No power to trailer, but I have power to front landing gear?

C

cstratton73

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Joined
Sep 16, 2017
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46
Location
Henderson, NV
So I picked up my trailer out of storage today, drove home and opened the garage down below and turned the battery disconnect switch on to supply power to my trailer, and I got no power to the trailer and heard a clicking noise coming from the area around the battery disconnect switch and it also sounded like it was coming from behind the wall that separates the front storage from the garage area! Since my landing gear worked, but had no power to the rig, I checked all the circuit breakers...none were tripped! Once I turn the battery disconnect switch off, the clicking noise goes away! I went to camping world and bought a new battery disconnect switch, installed it and same problem!! So its not the disconnect switch! I am hooked up to 30amp power and still no power in the trailer...no lights, etc. etc!! What can I check to find the problem...are there relays or hidden circuit breakers behind walls? I have a 2015 303RLS. Need help...thanks!
 
Someone with a model like yours should chime in soon. In the meantime, there is power to the landing gear because it is taken from the batteries prior to the disconnect switch (me as break-away switch for the brakes).

Did you measure the battery voltage? If it's low maybe something isn't quite connecting causing the noise.

After the disconnect switch the 12v should go directly to the DC distribution panel (mine is inside the RV). It may be a bad connection.

How about the groups? Did you check them to make sure they were still good?

Probably need 2 people to trace the sound - one on the switch, one listening.
 
Thanks... I was wondering if that could possibly be the problem! My DC distribution relays, are mounted on the wall just above the battery! It does sound like it may be coming from there also! This may sound strange but everytime I hear the clicking noise, about every 5 seconds, the ground wire coming from the distribution panel to a ground screw mounted at the bottom of the panel JUMPS! It's like the clicking noise causes that wire to jolt! Do you think it might be the connection or the actual distribution bar/relay going bad? The sound is coming from that area definitely!
 
Forgot to mention that the wires that are all connected to the distribution relays, appear to be tight... Couldn't move any of them!
 
If it’s been stored for any length of time without power, your battery is dead. May be overloading the converter, especially if it was cold while in storage and the battery froze.
 
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If that was the case...how was I able to raise the landing gear with a bad battery? I have power to the landing gear...just no power to the rest of the trailer when the battery disconnect switch is turned on! Do you think that the clicking noise is a dead giveaway of a bad battery??
 
cstratton73 said:
If that was the case...how was I able to raise the landing gear with a bad battery? I have power to the landing gear...just no power to the rest of the trailer when the battery disconnect switch is turned on! Do you think that the clicking noise is a dead giveaway of a bad battery??
Click to expand...

Are you saying your landing gear works (12V) but your lights (12V) don't work?
 
That is correct... My landing gear works fine but I have no power whatsoever to the trailer even with the battery disconnect turned on! Constant clicking noise about every 4-5 seconds once I turn the disconnect switch on...then goes away when I turn it off! No power to the trailer with the disconnect switch on! Replaced the disconnect switch with a new one and it did not fix the problem! Clicking noise appears to be coming from the distribution panel mounted on the wall above the battery! Pissing me off!!
 
cstratton73 said:
Thanks... I was wondering if that could possibly be the problem! My DC distribution relays, are mounted on the wall just above the battery! It does sound like it may be coming from there also! This may sound strange but everytime I hear the clicking noise, about every 5 seconds, the ground wire coming from the distribution panel to a ground screw mounted at the bottom of the panel JUMPS! It's like the clicking noise causes that wire to jolt! Do you think it might be the connection or the actual distribution bar/relay going bad? The sound is coming from that area definitely!
Click to expand...

Appears there may be a short past the switch tripping one of the auto resetting circuit breakers.
DC Auto Resetting CB Cutaway https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA1cz021OvU
 

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There's no rodent damage... I have checked everything out! I don't know if it is a short or something wrong with the distribution panel! If one of the relays are bad, would that cause the sound I am hearing? I hate to take it in... They keep it for weeks and charge you hundreds of dollars for a $20 part! Maybe some spark chaser will see the thread tomorrow and have an idea! Thanks for the help... I'll keep at it until I find the problem! That's one thing I do well... Work The Problem!!
 
I agree with Gene, it sounds like there is a short downstream from the disconnect. If you look at Genes diagram, you'll see there is a circuit breaker on that line. An auto resetting circuit breaker will click when it trips, then click when it resets. What it sounds like is the C/B is resetting then immediately tripping. It would seem to me the short is between the disconnect and (or right at) the distribution panel. I say this because if the short was past the panel, that circuits fuse would blow. Since none of the fuses are blown, the problem would seem to be before them. If you can, disconnect the 12v power wire at the panel, then turn on the disconnect. If it trips, your panel is good and you'll have to trace the 12v wire to see where it contacts ground. If it doesn't trip, then there is a problem with the panel. I'm trying to isolate where the short is. That's a start anyway...

John
 
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cstratton73 said:
That is correct... My landing gear works fine but I have no power whatsoever to the trailer even with the battery disconnect turned on! Constant clicking noise about every 4-5 seconds once I turn the disconnect switch on...then goes away when I turn it off! No power to the trailer with the disconnect switch on! Replaced the disconnect switch with a new one and it did not fix the problem! Clicking noise appears to be coming from the distribution panel mounted on the wall above the battery! Pissing me off!!
Click to expand...

There is a positive bus bar at the front of your rig...follow the heavy GA wire (+) from you battery to find it. It's likely fused in between the battery and battery shutoff. Look for that and come back if you're still stuck.
 
When you raised and lowered the landing gear was the trailer still plugged into the truck ?
 
So, it shoulds like you are hooked up to shore power. First I would turn off all the breakers and see what happens.

Next, if it still does not power any 12V circuits I would take a picture of the 12V fuses and UNPLUG FROM SHORE POWER and pull all of 12V fuses and plug back to shore power and see if the clicking goes away or better yet measure for 12V with a multimeter.

If you still have the issue you most likely either have a short in the 12V wire or there is a automatic reset breaker in the 12V wire that is bad.
 
What you don't want to do is make assumptions like I did :). Forget the clicking noise just figure out why you don't get 12V from the good (tested) battery to the distribution panel.

Another thought. I think your 12V circuits will work with the battery disconnect switch in the off position (hanging) when connected to shore power. The power converter will supply the 12V. So when connected to shore power do your 120V circuits work? Microwave or ....
 
I could be wrong but it sounds like a dead battery. These trailers have parasitic draws that can kill a battery rather quickly even if the battery switch is turned off. If you still have the trailer plugged into the truck that could operate the landing gear.
 
Can't find it! The red wire going to the battery from the disconnect goes down through the floor and up on the other side! Are you saying I have to pull the entire panel off down under the floor that looks to be a panel to prevent freezing which has about a hundred or more screw in it?? Or is the red wire reached that goes from the battery to the disconnect switch by taking off the panel between the garage and the front storage area where the battery is kept?
 
No the trailer is disconnected from the truck and the landing gear as full power! Just not the rest of the trailer. Doesn't work with 12v DC or 110v shore power!
 
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