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GaryS1953's avatar
GaryS1953
Explorer
Aug 30, 2017

Camper AND truck batteries dead

So Ive been pretty proud of my recent solar upgrade to the camper, but haven't really had a good workout with it. Fun just knowing everyday the batteries are being topped off and floating due to solar power. So it was quite a shock today when I stepped into the camper to do dome things to prepare for this weekends upcoming trip only to find I had no power and my digital gauge was dark. OMG. So I went to my truck to get tools and a DVM to check the level of charge directly off the bats, only to find the truck was also dead. I had inadvertently left the camper connected to the truck after towing it this past weekend to a local park to dump. My thought is that somehow the truck drained my batteries, even though they were being charged all day by my 320 watts of solar. How is that possible.

When I finally got my DVM on the batteries (2 6 volts in series) they were reading 7.75 volts. Have I killed them? Now I've got my camper plugged into 110 shore power and the converter is charging them and they were reading 8.8 as I came in to type this post. I jumped the truck and got it started, but is THAT battery now fried as well?

Any ideas why leaving the camper connected to the truck would kill all the batteries? Any thoughts on what I should do next. I appreciate any input.
  • time2roll's avatar
    time2roll
    Nomad
    Aug 30, 2017
    I highly recommend a BIRD relay.

    No more hassle to worry about unplugging and reconnecting. No more both batteries dead. Solar can maintain both sets.

    Trouble at home is inconvenient, trouble on the road is far more hassle.
  • MrWizard's avatar
    MrWizard
    Moderator
    Aug 30, 2017
    I assume you have unplugged the truck
    So the converter and solar only have to charge the camper batteries

    Something drained them, lights, fans, trailer brakes ? ..is the pin pulled out, it has happen to more than one person on here
  • GaryS1953's avatar
    GaryS1953
    Explorer
    Sep 06, 2017
    MrWizard wrote:
    I assume you have unplugged the truck
    So the converter and solar only have to charge the camper batteries

    Something drained them, lights, fans, trailer brakes ? ..is the pin pulled out, it has happen to more than one person on here
    MrWizard was right. It's never happened to me before, and when he mentioned it I didn't even realize what he was talking about, but somehow the Break Away switch pin got pulled, causing the electric trailer brakes to be on drawing all the power out of the batteries on the camper and the truck. Never happened in the 10 years I've owned the camper and I have no idea how it happened. Anyway, now that the problem is solved the batteries have charged up just fine, charging to 14.4 volts during the day and then dropping to 13.3 to float, and finally to 12.9 after dark. This weekend with heavy furnace use and a couple hours of TV each night, we woke in the morning with battery gauge reading 12.5. Not sure how much this episode shortened their lives, but for now it seems like the batteries are going to live:)

    Thanks to everyone for all their thoughts on the problem, and special thanks to you MrWizard for hitting the nail on the head.

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