When we were camping last weekend we realized we had no 12v power unless the camper was plugged in. We are hoping that it gets warm enough next weekend to start troubleshooting. When I was out there today I flipped the main breaker and of course all the lights went out. When I flipped it back the fan on the converter would run for a second and shut off. I'm thinking that maybe there is a fuse between the battery and converter that may be bad or perhaps a reset that needs to take place. Any ideas?

There should be an in-line fuse near your battery. Depending upon your specific set up, it might have a push button reset, and it might be the type that actually has to be swapped out, or it might be a simple replacement (like in your automobile). Start there.By chance, does your camper have a battery shut off switch that might have been flipped?

Hey Pam - ABout the only thing that blows this in-line 12VDC fuse is reversing the battery terminals... If the battery terminals did spark on you it may have also blown two additional fuses in the Power Dist Panel labeled REVERSE POLARITY... Check your 12VDC battery terminal and make sure the battery case marking for "NEG" or the symbol "-" is connected to the trailer frame ground.If a battery CELL becomes shorted out it may blow the in-line fuse as well as the battery will draw alot of DC current coming from your converter/charger...Check the water level on the battery - Usually a shorted cell will boil out that cell's fluids... If one cell shows no fluids it's usually game over for the battery.If things are NORMAl your ceiling lights will come on when not connected to shore power. Then when you connect to Shore Power you will see the ceiling lights brighten up a bit... This will tell you the on-board converter/charger is connected to the battery and all is working normal charge wise.Roy Ken

there could be a fuse blown in the converter face where all the fuses are. pull each one and look them over. some fuses blow and you can't tell unless you swap it out with a new one.

Bad converter.....DC output should be 13.4V or moreBlown in-line fuse from converter to batteryBlown 'reverse polarity' fuses (large fuses)---usually only happens when battery has been hooked up backwards.Battery disconnect/isolation switch turned off (no power to/from batteries)

old guy wrote:there could be a fuse blown in the converter face where all the fuses are. pull each one and look them over. some fuses blow and you can't tell unless you swap it out with a new one.Sometimes you can't tell by looking. Get a multimeter (or even a simple 12v test light) and check them that way. Been there done that....

12V problem | Good Sam Community

PamfromVA
Explorer
Jan 25, 2014
Thanks for the ideas. There is no battery disconnect. That would be too easy :).
SAR_Tracker
Explorer
Jan 25, 2014
old guy wrote:
there could be a fuse blown in the converter face where all the fuses are. pull each one and look them over. some fuses blow and you can't tell unless you swap it out with a new one.

Sometimes you can't tell by looking. Get a multimeter (or even a simple 12v test light) and check them that way. Been there done that....
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Jan 25, 2014
Bad converter.....DC output should be 13.4V or more
Blown in-line fuse from converter to battery
Blown 'reverse polarity' fuses (large fuses)---usually only happens when battery has been hooked up backwards.
Battery disconnect/isolation switch turned off (no power to/from batteries)
old_guy
Explorer
Jan 25, 2014
there could be a fuse blown in the converter face where all the fuses are. pull each one and look them over. some fuses blow and you can't tell unless you swap it out with a new one.
RoyB
Explorer II
Jan 25, 2014
Hey Pam - ABout the only thing that blows this in-line 12VDC fuse is reversing the battery terminals... If the battery terminals did spark on you it may have also blown two additional fuses in the Power Dist Panel labeled REVERSE POLARITY... Check your 12VDC battery terminal and make sure the battery case marking for "NEG" or the symbol "-" is connected to the trailer frame ground.

If a battery CELL becomes shorted out it may blow the in-line fuse as well as the battery will draw alot of DC current coming from your converter/charger...

Check the water level on the battery - Usually a shorted cell will boil out that cell's fluids... If one cell shows no fluids it's usually game over for the battery.

If things are NORMAl your ceiling lights will come on when not connected to shore power. Then when you connect to Shore Power you will see the ceiling lights brighten up a bit... This will tell you the on-board converter/charger is connected to the battery and all is working normal charge wise.

Roy Ken
DutchmenSport
Explorer
Jan 25, 2014
There should be an in-line fuse near your battery. Depending upon your specific set up, it might have a push button reset, and it might be the type that actually has to be swapped out, or it might be a simple replacement (like in your automobile). Start there.

By chance, does your camper have a battery shut off switch that might have been flipped?

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