Hello, I recently purchased a 2019 F150 to pull our travel trailer (it has the trailer package). When I pull the trailer long distances (3 hours+ driving) I'm finding that my F150 struggles to start when whenever I shut off the vehicle (such as in gas stations etc). Recently, I did a 5 hour drive, and 30 mins from home I stopped for gas and the vehicle wouldn't start back up again and had to get AAA to jump me. It seems to me that the battery is getting drained by the trailer. I've had the battery, starter and alternator on the F150 checked by 2 different people and each time they have passed with no issues. I do have a rear view camera plugged into the 12v charger within the cab, and sometimes the kids or my wife or I will charge their phone in the cab as well. If I unplug the trailer and unplug the rear view camera, I have found that the vehicle has a better chance of starting.I had an older F150 (2004) previously which had no issues like this, we would charge items in the cab and use the rear view camera etc and it would start fine. I'm trying to figure out where the source of the problem may lie, any ideas? Could the battery on the trailer be an issue? Could the wiring harness on the F150 be at fault? Is there an issue with newer F150s being able to handle charging devices as well as the trailer?Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!Cheers!

Rivolva wrote:I'm trying to figure out where the source of the problem may lie, any ideas? Could the battery on the trailer be an issue? Could the wiring harness on the F150 be at fault? Is there an issue with newer F150s being able to handle charging devices as well as the trailer?It could be a dozen different thing. Stop making wild guess and buy a current clamp !With no trailer attached, start the engine and place the meter on either the positive or negative battery lead. (It may take 5+ minutes for the reading to stabilize, so be patient !)Record the reading. Remove the meter, shut the engine off and connect the trailer. Start the engine and place the meter on the same wire. After waiting for things to stabilize, you should be getting almost the same meter.Get out your owners manual and find the page that lists the fuses. Remove any fuse that is associated with the trailer, one at a time, checking the meter each time for a change.

Brake controller acting funny? Pulling amps but not braking the TT so you'd notice? (WAG)

I've used a cig lighter volt meter to monitor the regulated voltage control's wild swings (modes) in voltage of a GM S-10.

So have you been on a three hour drive without the trailer and no issues?I would be leaving the truck running and check the truck battery voltage. Check direct on the battery terminals and check on the connectors. s/b the same and more than 13.2 volts. Post the results.Then shut down the truck and check again. When it fails again check voltage while cranking. Post all results.I recommend to carry a jump box while this issue persists.I really doubt it is the trailer.

X2 for a DC clamp on ammeter and voltmeter. Check the battery voltage at high idle with the trailer attached. Check the amp draw on the trailer wire. Load test the truck and trailer batteries.Maintaining the truck battery should be a non issue for the alternator. If the trailer draws to many amps the truck fuse to the trailer should blow, check to see what size is currently installed. Did your "people testers" apply a significant load to the truck battery to confirm that it's being charged at the maximum? Unless you know for absolute certain that the truck battery and alternator are good...

Ford F150 battery drain when towing Travel Trailer

Gdetrailer
Explorer III
Oct 03, 2022
tsaitken wrote:

I think the heat related comment is spot on here. Not sure what to do about it, but that seems to be what is affecting me as well.

Replace the starter if you suspect heat soak is the problem, wouldn't be the first starter to ever have had heat soak issues and won't be the last.. They are in a bugger of a place right by the exhaust manifold and a hidden bolt on top that you can't see.. Add in steel bolts that seize going into an aluminum engine block for additional fun so having the starter fail while on the road will not be an easy or cheap fix especially when you round off the top bolt head..
tsaitken
Explorer
Oct 03, 2022
Gdetrailer wrote:
CA Traveler wrote:
Mnewbill wrote:
Hi I have a 2019 f150 5.0 with the same symptoms. It struggles to crank after hauling the travel trailer. I dont know if the battery is low as it will start fine after it cools off. It may be bad battery but it's fairly new in terms of years and low miles. It should have at least 2 more good years. Any luck finding your issue?
I'm wondering if it could be related to higher engine area temperatures due to hauling?

Have the battery load checked - free, new batteries fail. Buy a $20 digital voltmeter and check the battery voltage including while trying to start. Better buy a clamp on ammeter for DC amps and volts and also check the trailer draw.

Won't hurt to have the battery load checked, but I suspect that the battery is most likely OK. But the key info is what I put into bold type..

Heat related..

So unless the battery is failing under high temps, it most likely is the starter..

Guess where the starter is mounted?

Right above/beside the exhaust pipe from the engine exhaust manifold which in some engine configurations may have the cat converter mounted near the starter also (some configurations use a cat on each bank of the engine).

