Battery charging on shore power

**Keebler** · 11-15-2021, 12:45 PM

I am just coming back from a week long stay, and noticed an issue with my battery. When I store my camper, my battery is totally disconnected (using after market disconnect switch to ensure zero drain). When I left storage, my battery was reading 12.6V and raising the front legs worked normally. After about a 3hr drive, the level-up panel showed the battery to be at 13.6V; and again, the leveling process went off with-out a hitch.

After being at the campsite connected to 50amp shore power for 7 days, when I went to raise the landing gear, the level up system showed the battery to be at 11.9V, and I received a LOW VOLTAGE ERROR when attempting to raise all the legs.

My question is this, should my battery be charging while on shore power?

I should add that I was able to plug into my truck, get the battery back over 12V, and get the legs up. After the 3 hour ride home, battery was back above 13V and everything worked properly.

Trying to figure out if I have a bad battery, or if something else is going on. 12V battery is ~ 2 years old.

**Ynot4me2** · 11-15-2021, 12:51 PM

Your battery should be charging while connected. By any chance, did you close your slides after you disconnected from shore power? That could have drained the battery.

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**Keebler** · 11-15-2021, 01:17 PM

Originally Posted by Ynot4me2

Your battery should be charging while connected. By any chance, did you close your slides after you disconnected from shore power? That could have drained the battery.

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No, as a matter of fact, I had everything buttoned up and ready to; with power cable still plugged into shore power when I was attempting to raise the landing gear. When I started getting the LOW VOLTAGE ERROR, I disconnected shore power and plugged into the truck. That got me charged enough to finish raising all the legs.

**Hoopy Frood** · 11-15-2021, 01:21 PM

Probably need to check the voltage before you plug in to shore power, and then check immediately after plugging in to shore power. If it doesn't show any voltage increase, it's time to check the converter/power center. Could be a blown fuse. But you should definitely be getting charging voltage when plugged in to shore power.

**Ynot4me2** · 11-15-2021, 02:47 PM

I agree with @Hoopy Frood time to start checking great fuses. There should be 2 fuses behind your charger.

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**CoChris** · 11-15-2021, 08:51 PM

Check that your batter disconnect switch is on (you can not remove the key). The switch is easy to bump and if turned off, the converter will not charge your battery.

If that is good, verify the 120v circuit breaker for your converter is on. Best to cycle it (turn it off then back on). This will reset it if it has tripped.

Those were the easy ones. If those to not fix it, now for a little more work. Unplug the trailer from shore power (or turn off the converter circuit breaker) and your toe vehicle. Turn on some 12v loads (lights and vent fans). Get a volt meter and put directly across the battery terminals. Voltage will probably be in the 12.x volt range. Plug back into shore power (or turn on the converter). remeasure the battery voltage. It should be higher, ideally in the 13.x v range. If it is, your converter is working and the battery maybe bad. I would remove your battery and have it load tested at an auto parts store. If the voltage does not significantly increase with the converter on (and you have triple checked that the battery disconnect switch is on) then either the output fuses physically on the converter are blown (and need to be replaced) or the converter is probably defective.

Good luck and let us know what you find.

Chris

**SolarPoweredRV** · 11-15-2021, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by CoChris

Check that your batter disconnect switch is on (you can not remove the key). The switch is easy to bump and if turned off, the converter will not charge your battery.

If that is good, verify the 120v circuit breaker for your converter is on. Best to cycle it (turn it off then back on). This will reset it if it has tripped.

Those were the easy ones. If those to not fix it, now for a little more work. Unplug the trailer from shore power (or turn off the converter circuit breaker) and your toe vehicle. Turn on some 12v loads (lights and vent fans). Get a volt meter and put directly across the battery terminals. Voltage will probably be in the 12.x volt range. Plug back into shore power (or turn on the converter). remeasure the battery voltage. It should be higher, ideally in the 13.x v range. If it is, your converter is working and the battery maybe bad. I would remove your battery and have it load tested at an auto parts store. If the voltage does not significantly increase with the converter on (and you have triple checked that the battery disconnect switch is on) then either the output fuses physically on the converter are blown (and need to be replaced) or the converter is probably defective.

Good luck and let us know what you find.

Chris

Yeah, what he said...