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Old 10-19-2014, 04:12 PM   #1
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How to Test if Trailer Battery is Getting Charged from Tow Vehicle

How do I confirm the battery is getting a charge when plugged into my tow vehicle? I have 13.6v on the pin on my tow vehicles 7 pin connector. Where can I put my volt meter to test if the battery is getting charged. I don't see the 13.6v at the battery when connected. Where does the power wire from the 7 pin connector terminate on a late model airstream. I see a bundle of cables coming up through the floor under the bed of my Classic FB. Does that pin wire go to the converter on the other side of the bed or terminate somewhere around the Use/Store relay?

I'm concerned because I had the AS connected to shore power for two days and drove home from the campground and the voltage of the batteries was showing 12.4v. I was expecting 12.8v after only less than an hours drive from home.

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Old 10-19-2014, 06:46 PM   #2
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One thing to check: use a multimeter or test light to look for power at the +12 volt line on the trailer's connector while disconnected from the truck. If it has 12 volts there, it's wired into your trailer's 12 volt system and thus should be charging while you are towing.

Note the vehicle doesn't supply much power to actually charge. Still that seems like quite a drain on a short time.
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Old 10-19-2014, 07:08 PM   #3
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I am dealing with the same concern except in a 1976. At the fuse panel there is a blue wire labeled vehicle that looks like it powers a buss that ties the converter, battery, and vehicle together. Is there any thing in the housing covering the chassis plug that may cut power. I would have to pull the Groucho out to find out.any suggestions.
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Old 10-19-2014, 07:20 PM   #4
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I just checked the tailer connection with the batteries connected and the Use/Store switch set to on and I don't see any voltage on the 12v trailer connector. I checked all the connectors.

OK, so where does the 12v wire, I think black, from the 7 pin connector cable connect into the trailer? Below the Use/Store relay is a bus bar that is upstream of the relay so even if its in Store mode the bus bar has 12v.

Is there a fuse on the 12v line from the tow vehicle?

Thanks for any help.

Kelvin
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Old 10-19-2014, 08:56 PM   #5
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A friend of mine said it's common for automakers to not connect the 12 volt supply to their 7 pin connector. His recent model Chevy 2500 wasn't connected. He wired it himself.
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Old 10-19-2014, 09:08 PM   #6
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Are you getting 12v from your truck? Check Pins 1 & 4, these are your 12v. Check with both the ignition on and off. I found my 30 amp fuse had blown.

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Old 10-19-2014, 09:44 PM   #7
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Check the voltage at the battery itself. With the TV connected and running above idle speed. It should be north of 13 volts if the battery is being charged.
The alternator of the TV puts out about 14.6 volts when the regulator calls for max output.


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Old 10-19-2014, 10:17 PM   #8
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With the tow vehicle running the batteries still show under 13v. However as I let the Tundra idle I noticed the battery voltage increase a little from 12.6 to 12.73. The power pin on my Tundra connector is showing 13.6v. There is no issue with the taillights or running lights. If I knew where the power lead of the trailers connector was terminated in the AS I could test there and if there is a break in the cable then I can get that harness replaced. There are so many wires around the Store/Use relay and they are bundled together its hard to trace. I don't see a black wire split off from that loom going forward to the converter. Is there a fuse on this line and if there is where is it.

There is a black box next to the Store/Use relay that has several color coded wires. I found this on youTube that describes the electrical system and about 10:30 minutes in the tech describes this is where the 7 connector cable connects. I'll check it out tomorrow on mine.



Sooner or later I'm hoping to stop finding issues with my AS.

Thanks

Kelvin
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Old 10-20-2014, 09:24 AM   #9
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Did you have the Store/Use switch in the Use position? It would make sense to me that it would be in the Use position when you are towing.
The TV charge line will be wired in parallel with the converter. An educated guess is there will be a 30 amp (or so) fuse in the fuse panel. It should be labeled. TV charge line or something like that.
If you post a pic of the fuse panel. Maybe we can help.


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Old 10-20-2014, 09:56 AM   #10
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There is a photo of my DC fuse panel here in post 37 on this thread

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f449...ml#post1298057

This is the fuse panel from the Progressive PD4655 that I upgraded last year from the Parallax converter. I moved the wires over from the Parallax fuse panel to the Progressive panel one at a time. Supposedly if a fuse blows it illuminates and LED on the panel.

According to the youTube video, posted in 2011, the 7 way tow vehicle/trailer connector terminates to the Bargman 7 way junction box next to the Use/Store switch under my front bed behind a removable enclosure. I did have the Use/Store switch on when I performed the last test. I would be hard to imagine a break in the 12v wire within the 7 way sheathed cord. If I can just ID the termination point then I can determine if the 13.6 volts from the tow vehicle 7 pin connector is getting to the trailer electrical system.

