General newb questions - Advice?
Hello all! I just created an account, but I'm excited about my new (used) camper and I plan on becoming a regular on this forum while I learn. It's a 1994 Viking 10ft truck bed popup camper. At this...
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Since you have a switch to select battery OR AC power I'm going to say that no, your battery won't charge when plugged in to AC. I've known of 2 tent trailers in the past (late 80's and early 2000's) that had this kind of setup. The AC->DC converter (power supply) only powers the appliances and the switch picks either battery or converter.
Charging from the truck depends upon your truck's setup. Some trucks charge with the key on, others connect the charge line directly to the truck fuse box but only if someone has hooked it up. Then that wire from the 7-way connector needs to connect to the camper battery.
The best way to confirm battery charging or not from any source is to put a volt meter on the battery terminals. When charging you should see > 13 volts.
Most water heaters are LP or electric and can be run on both at the same time. If there is not a switch inside for the water heater there may be one outside under the screened cover with the twist tab lock. Depending upon the model you may likely have to light the LP manually. Look behind the outside cover for knobs, etc. and a 'pilot' button. Take a picture of what you see there. Your element is probably fine if you just plugged in since you likely did not turn on the WH.
Similar to the water heater, check behind the outer cover of the fridge. If it operates on AC, you should see a normal power cord plugged into an outlet inside that compartment. Most fridges are 2-way (AC/LP) or 3-way (AC/DC/LP). It's possible yours is only DC/LP but I'm not sure I've heard of one of those. On older systems you typically pick the mode with a dial on the back of the fridge (behind the outer wall cover).
Welcome and I hope this helps.
Charging from the truck depends upon your truck's setup. Some trucks charge with the key on, others connect the charge line directly to the truck fuse box but only if someone has hooked it up. Then that wire from the 7-way connector needs to connect to the camper battery.
The best way to confirm battery charging or not from any source is to put a volt meter on the battery terminals. When charging you should see > 13 volts.
Most water heaters are LP or electric and can be run on both at the same time. If there is not a switch inside for the water heater there may be one outside under the screened cover with the twist tab lock. Depending upon the model you may likely have to light the LP manually. Look behind the outside cover for knobs, etc. and a 'pilot' button. Take a picture of what you see there. Your element is probably fine if you just plugged in since you likely did not turn on the WH.
Similar to the water heater, check behind the outer cover of the fridge. If it operates on AC, you should see a normal power cord plugged into an outlet inside that compartment. Most fridges are 2-way (AC/LP) or 3-way (AC/DC/LP). It's possible yours is only DC/LP but I'm not sure I've heard of one of those. On older systems you typically pick the mode with a dial on the back of the fridge (behind the outer wall cover).
Welcome and I hope this helps.