Fair chance the starter is getting heat soaked under heavy towing and may be failing under those conditions.

I think the heat related comment is spot on here. Not sure what to do about it, but that seems to be what is affecting me as well.
tsaitken
Explorer
Oct 03, 2022
Mnewbill wrote:
Hi I have a 2019 f150 5.0 with the same symptoms. It struggles to crank after hauling the travel trailer. I dont know if the battery is low as it will start fine after it cools off. It may be bad battery but it's fairly new in terms of years and low miles. It should have at least 2 more good years. Any luck finding your issue?

I am having the same issue with my 2018 F-150. Its got the medium duty tow package so I had to add a Curt Blutooth brake controller but other than that can handle my 2021 Highland Ridge Olympia 26BHS just fine. We got to a KoA the other day and shut off the truck to start unhooking. Went to start it back to back up on the leveling blocks and it wouldn't start. It tried but wouldn't turn over. Called State Farm roadside and waited about 15 min for them to get there. When he got there I tried it one more time real quick before he attached his jump box and it started right up. I think it has to do with some sort of heat buildup that when it cools down it can start just fine. If I leave the truck running for 10ish min then turn it off it will start right back up but its also been cooling off at that same time.
Gdetrailer
Explorer III
Sep 08, 2022
nickthehunter wrote:
As the initial post is 2 years old, I'm guessing his problem was resolved long ago.

Yeah, I thought the same thing, the OP most likely resolved the issue and never reported back the fix and Mnewbill (the one that brought the thread back from the dead) was inquiring as to what the "fix" was as they have encountered the same issue with their truck..

Often spammers bring old threads back to life with unrelated gibberish but Mnewbill at least did not post unrelated gibberish or broken English.

I am going to give Mnewbill sort of the benefit of a doubt and at least offer some help of what possibly is the problem without condemning them.
nickthehunter
Nomad II
Sep 08, 2022
As the initial post is 2 years old, I'm guessing his problem was resolved long ago.
Gdetrailer
Explorer III
Sep 08, 2022
CA Traveler wrote:
Mnewbill wrote:
Hi I have a 2019 f150 5.0 with the same symptoms. It struggles to crank after hauling the travel trailer. I dont know if the battery is low as it will start fine after it cools off. It may be bad battery but it's fairly new in terms of years and low miles. It should have at least 2 more good years. Any luck finding your issue?
I'm wondering if it could be related to higher engine area temperatures due to hauling?

Have the battery load checked - free, new batteries fail. Buy a $20 digital voltmeter and check the battery voltage including while trying to start. Better buy a clamp on ammeter for DC amps and volts and also check the trailer draw.

Won't hurt to have the battery load checked, but I suspect that the battery is most likely OK. But the key info is what I put into bold type..

Heat related..

So unless the battery is failing under high temps, it most likely is the starter..

Guess where the starter is mounted?

Right above/beside the exhaust pipe from the engine exhaust manifold which in some engine configurations may have the cat converter mounted near the starter also (some configurations use a cat on each bank of the engine).

Fair chance the starter is getting heat soaked under heavy towing and may be failing under those conditions.
time2roll
Nomad
Sep 08, 2022
Mnewbill wrote:
Hi I have a 2019 f150 5.0 with the same symptoms. It struggles to crank after hauling the travel trailer. I dont know if the battery is low as it will start fine after it cools off. It may be bad battery but it's fairly new in terms of years and low miles. It should have at least 2 more good years. Any luck finding your issue?
What is the voltage on the battery terminals just before you shut it down?
Otherwise I would assume the battery needs replaced.
CA_Traveler
Explorer III
Sep 08, 2022
Mnewbill wrote:
Hi I have a 2019 f150 5.0 with the same symptoms. It struggles to crank after hauling the travel trailer. I dont know if the battery is low as it will start fine after it cools off. It may be bad battery but it's fairly new in terms of years and low miles. It should have at least 2 more good years. Any luck finding your issue?
I'm wondering if it could be related to higher engine area temperatures due to hauling?

Have the battery load checked - free, new batteries fail. Buy a $20 digital voltmeter and check the battery voltage including while trying to start. Better buy a clamp on ammeter for DC amps and volts and also check the trailer draw.
Grit_dog
Navigator
Sep 08, 2022
^Doubt you'll get a response from someone who posted 2 years ago, didn't even own jumper cables and never returned to the thread...
Mnewbill
Explorer
Sep 08, 2022
Hi I have a 2019 f150 5.0 with the same symptoms. It struggles to crank after hauling the travel trailer. I dont know if the battery is low as it will start fine after it cools off. It may be bad battery but it's fairly new in terms of years and low miles. It should have at least 2 more good years. Any luck finding your issue?