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Old 10-20-2014, 10:10 AM   #11
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You mention that you are reading 13.6 at the 7 pin on the truck. I assume that is with the trailer disconnected and if so is an open circuit reading. Disconnect the positive terminal on the battery, connect the trailer to the truck, run the truck off idle, and measure the voltage from the positive battery cable to trailer ground. That should be the same open circuit voltage you read at the 7 pin less a bit for line loss. If so the truck charging is getting to the trailer. Keep in mind that the wire is small and will not deliver the same charging current that goes to the truck batteries.
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Old 10-20-2014, 10:51 AM   #12
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I did try this test but took the positive an negative wires off the batteries and then put my volt meter on the each of the battery cable ends and read nothing while the trailer was connected to the TV. I'll try leaving the negative attached to the batteries with the positive off today after work. Thanks

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Old 10-20-2014, 12:09 PM   #13
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If you read nothing between the 2 cables it sounds like you have an open in one of the cables.

If you know how to test continuity with your meter I would test the cables for continuity to the umbilical cord. The ground pin should show continuity to the frame and the neg. battery cable. The battery pin should show continuity to the positive battery cable.
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Old 10-20-2014, 01:01 PM   #14
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My meter has an Ohm setting. So if I put the positive meter lead on the 12v pin of the connector and the negative on the positive I should read 0 ohms. The same if I put the positive meter lead on the neutral pin of the connector and the negative on the negative battery and/or the frame. If I don't read 0 ohms on either then does that mean my trailer cord needs to be replaced?

I've sent an email to Airstream to send me a wiring diagram and what troubleshooting procedure they recommend.

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Old 10-20-2014, 02:23 PM   #15
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No if there is continuity on the connection use should see some reading. You will see nothing if there is an open. Use an analog meter if possible. Digital meters are not much for this test, especially with larger cables.
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Old 10-20-2014, 03:45 PM   #16
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In your previous post with the pics. I see where the battery and converter are connected to the new fuse panel.
What I don't see is the charge line wire.
In the Bargman junction box. What color is the wire from the TV?
What color in the coach is connected to that wire.
On the fuse panel.
What is the large red wire connected to fuse # 12?
I will assume that the exterior lights work when you are plugged into the TV. Which says you have a good common/ ground connection.
Fuse #11 appears to be empty. Is this correct?
The charge line wire should be a #10 gage wire in the coach. Chances are it is black. It should be connected to the +buss at the fuse panel. It doesn't appear there is a terminal dedicated for the charge line.
In a pinch you could connect the charge line to fuse #11. You will only have 20 amp charge capability. But my guess is, the TV will only provide about 8 amps.
The other option is to tie the charge line in with the battery cable at the fuse panel. The charge line should be fused at no more than 30 amps.


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Old 10-20-2014, 06:15 PM   #17
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I spent a little time after work on this problem. The trailer is not on shore power.
The trailer harness comes up through the floor under the bed. The black wire has a connector on its end to another black wire and I traced it and it goes back through the same hole in the floor under the bed. Ut doesn't route to the junction box. Under the trailer there is a plastic loom and when you split it there is a black wire. This loom runs under the trailer for a couple of feet then goes into the the bowels of the subterranean Airstream.

This group of wires comes out in the hydraulic brake controller compartment. The same plastic loom can be opened up an their is the black wire.

I don't see any cables coming up from the floor near the converter. There is a black wire leading to the fuse but its for the subwoofer. When I pull its fuse there is no power to the sub.

When I switched over to the new 12v panel I transferred one DC line at a time. While I doing all this I was running my lights the voltage dropped form 12.6 volts to 12.3 volts. My lights are all LED. I hooked up the TV and let it run and with 13.7 volts coming in the batteries still show 12.3v. I might have a second problem, either my Interstates are failing or I've got a big draw some where.

I'm beginning to suspect there is no charging line now. Could I splice in a short line to the 12v buss under the Use/Store relay switch. There are several connectors on this bus I removed the LP leak detector from it and put it on the down stream side of the relay so the LP detector is not on when the Use/Store switch is in Store.

Hopefully, Airstream will respond tomorrow.

Kelvin
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Old 10-20-2014, 09:42 PM   #18
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The trailer charge line runs through a 20 amp breaker on the battery bus bar at the front of the trailer. The position of the battery shut off switch is irrelevant. If you don't have 12v at the 7 way plug on the trailer, the breaker has tripped. This is your problem for sure. The 12v schematic that comes with your Airstream shows this bus bar and cb. I don't know if if is can be reset or not. Just call an Airstream dealer and they will tell you what you need. I am curious how these cb/fuse trips are reset.
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Old 10-20-2014, 10:19 PM   #19
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I think the hydraulic brake actuator is what is making this different. The Dexter actuator manual shows the 12v lead from the TV is supposed to be connected to the actuator. Then there is the white neutral wire. The blue wire from the brake controller of the TV. Finally the wire from the break away switch, 4 wires total. If the break away pin is pull the actuator gets power via that device but for normal braking the actuator gets power from only the TV right now. Should I cut the 12v wire and then connect the two ends to the 12v bus next to the Use/Store relay? Will the actuator draw any power when the trailer is not connected to the TV?

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Old 10-20-2014, 10:43 PM   #20
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Seems like a cigarette lighter digital volt meter plugged into any of the cigarette lighter plugs in the trailer would show you pretty quick if you are getting truck voltage in the trailer. Can't remember where I got mine, Wal-Mart or Radio Shack. Doesn't everyone have one plugged in to monitor the trailer battery voltage at night?
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