Auxillary Battery Troubles

Thank you all for the responses! Appreciate this!

first. the auxillary batteries are charging when vehicle is running. Its's when we plug it into the land line, no charging is taking place in those batteries.

shark14 wrote:
The meter gauge in the camper always shows battery power is full, but the batteries are dead. What are we doing wrong?? Are there things to check out?

The meter gauge indicates you have good voltage from the converter at the fuse panel. Batteries are dead because you have an open circuit between the converter/fuse panel and the battery.

If you want to find the issue yourself you will need to check voltage along the battery connection to find where power stops. Probably a fuse, breaker, switch or a poor connection along the route. You will need to do the leg work. Test light or meter should work fine.

shark14 wrote:
We have a Class C Winnebago View and our auxiliary batteries will not charge when RV is plugged in. Last year we replaced these same batteries thinking it was the age of the battery. The meter gauge in the camper always shows battery power is full, but the batteries are dead. What are we doing wrong?? Are there things to check out?

A voltmeter or set of battery status lights shows fully charged when the CHARGING voltage is 12.6 volts or higher. However, 12.6 volts will take forever to fully charge a battery. A good charger, converter or solar battery controller will charge at a voltage of 14.4 to 15 volts, then maintain at around 13.5 volts.

A battery is being damaged when sitting at less than 50% of full charge. The only electrical way to tell the per cent of full charge is to start with a fully charged battery and keep a count of the amp-hours of electric energy taken from the battery and added to the battery while charging. This device is called a battery monitor. I have one of these Ebay cheapos and am very happy with it. A search for battery monitors in this forum will provide good information.

I wasted my first set of RV batteries by trusting the idiot lights and the voltage chart for battery state of charge, which is overly optimistic while charging and for hours after charging stops because the voltmeter shows the charging voltage and "surface charge" for quite a while afterward. With the monitor and a modest solar charging system my batteries are always over 80% of full charge.

I agree but for first level I use the test light.

I have had circuits show ok on a volt meter, but did not light the bulb in the test light.. I've had 'em light an LED but not the incandascent bulb in the test light.

I've never had to go the 100 watt route.. but I have one in case I do

100 watt test lights...
You can get a 12 volt version of a trouble light or drop light as they used to be called.. Or you can make one by taking a common 120 volt unit and cutting the plug off and wiring battery clips on.. Replace the bulb with a 12 volt screw in rough service (75 or 100 watt sizes are common in RV and Automotive stores, some hardwares) and you have a nice 12 volt high load test light.

I have one that is bigger too.

NYANNNNNNNNNNT

ZOOT

You stabbed a 120 vac line.

Problem with a test light it is not load reactive. For serious testing I use a 100 watt 12-volt screw-in light bulb (drop cord TWELVE volts). NAPA auto parts has these bulbs. Ceramic base. Long long long negative lead with nile crocodile grade meanass toothed clip.

I have found so many ("Ooooooo it's lights my test light everywhere!") bad connections with this critter it ain't funny.

Such a cheap setup finds, YES, NO's and MAYBE's

By the way my favorite test device is a test light. NOT a volt meter but a simple automotive test light.

With unit UNPLUGGED start at fully charged batteries.. Touch both battery terminals.. BRIGHT LIGHT = Good.. Now move clip to chassis and touch POSITIVE battery.. Bright = Good anything else re-check ground clip.

Now move out along the POSITIVE cable.. and every time you come to a connector TEST

Problem is between Bright and Dark

Exactly how mechanically inclined are you? What tools do you have?

shark14 wrote:
What are we doing wrong?? Are there things to check out?

What you are doing wrong is guessing at what the problem IS.

You should be able to pinpoint the problem with a $10 voltmeter and a few minutes of testing.

Most likely guesses since the batteries have already been replaced:
Disconnect switich in OFF position.
Converter/charger has gone bad.
Blown fuse, tripped breaker or loose connection.

Several possible problems.. But first let's look at a line drawing

Converter--Display panel/fuse box----Switch---Fuse or breaker---Batteries--A few things that NEVER get shut off.

Now.. Possible issues: Some fuse boxes have some 30 amp fuses. Depending on the box ONE of them may be for the battery.. Just one (It is the fuse in the phrase "Fuse or breaker"
The switch may be OFF (Disconnected/Store) or the device the switch controls (A solenoid is a remote controlled switch) may be defective.
The fuse or breaker, mine is self-resetting but not all are, many are manual reset.

And last but not least.. bad connection, bad or broken wire.