ER_Alaska
Jun 12, 2014Explorer
First Post - about electrical system of course
I've been looking all over the web and this site for the answer to my question, but just can't seem to find it. Lots of helpful people on this forum, so maybe you can help. Thanks in advance.
I've been out twice in my new-to-me 2004 23.5-foot R Vision Trail-Lite. After returning home one weekend and after having had the trailer plugged in to my house for a couple of days I pushed the button on the control panel that lets you check the battery condition. It showed 1 out of 4 lights. The lights in the trailer were dim, and the water pump ran slowly. Turns out the battery was very low and after having it checked out it turns out a cell was dead. What I don't understand is this - with the trailer plugged in and a low battery connected, why were the lights dim? And when I removed the battery and kept the trailer plugged in, the lights were bright (and the control panel showed 4/4 lights lit)? When the trailer is plugged in and it (converter I assume) detects that a battery is present, does the power for 12V DC for lights, etc. come from the battery only, or does it come from the house or generator via the converter? If power comes from the battery only when the trailer is plugged in and the converter is charging the battery, then could you draw amps from the battery faster than the converter charges the battery? Or at least draw amps from the battery fast enough that it takes longer for the converter to bring up the charge on the battery.
I've been out twice in my new-to-me 2004 23.5-foot R Vision Trail-Lite. After returning home one weekend and after having had the trailer plugged in to my house for a couple of days I pushed the button on the control panel that lets you check the battery condition. It showed 1 out of 4 lights. The lights in the trailer were dim, and the water pump ran slowly. Turns out the battery was very low and after having it checked out it turns out a cell was dead. What I don't understand is this - with the trailer plugged in and a low battery connected, why were the lights dim? And when I removed the battery and kept the trailer plugged in, the lights were bright (and the control panel showed 4/4 lights lit)? When the trailer is plugged in and it (converter I assume) detects that a battery is present, does the power for 12V DC for lights, etc. come from the battery only, or does it come from the house or generator via the converter? If power comes from the battery only when the trailer is plugged in and the converter is charging the battery, then could you draw amps from the battery faster than the converter charges the battery? Or at least draw amps from the battery fast enough that it takes longer for the converter to bring up the charge on the battery.