Dead Battery and hitch/slide

[star6443]

My camper battery is completely drained, dh unplugged weeks ago for unknown reason. I need to hitch up any suggestions? Other than finding a battery charger. I am now plugged into shore power, should the hitch run if I plug into truck? It doesn't. 😞

[westend]

Apparently there is some other wiring issued caused from the drain out of the battery. A main fuse somewhere other than the fuse box, that I can not locate.

Make sure the emergency break away lanyard has not pulled on the break away pin. The pin can still be inside the plastic enclosure and the contacts inside, connected. The emergency brake system is usually wired directly to the battery.

A powered hitch jack and slides should have their own fuses, too. Check for an inline fuse holder on the jack wires, it is typically on the (+) positive polarity wire and will be wired directly to the battery.

Another reason that no charge current is able to reach the battery may be that an in-line fuse or circuit breaker has failed. There should be this circuit protection within a few feet of the battery. Sometimes, it will be in a plastic enclosure, mounted on the frame.

If the battery terminals have ever been miswired/shorted and the onboard converter powered at the same time, a reverse polarity fuse may have been opened at the converter. These fuses are sometimes on the back side of the converter and not visible from the front.

All of these issues are easily diagnosed with the use of a hand-held meter. Do you have a meter or a 12V test light?

[drsteve]

I went to pick my TT up from the dealer last year after it had been there a couple of weeks for warranty work, and they let the battery die. I plugged the seven pin in to the (running) truck and the jack operated just fine.

[rbpru]

My phantom loads drain my battery in 4 or 5 days. My disconnect switch is a half inch wrench I use to unhook the negative battery lead.

When me TT battery runs down I jump it with the truck battery for 15 minutes or so.

There is always a way.

[Dick_B]

For the slide the electric drill better have quite a bit of starting power AND hold on to it with both hands. Once started it takes much less torque.

[star6443]

Let the shore power charge up the battery. Also possible he turned off the main power when he unplugged. Look for the red, round battery switch.



WHERE??

[SoundGuy]

hawkeye-08 wrote:
My electric tongue jack is directly wired to battery, if battery was missing, the jack would not work unless the jack wire was connected to positive battery cable (which should go back to converter that charges battery).

Of course, it all depends on how one chooses to have their trailer wired. Currently my tongue jack isn't fed directly from the battery but from a terminal block that is after the disconnect switch so if there's an external source of 12 vdc power - truck or trailer converter - my tongue jack will run, as will the slide and awning, regardless of whether there's even a battery in place. The point I was making is that the converter will easily power a tongue jack, awning, or small slide, no battery needed, 'though my understanding is that really large slide motor draw so much a battery may be needed in some circumstances. Unfortunately the OP is asking a question that can't be answered definitively by anyone because we have no idea how her particular rig is wired.

[star6443]

Apparently there is some other wiring issued caused from the drain out of the battery. A main fuse somewhere other than the fuse box, that I can not locate.

So frustrated.

[hawkeye-08]

SoundGuy wrote:

star6443 wrote:
My camper battery is completely drained, dh unplugged weeks ago for unknown reason. I need to hitch up any suggestions? Other than finding a battery charger. I am now plugged into shore power, should the hitch run if I plug into truck? It doesn't. 😞

Any trailer I've owned the converter alone with the trailer plugged into shore power has powered the tongue jack, slide, or power awning - no battery needed. Some large slides may require the battery, I couldn't say as I've never owned a large slide, but the tongue jack should certainly work with the converter supplying power to it. Obviously anything wired through a battery disconnect switch won't work when the switch is turned to the off position.

My electric tongue jack is directly wired to battery, if battery was missing, the jack would not work unless the jack wire was connected to positive battery cable (which should go back to converter that charges battery). I have not tested to see what works or not with battery disconnect switch. I suspect all of the interior stuff would not work, but the jack would and anything else that is direct wired to battery (if battery is charged of course).

[SoundGuy]

star6443 wrote:
My camper battery is completely drained, dh unplugged weeks ago for unknown reason. I need to hitch up any suggestions? Other than finding a battery charger. I am now plugged into shore power, should the hitch run if I plug into truck? It doesn't. 😞

Any trailer I've owned the converter alone with the trailer plugged into shore power has powered the tongue jack, slide, or power awning - no battery needed. Some large slides may require the battery, I couldn't say as I've never owned a large slide, but the tongue jack should certainly work with the converter supplying power to it. Obviously anything wired through a battery disconnect switch won't work when the switch is turned to the off position.

[azdryheat]

Let the shore power charge up the battery. Also possible he turned off the main power when he unplugged. Look for the red, round battery switch.

[sdburris]

Using a drill is a great idea. I would never had thought of that.

[afidel]

Electric drill can normally be used to operate the "manual" crank bolt for both (does not apply to all slide systems, ready your manual).

[BarneyS]

You should have a manual crank for both the hitch and the slide. Takes a bit of work but gets the job done. Personally, I would just wait for the battery to get charged back up since you are plugged in.

I know you said you needed to hitch up but the hitch jack runs just off of the battery and is not connected to the charger except through the battery. If you need to get going immediately, then the crank is probably your only option unless you can find a neighbor to hook his car battery to yours so as to jump your tongue jack.
Barney