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mastercaster · 04-08-2012, 12:45 PM

we have a 2011 International Serenity 28' with solar package. was camping with the family this weekend and had to depart early due to electrical issues. We were plugged into shore power. had no issues the first 2 days, then i noticed the lights started dimming and getting brighter. then the a/c started blowing warm air. batteries were not charging from solar or shore. by the time we hooked up to leave, even plugged in, it was like the trailer was only wanting to run on the 12v system. the lights wouldn't even come on, electric jack wouldn't work etc. checked fuses and breakers visually and all look okay. any ideas? i know it's under warranty, but if i am missing something simple here i would like to give it a shot before dropping it off with the dealer. thanks in advance for any input, Jason

ROBERT CROSS · 04-08-2012, 12:53 PM

Jason,
"checked fuses and breakers visually and all look okay."

Did you try re-seting all the breakers, off completely then back on.

If so sounds like the converter may be the culprit.

Bob

TBRich · 04-08-2012, 12:58 PM

Sounds as though something is amiss with the converter...while plugged into shore power it should be delivering power to your 110 outlets and charging the batteries at the same time...all systems should work, both 110 and 12v, including your AC. If your jack was not working, it's a sign your batteries are compromised since the jack is wired directly to the batteries and does not depend on the converter for its power.

Aage · 04-08-2012, 01:04 PM

There isn't a switch that has to be changed when you connect to shore power on those trailers?

mastercaster · 04-08-2012, 01:40 PM

no, there is no switch. just a battery disconnect. i did reset all of the breakers. this is the weirdest thing to me. while out there, we were able to run the coffee maker this morning. but everything was like it was getting half power. literally. the fantastic fans on setting 3 moved the same or less air than setting 1 normally. the led lights throughout the trailer were very dim. we just got home and i plugged it in to the house. it shows the batteries are charging, fans and lights seem to be working normally. have yet to try the a/c though. i am worried that got hit. could a surge at the park have caused this? we never noticed one, but we were gone from the trailer quite a bit. i don't, i'll try the a/c in a few. fingers crossed. i'll let you know. thanks again for the input/help. keep any ideas coming!

Phoenix · 04-08-2012, 01:52 PM

The first thing I'd do is check the battery fluid levels and voltages (with battery cables disconnected). From your description, it sounds like one or both may be discharged.

mastercaster · 04-08-2012, 01:58 PM

according to the meter in the trailer, the batteries are/were at 0% charge. after i plugged it in at home, it showed that the batteries were charging, and they made it to 15%. when i just went out to try the a/c, the batteries were back down to 0%. the a/c does seem to be working though. so why won't the shore power, solar panels, driving home, not charge the batteries. the batteries are sealed, so not water to check/add. the trailer bought new about 14 months ago.

Aage · 04-08-2012, 02:07 PM

You were (are?) in a campground, you say. Did you check the voltage available out at the pole?

mastercaster · 04-08-2012, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aage

You were (are?) in a campground, you say. Did you check the voltage available out at the pole?

no, i didn't. didn't have anything to check it, and with wife and kids in tow, we were ready to just head home.

mastercaster · 04-08-2012, 02:12 PM

but again. everything now seems to be working (fingers crossed it stays that way) except for the charging of the batteries. on all of our vehicles, including previous airstream, batteries tend to last about 4 years here in central texas. could the batteries both be bad so soon?

Phoenix · 04-08-2012, 02:46 PM

If your batteries show zero charge, I'd take them out (or disconnect them from all trailer wiring) and charge them overnight with an auto-type battery charger. Then, check the voltage. If they look like they are holding a charge, they may be OK. However, one or both may have been overcharged, and the electrolyte is gone.

Before buying new batteries, charge these fully; then take them to AutoZone, Pep Boys, O'Rielly's etc. to have them load tested (for free). It's possible they are just discharged.

By the way, if you still have the OEM Interstate batteries, they could be bad. One of ours failed after about a year; and the other, about six months after that.

You may wish to search this site for "Marine Battery Isolator Switch", a relatively inexpensive modification that solves both parasitic drains during storage and overcharging problems.

TBRich · 04-08-2012, 02:53 PM

It IS very possible that there was an issue with the power at the campground...you might get one of these (or similar) voltage meters (pic below) to plug into a convenient 110 outlet so you can track the voltage coming into the rig from shore power...the green area is the "safety zone"...

