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New Camper problems

FULL-THROTTLE
Explorer
Explorer
I need some help with my new 2020 Cougar 26RBS, When it was plugged into the rv stores 240v plug everything worked perfectly, I drive it home and nothing works, I plugged a 120v from and outside of my house outlet to the 25ft cable, now I get lights and tv and refrigerator. I pulled the brand new battery and put it on my charger and it was completely dead. So I connect jumper cables from my truck to the battery cable on the rv and everything works, slide, fridge, awning so assume I have let the battery charge overnight. I put it back in the rv and again nothing, I put the jumper cables to the rv battery and everything comes alive I don't get it I assumed with 120v from the house it would run the slide and awning. What am I missing here?

Thank you,

Fran
24 REPLIES 24

Beaker
Explorer
Explorer
You have a bad battery


I think so too. Went thru this last fall. It makes you think it's something else but when you jump the battery everything works.
2008 Silverado 2500HD Duramax
2010 Cruiser 26RK

Bird_Freak
Explorer II
Explorer II
Old-Biscuit wrote:
You have a bad battery
X2. If it was a disconnect switch it would not work with jumpers. I would also check breakers because converter should power up the 12 volt stuff.
Eddie
03 Fleetwood Pride, 36-5L
04 Ford F-250 Superduty
15K Pullrite Superglide
Old coach 04 Pace Arrow 37C with brakes sometimes.
Owner- The Toy Shop-
Auto Restoration and Customs 32 years. Retired by a stroke!
We love 56 T-Birds

Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Explorer III
You have a bad battery
Is it time for your medication or mine?


2007 DODGE 3500 QC SRW 5.9L CTD In-Bed 'quiet gen'
2007 HitchHiker II 32.5 UKTG 2000W Xantex Inverter
US NAVY------USS Decatur DDG31

DrewE
Explorer II
Explorer II
I think it's the battery disconnect switch being in the "disconnect" state, coupled with a dead or missing or bad battery.

Some background: The trailer has two separate electrical systems, one for the 120V stuff (air conditioner, microwave, outlets, TV, etc.) and one for the 12V stuff (lights, water pump, fridge controls, awning and slide outs, and so forth). There is a device built-in called the converter that takes 120V power and makes 12V power, to both charge the battery and power lights etc. when you're plugged in to outside power. There might also be an inverter to make (limited) 120V power from the 12V battery when 120V power is not available.

In the 12V system, there is a disconnect that goes between the battery and the main 12V distribuition fuse panel, controlled by a switch that's often near the entry door. Press the switch in one direction momentarily (it's spring-loaded to the center neutral position) and the battery is disconnected from the rest of the system, and press it the other way and it gets connected together. The converter is most often not on the battery side of this switch, but rather on the side with the 12V fuses, so when plugged into shore power the lights will work regardless of its setting. A few other things are connected to the battery side so that they will always work regardless of the switch setting, either because they need a lot of current (and the switch and fuse panel have a finite capacity), or because for safety's sake they should always be available. This always includes the breakaway brake system for the trailer, and often would also include the propane detector, slides, awning, entry step, leveling jacks, and so on--provided of course they are electric. Likewise an inverter, if present, is usually wired to the battery directly.

It sounds as though this switch may be in the disconnect state; but in any case, your battery is not charged and quite possibly no longer good due to being discharged all the way and sitting for awhile. As to why it was discharged, that could be partly because the disconnect switch was off, so the converter did not charge the battery when the trailer was plugged in, and possibly also something was using power from it at a decent rate or it was sitting for a decently long time. Check, for instance, that the breakaway switch for the trailer brakes is not pulled out and turned on.

Most likely there's not a complete wiring diagram available; most RV makers don't produce such documents, though there are exceptions (Airstream and Winnebago, if memory serves, and maybe a couple other makes had much more complete service literature readily available than most). That being said, many RVs are not vastly different from each other in the general way their wired.

FULL-THROTTLE
Explorer
Explorer
I tried closing awning and slide out and it did not move, but when I put jumper cables from truck battery to the camper battery everything works? I am looking for a wiring diagram for this if anyone has one. I will get the battery tomorrow

dodge_guy
Explorer II
Explorer II
Lots of bits and pieces of missing information. We need a more detailed explanation. If it works with the tuck connects it sounds like a battery issue. But then when you connected the jumpers to the RV battery it worked?
Wife Kim
Son Brandon 17yrs
Daughter Marissa 16yrs
Dog Bailey

12 Forest River Georgetown 350TS Hellwig sway bars, BlueOx TrueCenter stabilizer

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A bad day camping is
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maddog348
Explorer
Explorer
??

beemerphile1
Explorer
Explorer
.
Build a life you don't need a vacation from.

2016 Silverado 3500HD DRW D/A 4x4
2018 Keystone Cougar 26RBS
2006 Weekend Warrior FK1900

ScottG
Nomad
Nomad
Battery disconnect switch.
Reverse polarity fuses blown from battery being connected backwards.

Lwiddis
Explorer II
Explorer II
If it was 240 volts, everything is fried. No RV dealership would do that. Have your battery checked. Then I suspect the converter. The slide and the awning run on 12 volt.
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad