Need battery/leveling system help

[Winged_One]

Problem: Battery charge is dropping from 12.7 to 10 and below when running the lippert leveling system.

Background: Added a second 12volt batttery (same 550 CCA) type to 5th this year. One battery is 2 years old, the other less than 1 year. Also, added a connector for Battery Tender Jr.

Status: The 5th is at home. Battery's were at full 13.4 volts when on the 50 amp cord to 20 amp connection at home. Battery connection to trailer turned off.

Yesterday, removed 50 amp cord and hooked up Battery Tender Jr. Showed green. Battery connection turned to on.

Today, turned on lippert system, it showed 12.7 volts. Went to manually lift the rear 4 jacks. System immediately showed 10.6 volts dropping to below 10 and shutting down after about 10 -15 seconds of lift.

Checked batteries. All at proper water level. Checked with hydrometer and none of the cells showed dead or dying.

Batteries are connected to trailer, positive to one battery, negative to the other battery (changed from my way of both to one battery by RV dealer who said their way was better).

I don't understand what is wrong (obviously). Suggestions?

[Winged_One]

There is a resetting breaker switch, somewhere in the Lippert system. Apparently it is weak and is "breaking" too easily.

[2oldman]

What breaker?

[Winged_One]

Been in contact with Lippert.

Amoung emails sent, I sent the following:

We used a multi-meter on each battery while raising and lowering the rear 4 supports. One battery dropped from 13 volts to 12.4. The other dropped from 12.7 volts to 12.1. (They were still hooked together at the time and hooked to the trailer).

I would think that neither drop should cause the system to trip. Also, while the batteries are showing this drop, the display is still showing much less voltage under load (in the 10 to 11 volt range).

Their last response was:

The system will go by the actual battery voltage not the display. You will need to replace the breaker.

Coachmen has had an annual Service and Seminar Rally in Michigan and when we were there a couple years ago, Lippert was there. Will try and get it fixed then.

[Winged_One]

Let me add:

A few weeks ago the switch to the hydraulic slides in the trailer stopped working. Turns out, blew a 5 amp fuse.

Could the reason for the fuse blowing be:

1) low voltage, then spike when turning off the switch

or

2) the hydraulic pump is drawing too much juice?

Or is this just a happy coincidence?

[time2roll]

R&R the batteries could clean up the connections and have it working.
Otherwise you need to locate the voltage drop probably with a hand held meter.

[Winged_One]

Just removed both batteries and took them down to be tested. Both tested as good. Never anything easy.

[Winged_One]

They are both deep cell batteries. One original.

[2oldman]

Winged One wrote:
Background: Added a second 12volt batttery (same 550 CCA) type to 5th this year.

I'm surprised you are using what appear to be starting batteries.

IF this is a new problem, and has worked before with one battery, then it's likely the one battery is toast.

[time2roll]

If you are measuring direct on the actual battery post you probably have a bad battery. It would take 150+ amps to drop a good battery to 10 volts that fast.

Otherwise I suspect a bad connection somewhere is causing voltage drop.

[Winged_One]

mena661 wrote:
What number did the hydrometer read?

Between 1.25 and 1.275. "Fair to Good" at all 12 cells.

[mena661]

What number did the hydrometer read?