The battery monitor associated with your solar system reading 0% or 15% while plugged into shore power is worrisome to me...it should read 100% when you are plugged into shore power, no matter what the condition of your batteries...if it doesn't, it is a sign of a converter issue.

Friday · 04-08-2012, 03:04 PM

If your batteries have been discharged completely for some time, or discharged completely a few times, they have likely lost most or all of their capacity to hold a charge. Start with the easy stuff... the trailer is telling you the battery is dead, so pull them, put them on a charger, and then test them. You'll get all kinds of weird stuff happening with fried batteries. Also - the jack not working it 100% related to your battery condition, and is the quickest way to tell your battery is dead - as the jack is directly wired.

Now, why you'd have dead, new, batteries is another issue... leaving the trailer without it being set to 'store' will drain your batteries... a few months, or week if it is cold, will drain a battery just from sitting. I like to leave mine plugged in at home...

urnmor · 04-08-2012, 03:13 PM

Have you thought about buying a surge protector. There was recently a post about the reliability of the power at some parks and it seemed as everyone recommended a surge protector that protects the electrical system from both high and low voltage. they were not in expensive however based on your experience I believe I will get one.

ROBERT CROSS · 04-08-2012, 03:18 PM

"Mastercaster" umm what kind of boat?

The voltage at the batteries when plugged in at home is? Should be 14.2v min.
Do you have a 3 stage charger you can use to charge them after taking them out?
As noted above there may be a few items you'll need to add to your AS tool kit, we all had to do it.

Bob

garry · 04-08-2012, 03:29 PM

When connected to shore power the batteries should be receiving a charge from the converter and at the same time providing 12VDC power for lights and Fantastic fan. In fact depending on the size of the converter and model it should be able to power the jack with no battery in the Airstream.

Sounds like the converter has failed and you were running on battery & solar power with no assist from the converter.

Sphere Guy · 04-08-2012, 03:33 PM

Master aster, have you checked your battery terminals for good connections? Last year we had funky things going on while camping where the solar panel was showing flaky number rapidly. Tracked it down to a loose terminal connection.

mastercaster · 04-08-2012, 07:26 PM

connections were all good. i could not have been running only on battery as the a/c was running, microwave was used, coffee maker etc... no way in my mind those things ran on battery and solar. i ran the batteries up to the auto parts store and they hooked them both up and said they were showing between 10-11volts (dead). i too thought originally that it was the converter, but when we got home and plugged in, everything worked (except battery charging). a good surge protector actually did cross my mind while camping, and is now on the list. i have a surge protector and power conditioner in my home. cheap insurance. i will do it for the trailer too. also, the park was completely full. and i mean not a single spot available. maybe they had some power issues being overloaded. i am going to check with airstream dealer tomorrow and see if the batteries are warrantied. hope that's all it is.

mastercaster · 04-08-2012, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

"Mastercaster" umm what kind of boat?

The voltage at the batteries when plugged in at home is? Should be 14.2v min.
Do you have a 3 stage charger you can use to charge them after taking them out?
As noted above there may be a few items you'll need to add to your AS tool kit, we all had to do it.

Bob

a kayak when i use a boat, but actually a fly fisherman. prefer very small rivers and streams.

Phoenix · 04-08-2012, 11:05 PM

A measurement of 10.5 volts often indicates that one cell in a 12-volt battery is shorted internally. As a battery ages, lead-sulfate precipitates out and builds up at the bottom of the cell until it shorts all of the plates together. The output of this cell is zero, and the voltage from the remaining cells will total about 10-11 volts. The "sulfated" cell becomes a high-resistance short, which limits the current available from the remaining good cells, since it must pass through this "resistor". Thus, low-current lights, etc. may work OK. However, any 12-volt appliance, an inverter, etc., that draws high current through the shorted cell will see a drop in voltage and current to unusable/ineffective levels.

Sometimes, recharging a battery will convert the lead-sulfate solids back into solution, returning the battery voltage to 12-13.5 volts. This may work, but permanent failure may not be too far off. Personally, I'd attempt to charge both batteries for an extended period (a couple of days), and then test again. However, it is probably time to start looking for some new batteries.

If you suspect a defective converter, you may wish to try installing a couple of loaner batteries to see if your problems go away. However, assuming both are defective, installing new and better batteries, and a battery isolator switch will improve your chances of longer battery life on the next set.