Electrical problems last night

[Area13]

So we are doing our first camping trip in a few months and last night were wokin up to the carbon monoxide detector beeping at us. After poking around for a minute i notice the lights are dim and the fan is slow. BTW, we are on ac power at a campground. A few minutes of poking around and a cranky wife, I decide to go outside and dx the battery, problem solved, lights get bright, co detector shuts up and I lay in bed thinking.... Anywho, I dont have a volt meter on me and dont need the battery this trip so will check it when I get home. Any thoughts on potential problems, or could it just be a bad battery? Not sure how old it is, came with camper when I bought i used last year.

[Reddog1]

Could be one problem. Assuming the truck lights were okay before connecting the TC. A problem in the TC could burn fuses in the truck when connected.

[westend]

Fuse in truck is the tail light issue.

[Area13]

Reddog1 wrote:
You do not need a battery in your TC for those to work.

If you disconnect the power cable from your truck to TC, do the lights on the truck work properly?

Yes, and just got home so gonna investigate. Seems like 2 different problems.

[Reddog1]

You do not need a battery in your TC for those to work.

If you disconnect the power cable from your truck to TC, do the lights on the truck work properly?

[Area13]

So now i have no tail lights, brake lights or turn signals. Do I need a battery in my camper to make these work, or do I have a seperate 7 way plug or fuse problem? Any input would be appreciated. BTW, I will never leave home without my VOM again!

[Reddog1]

Moved to Tech Issues

Wayne
Moderator

[TucsonJim]

Thanks Narcodog. I didn't pick up on that.

[narcodog]

TucsonJim wrote:
"Anywho, I dont have a volt meter on me and dont need the battery this trip so will check it when I get home."

Please don't forget that you need to have a charged battery when you are towing. If your trailer were to become detached from the tow vehicle while on the road, the break away system will not activate the trailer brakes if you do not have adequate voltage on your trailer battery. This could be a very serious problem for both you and others on the highway. Never tow without a fully charged and functional battery in your trailer.

Jim, he has truck camper, I don't he has to worry about the trailer brakes.

[ScottG]

wnjj wrote:
Sounds like a shorted cell in the battery.

X2.
Probably caught it just in time before it fried the converter.

[TucsonJim]

"Anywho, I dont have a volt meter on me and dont need the battery this trip so will check it when I get home."

Please don't forget that you need to have a charged battery when you are towing. If your trailer were to become detached from the tow vehicle while on the road, the break away system will not activate the trailer brakes if you do not have adequate voltage on your trailer battery. This could be a very serious problem for both you and others on the highway. Never tow without a fully charged and functional battery in your trailer.

[bobndot]

Ivylog wrote:
Those detectors are dual purpose and should also be labeled as audio low voltage alarms

Methane too. Ask my dog how I know.


Area13, look into reconditioning your battery . That might work . It cleans the internal plates.

this charger shows a 24 hr recondition cycle.
http://servicenet.blackanddecker.com/documents/English/Instruction%20Manual/Vector/VEC1095ABD.pdf

[Ivylog]

Those detectors are dual purpose and should also be labeled as audio low voltage alarms. You need a new battery (bad cell) as it's overloading you converter. Good chance you have a dumb converter that's good at overcharging your battery, boiling all the water out which is going to kill your battery if you do not refill it every month.

[wnjj]

Sounds like a shorted cell in the battery.