No power to the 12 volts and batteries have completely discharged.

[lewster]

Originally Posted by atomeve

Interesting looking DC breaker box……...…especially the top right breaker that is jumped with a 20 amp fuse…….……maybe a bad breaker there??????

Regardless, I think that you need to do a little investigating.

• check your battery wiring. IIRC, you mentioned that you have a pair of 6VDC batteries? These should be connected in series, meaning that the positive terminal of battery #1 should be connected to the negative terminal of battery #2. That should leave you with a free positive terminal on battery #2 and a free positive terminal on battery #1 where the trailer should be connected. This gives you 12VDC from your two 6VDC batteries, essentially making them one big 12VDC battery.

• check the output at the terminals of the converter. It should be putting out a minimum of 13.6VDC, even with no battery connected.

• follow the positive and negative wires from the converter output. They should be connected to the 12VDC distribution block, and then from there to the batteries. Your battery cut-off switch should be in the positive feed from the DC power box to the batteries.

This connection path will allow you to cut-off the batteries to the trailer, but will still allow your converter to power all of your DC loads while connected to shore power.

[jkcru]

Lewster, check your last post, should be a free pos & free neg

[atomeve]

I'll do some investigating today but in this pic you can see the battery boxes on the left and right and the two reds meet in the middle. I think this is wired in parallel and the RV dealer didn't bother to check when they sold me the batteries. Me not knowing any better trusted them to do what needed to be done.

[lewster]

Originally Posted by jkcru

Lewster, check your last post, should be a free pos & free neg

OOPS! ……..OF COURSE!!!!! That should read a free negative terminal on battery # 1……...

Thanks for catching that one! Sometimes the fingers do not type what the mind creates!

[Grrrwolf]

Wow, I had no clue leaving the camper plugged in would damage the batteries. I've been plugged into shore power for at least 8 months and as of a month ago, my batteries still showed a full charge.

What kind of time frame are we considering harmful? I won't be able to unplug her for at least another month. Any advice is appreciated.

[richinny]

when plugged in my meter shows the voltage of the converter. try running just off the batteries and see how long they last. check the water in the batteries monthly.

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by Grrrwolf

Wow, I had no clue leaving the camper plugged in would damage the batteries. I've been plugged into shore power for at least 8 months and as of a month ago, my batteries still showed a full charge.

What kind of time frame are we considering harmful? I won't be able to unplug her for at least another month. Any advice is appreciated.

I see that your trailer is a 1977 model. I don't know how long you've owned it, but perhaps the converter has been upgraded. If you have a converter that was designed to maintain the battery properly, then there may be no problem. However, leaving the batteries in the trailer for that length of time with no periodic inspections is trouble asking to happen. The first thing that pops into my mind is a converter malfunctioning and overcharging the battery to the point that the batteries boil over and spill sulphuric acid wherever it will flow. I know in the case of my trailer it will spill out the battery box drain and run down the side of the trailer, probably destroying some aluminum. Depending on where your trailer is stored, another scenario is possible. The power to where your trailer is plugged in could fail. The batteries will eventually lose their charge. A discharged battery has a higher freezing point than a charged one. If the battery freezes, it could easily crack the case, and when the weather warms, the water/acid solution will leak out of the case.

I'm not trying to alarm you, but I hope there is some way for the batteries to be checked periodically.

Ken

[Grrrwolf]

Originally Posted by Ag&Au

I see that your trailer is a 1977 model. I don't know how long you've owned it, but perhaps the converter has been upgraded.... I hope there is some way for the batteries to be checked periodically. Ken

Thanks, Ken, I've only had the AS since 2010 and I really doubt it has anything fancy installed; everything looks pretty stock to me including the 8-track, CB, and shag carpet :0) I'll figure out a way to check on everything more often. Greg

[jaojamjab]

Hi Lewster
So what product (full function inverter/converter) do you recommend that will do the job you are describing? What exact brand of batteries do you recommend?
I did have blown fuses (2) 30amps. I replaced the fuses, and the lights worked, except for the refrigerator and stereo. When I turned the battery disconnect switch on the fuses blew again. What's up with that? I think I connected the system correctly or maybe not? It was doing this before I replaced the converter.
Thanks to everyone that chimed in!\
Julie

[lewster]

Originally Posted by jaojamjab

Hi Lewster
So what product (full function inverter/converter) do you recommend that will do the job you are describing? What exact brand of batteries do you recommend?
I did have blown fuses (2) 30amps. I replaced the fuses, and the lights worked, except for the refrigerator and stereo. When I turned the battery disconnect switch on the fuses blew again. What's up with that? I think I connected the system correctly or maybe not? It was doing this before I replaced the converter.
Thanks to everyone that chimed in!\
Julie

Julie,

These are the components that I use when; installing solar charging systems, replacing converters with inverter/chargers or replacing existing inverters (generally Xantrex products in large motorhomes). In the 14 years that I have been in the RV business, the items listed below have proved their worth and effectiveness over and over. On the very rare occasion of a failure, the manufacturers either repaired or replaced defective items promptly and as I have stated before in other posts, I have some battery systems now in their 10th year and still going strong!

• BATTERIES: Lifeline absorbed glass mat batteries.
While I have no desire to get into a 'which battery is best' based on anyones personal 'opinion' (different strokes for different folks ), Lifelines have proven their worth over the long haul, and are the exact batteries mentioned above. Expensive…..YES! Worth the extra expense…..absolutely!!

• INVERTER/CHARGERS: Magnum Energy……..period! Made in the USA. Fully field serviceable. 3 year warranty. Fully temperature compensated 4-stage charging. Adjustable charge profiles for different battery types (including the ability to customize the charge profile for your individual requirements). Full function transfer switching that allows you to use the same AC outlets when on shore power or when using the inverter (Airstream factory installed inverters presently do not utilize this feature and have duplicate inverter-only outlets )

• CONVERTERS: There are presently no power converters available that can approach the charging regimen of a quality inverter/charger. Can they do an adequate job…..yes, but you will never get the longevity from your battery bank with a converter when compared with a quality inverter/charger because they simply do not possess the varied and specific charging abilities stated above.

If you decide to replace your existing batteries, I would definitely have a tech who is both knowledgeable and experienced in installing AC and DC systems to totally re-wire your trailer from the batteries to the inverter to the DC fuse block to avoid any improper wiring that you may have now.

Let me know if you have any questions.

[jaojamjab]

Hi Lewster,
I finally found my problem and fixed it. One of the wires was stuck to something on the back of the converter so it wasn't properly hooked up. It took me til today to figure that out. Now everything is working as it should. Yeah!!
Thanks for all of the information. To bad you are so far away. Thanks to everyone that chimed in.
Julie

[Ag&Au]

Originally Posted by jaojamjab

Hi Lewster,
I finally found my problem and fixed it. One of the wires was stuck to something on the back of the converter so it wasn't properly hooked up. It took me til today to figure that out. Now everything is working as it should. Yeah!!
Thanks for all of the information. To bad you are so far away. Thanks to everyone that chimed in.
Julie

Congratulations.
90% of success is perseverance.

Ken