Battery dead, connection issues

[A_Miel]

Well, I have the beautiful new Winnebago on the property now, and won't be getting the 50 amp power post for a few weeks. The battery is completely dead, so that not even the carbon monoxide light is on. I went to youtube and to this forum to read up on recharging the battery/using power from the house, which is about 50 feet away. This is what I did, and it did not work:
1.) bought 2 dogbone style power adapters - 50-30 and 30-15.
2.) plugged in the 50 amp cord that came with the rv, then connected the adapters and plugged into a heavy duty extension cord, then into house outlet.
3.) Made sure extension cord and house outlet are working (I plugged the RV television into the extension cord and it has power)
4.) Made sure the battery disconnect stayed on (battery is connected)and turned off all battery operated and electric switches.
5.) Let it sit for several hours - still totally dead
6.) Went to hardware store and replaced the 30-15 adapter just in case. I have not replaced the 50-30 one yet, but they both look to be in perfect, new condition.
7.) Plugged everything up again and let it sit for several hours.

I called the RV dealership and they think it should work. Only suggestions were to suspect the adapters and make sure the battery disconnect is on.

I understand that the long extension cord can cause the power to trickle, but it had juice for the television in the rv. Seems like it should have at least delivered some power to the battery or be operating some of the lights. Everything is still completely dead.

I may have to get an electrician out but first, thought I would ask my trusty, experienced fellow RV'rs out there. Thanks in advance for troubleshooting advice!

[allen8106]

I run a 100' cord to mine from my work shop an it works fine.

[enblethen]

If it was an outside receptacle, it could have tripped the GFCI.
Yes, the rig could have overloaded the circuit and tripped breaker or blew fuse in older systems.

[A_Miel]

Must have blown a fuse in the house. I am away and have not heard more.

[2oldman]

A.Miel wrote:
, it turned out that the outlet from the house, which was fine when I connected the extension cord and tested it on the rig's TV - went dead after connecting everything up with adapters.

Why did it go dead?

[laknox]

A.Miel wrote:
Problem solved! Scott, who posted and then communicated via email, was a tremendous help and stuck with me through the process.
So to finish this saga, it turned out that the outlet from the house, which was fine when I connected the extension cord and tested it on the rig's TV - went dead after connecting everything up with adapters. We are using power from the shed and now have lights and heat. BIG sigh of relief. Silver lining is that I learned stuff about the battery/converter/electrical system through this forum and youtube and made a new friend in the process. Thanks again, Scott and everyone who responded with valuable advice 🙂

Glad you were able to get help to get your issue solved. My only concern would be that since the batteries have been run flat, they'll likely not take a full charge any more and won't last very long. If you get another year out of them, I'd be surprised.

Lyle

[enblethen]

Good job, Scott!
Something to remmeber for the future.

[A_Miel]

Problem solved! Scott, who posted and then communicated via email, was a tremendous help and stuck with me through the process.
So to finish this saga, it turned out that the outlet from the house, which was fine when I connected the extension cord and tested it on the rig's TV - went dead after connecting everything up with adapters. We are using power from the shed and now have lights and heat. BIG sigh of relief. Silver lining is that I learned stuff about the battery/converter/electrical system through this forum and youtube and made a new friend in the process. Thanks again, Scott and everyone who responded with valuable advice 🙂

[Memphisdoug]

Do items such as your television in the camper work with it plugged in as you describe. If they do, then you know you have 110V power coming to your trailer through the extension cord and adapters. If you have power, is there a circuit breaker for your converter and is it on? Some power converters also have fuses to protect against reverse polarity of the battery. You need to check those. Otherwise, a volt meter is going to be your best friend in tracking down your problem.

[azdryheat]

If it were me I'd remove the battery and charge it by itself. You might also run it down to the local auto parts store and have them test it. When I bought my trailer the battery turned out to be a junker. I installed a known good battery and haven't had any problems since.

[ksg5000]

Check near the battery for an auto reset circuit breaker - if that goes toes up it takes the battery offline your converter won't charge it.

[enblethen]

ScottG: This is what I like to see! Help people if you can at their rig!

[ScottG]

A.Miel wrote:
Battery disconnect is on.
Battery has been dead for 3 days.

Yep I will charge the battery separately. But still want to be able to use some low-level power from the house to keep the battery charged and use some lights. I had understood that power from the extension cord should BOTH charge the battery AND supply immediate power. Aside from the battery issue (at this point) shouldn't there be some power coming into the rig through my setup?
Or am I still missing something?

No, you aren't missing anything. You should have lights and other things working while the battery is charging when plugged in like that.
Where exactly are you located? If your not far I could take a look.
Have DVM will travel! :B

[kerrlakeRoo]

IIRC Miel was buying a new 5er for a permanent location, and had no real experince with them.
If your dealer is somewhere close by you may want to ask either your salesman or one of the guys from service to come by and go over everything again. That initial PDI would probably seem like a whirlwind tour to a person who was not experienced with the systems. And the few bucks it would cost would likely be a lot easier than you trying to go back to them at the lot. Just have your notes ready so any items your not sure of can be addressed.

[newman_fulltime]

did you turn your main breaker on in the rv