes the tow vehicle has a breaker.

It's a different configuration with drawbacks and no advantages especially if the trailer loads are powered with the tow vehicle just sitting there. The tow vehicle's battery could power lights without anyone knowing there was a fault. This jeopardizes a starting battery for zero sum gain. Thanks for the head"s up...
red31
Explorer
Jul 30, 2015
MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Hmm
Is not the vehicle interconnect line run directly to the house battery via a breaker then a master used to protect the hotel loads and converter?

Not my popup, hard top, folding tent trailer or whatever one would like to call it. I see a path to the power center that does not go to the battery breaker/fuse.
enblethen
Nomad
Jul 30, 2015
Thanks for the update!
Easy fix! Any rust around the terminals? May want to make a note of what you found.
Mexicowanderer:
The fuse/circuit breaker is to protect the wire between the battery and the 12 volt DC distribution panel.
MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Jul 30, 2015
Hmm
Why would incoming power from an external BATTERY bypass the house battery breaker? Is not the vehicle interconnect line run directly to the house battery via a breaker then a master used to protect the hotel loads and converter? Is this arrangement considered "normal"?
ru4nd2
Explorer
Jul 30, 2015
Found a small reset button next to the battery. I thought it was a "terminal" for auxiliary from the battery. It was a terminal but clearly a 40amp reset. Everything works great now. Have not had any issues since. Thanks for the help.
RJsfishin
Explorer
Jul 24, 2015
Why look farther than the battery ? What do you suppose that 12,2 battery is going to read when a load is placed on it ? DEAD, that's what !!
Quote:
I took the battery out and had it charged and tested. Everything checked out okay. 12.2volts after a charge.
-------------------------------------------
This statement shows you have a lot to learn about 12v and batteries.
A full charged batt should read a min of 12,5, (sic) 12.7 if it is a good battery.
fischer
Explorer
Jul 24, 2015
Check the ground from the battery to the chassis mine came lose at the chassis side and I had the same exact problem.
ru4nd2
Explorer
Jul 24, 2015
Thank you for all the advice. I will do some checking tomorrow.
enblethen
Nomad
Jul 23, 2015
Look close to the battery for a circuit breaker or fuse. Some circuit breakers have a small reset button.
12 volt DC fuses could be located behind metal plate adjacent to the 120volt circuit breakers. Look for a main battery fuse.

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12v power

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