Battery power question

[Major Tom]

I have a 2013 Bambi. When I am PLUGGED IN and hit the systems check switch in the bathroom it says my battery is fully charged. Yet when I unplug the trailer nothing turns on from the battery, no lights, no fan, nothing.

[idroba]

Is your USE/STORE switch in the Use position? If not, try that. This assumes that the batteries are charged. In the STORE position, they are not being charged and could have also become discharged... dead that is.

The Monitor you are referring to may only be looking at the voltage from the Conveerter/Charger, which will show that voltage only if the USE/Store switch is in the Store position.

[idroba]

By the way, the term BAMBI is used by Airstreams for many different models and lengths from 16' Sports to 19, 20 and I believe even the 22' Sport. There are Bambi Flying Clouds as well. So, to help us identify the specific trailer you have, it is useful to give more information.

Just a heads up, for the best help.

[Major Tom]

Ah, I have the 22FB Sport model, purchased it slightly used. When I checked the switch in the bathroom, plugged in to electric power it said the battery was full. I tried it both ways, with the battery switched to On and switched to Off with the same result.


Now it's time to leave the capsule if you dare

[Cannonball]

We have a Sport 22FB. This is what I observe:

1. Plugged in to shore power, battery will read "full" on the monitor, no matter what the switch position.

2. Unplugged from shore power, there will be no reading at all if switch is "off" or "store". When switch is "on" or "use", the monitor will show the battery condition.

If you are unplugged, switch is on, and you have no battery power, then i would conclude that your battery is discharged or downright bad.

[Major Tom]

Does the battery generally get charged from shore power? What exactly runs off the battery?


"Now it's time to leave the capsule if you dare".
🌎

[Cannonball]

The battery on our Sport will charge from shore power if the switch inside is "on". Anticipating the next question, if you leave the switch on always you will fry the battery because of the el-cheapo converter used by Airstream.

Our procedure:

When camped with FHU, we turn the switch off. Turn it on again the night before leaving, or even early that morning.

When stored, switch is off, and battery is hooked up to a BatteryMinder that desulfites, charges, does maintenance, and makes espresso.

No FHU, then the switch is on or you have nothing.


Cannonball, Deep in the Heart of Texas!

WBCCI #4387, Air #84080

Sent from my iPad using Airstream Forums

[idroba]

Originally Posted by Cannonball

The battery on our Sport will charge from shore power if the switch inside is "on". Anticipating the next question, if you leave the switch on always you will fry the battery because of the el-cheapo converter used by Airstream.

I understand that the 16' Sports have a WFCO 3 stage converter/charger, and think someone else said that the 22' Sports also do, but I am not sure about that. Now WFCO is not a Rolls Royce brand, but still a working 3 stage converter/charger beats a single stage Parallax every time.

You might look to see what you have.

[Al and Missy]

Most inexpensive battery condition monitors measure the battery voltage. They only give useful (?) results when the battery has been "resting" i.e. not being charged and preferrably not being discharged for a couple of hours. The best way to get a true indication of battery condition is to measure the specific gravity of the fluid in each cell. As an alternative, once a battery is validated as good, an energy usage monitor such as the Trimetric Trimetric TM-2030-RV Battery Monitor System will count charge in vs: charge out and give you a percentage of charge remaining.

Al

[switz]

Note that the single stock battery will be challenged to run the furnace over night and have much power left in the morning. There are parasite items that continue to operate, such as the propane gas leak detector, which could run a battery down in about a month of storage with no trickle charger.