Clearly, we know nothing. Battery question

[Eatersmom]

We just brought our Jayco home last weekend. We slept in it in our driveway overnight, and the next day the battery seems to be dead. It should have been fully charged after the 10 hour drive to bring it home. Anyway, how do we charge it? Does this sound normal?

[rkresge]

Originally Posted by Eatersmom

We just brought our Jayco home last weekend. We slept in it in our driveway overnight, and the next day the battery seems to be dead. It should have been fully charged after the 10 hour drive to bring it home. Anyway, how do we charge it? Does this sound normal?

Congrats on the new toy! Sorry about the battery.

Was the furnace running? Other appliances? I gather the furnace especially uses a lot of electricity.

Roger

[Eatersmom]

Originally Posted by rkresge

Congrats on the new toy! Sorry about the battery.

Was the furnace running? Other appliances? I gather the furnace especially uses a lot of electricity.

Roger

Yes, it was. What's the best way to charge it now?

[lx22f/c]

Originally Posted by Eatersmom

Yes, it was. What's the best way to charge it now?

Plug it in to a 110 outlet.

[rkresge]

Originally Posted by lx22f/c

Plug it in to a 110 outlet.

Eggzackly.

[Eatersmom]

Thanks!!!!

[Wannabe]

Also check the terminal connections. My 12v system was doing funny stuff and I found my connections were not tight. All good now. I'd get a household to 30 amp TT plug to charge battery while parked at home.

[mike837go]

Originally Posted by Wannabe

Also check the terminal connections. My 12v system was doing funny stuff and I found my connections were not tight. All good now. I'd get a household to 30 amp TT plug to charge battery while parked at home.

Not just the connections at the battery. Double-check the frame ground (white wire) at BOTH ends!

[Mustang65]

Hi,
How was that night out in the TT?
To make things a little easier, you should pick up a plug-in volt meter (plugs into your TT's 12VDC outlet) for your TT (there are all kinds on Amazon). This will show you the voltage of your battery(s). The battery rule of thumb is you never let the battery voltage drop below 12.0Volts (50% rule). This will allow your battery to live a long life. When you are not using your TT and you can not plug it in to shore power, you need to remove the main TT fuse that is usually located by the battery. This will stop your battery from discharging. When you discharge a battery to where it is below the 12Volt point, it life is shortened. A lot of members install a battery disconnect switch between the battery and the TT, which makes disconnecting the battery much easier.

Also the heating system fan will run down the battery in one night if it is cold and you are not hooked up to shore power.

Don
EXAMPLE (many different types available):

[dalebra]

Originally Posted by lx22f/c

Plug it in to a 110 outlet.

Your TT has an onboard converter that converts shorepower (your power cord) to 12vdc for most if not all your lighting as well as charge your onboard battery. It will take several hours to recharge a dead one. A lot of folks keep their TT plugged in at all times while parked at home.

[MIFL19H]

Did your dealer not cover this with you during your PDI?

[ecksdude]

While I know the things you guys are talking about based on my own prior experience, I have to say the lack of information provided at the PDI on a multitude of topics is rather disconcerting.

I think they assumed that because I showed up with a PDI checklist I must have known what I was doing and didn't need much instruction.

But in reality, this is my first travel trailer, and while I learned a few things renting one for several weeks a few years ago, there's a LOT I didn't know until learning it in the last 6 months on this forum.

Fortunately for me, I'm a data guy... I read and read and read to learn about all this stuff.

I can imagine a newb who has not spent hours reading up on all this stuff might be pretty uninformed, and the dealers don't seem great at making up the difference, in my experience.

[Hohenwald48]

Beware of date received on the internet. A lot of it's not worth what you pay for it.

[Wrascal]

While on the subject of power here is one highly recommended item:
Amazon.com: Progressive Industries PT30C 30 Amp Portable Electrical Management System: Automotive


and separately, an additional item that comes highly recommended:
http://www.amazon.com/TST-507rv-Tire...words=tst+tpms

[Country_Mouse]

Originally Posted by Mustang65

Hi,
How was that night out in the TT?
To make things a little easier, you should pick up a plug-in volt meter (plugs into your TT's 12VDC outlet) for your TT (there are all kinds on Amazon). This will show you the voltage of your battery(s). The battery rule of thumb is you never let the battery voltage drop below 12.0Volts (50% rule). This will allow your battery to live a long life. When you are not using your TT and you can not plug it in to shore power, you need to remove the main TT fuse that is usually located by the battery. This will stop your battery from discharging. When you discharge a battery to where it is below the 12Volt point, it life is shortened. A lot of members install a battery disconnect switch between the battery and the TT, which makes disconnecting the battery much easier.

Also the heating system fan will run down the battery in one night if it is cold and you are not hooked up to shore power.

Don
EXAMPLE (many different types available):

Would this one work? I am always nervous about running out of battery power or letting them get too low when boondocking. Would be nice to have an accurate device vs. the one that comes with tt that I hear lies!

DROK® Flat Plug AC 80-300V Voltage Panel Power Line Volt Test Monitor Gauge Meter AC 110V 220V Digital LCD Voltmeter for RV Boat Camper Household Factory Plug into Outlet Directly to Measure Voltage https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CDJRLKI..._dJf5wbAJ5RKTZ

[Mustang65]

Originally Posted by Country_Mouse

Would this one work? I am always nervous about running out of battery power or letting them get too low when boondocking. Would be nice to have an accurate device vs. the one that comes with tt that I hear lies!

DROK® Flat Plug AC 80-300V Voltage Panel Power Line Volt Test Monitor Gauge Meter AC 110V 220V Digital LCD Voltmeter for RV Boat Camper Household Factory Plug into Outlet Directly to Measure Voltage http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...+in+volt+meter

It will work for AC voltage checking, but you need to monitor the 12VDC battery voltage. You need get one that plugs into the 12VDC outlet in yourTT, the outlet that looks like a cigarette lighter outlet (not politically correct).

An 110VAC digital display meter would be nice to have also, just to verify that the CG is giving you the correct voltage.

For a 12VDC plug in digital meter... Plug in digital meter

Don't by the cheapest models...
Don

[Country_Mouse]

Originally Posted by Mustang65

It will work for AC voltage checking, but you need to monitor the 12VDC battery voltage. You need get one that plugs into the 12VDC outlet in yourTT, the outlet that looks like a cigarette lighter outlet (not politically correct).

An 110VAC digital display meter would be nice to have also, just to verify that the CG is giving you the correct voltage.

For a 12VDC plug in digital meter... Plug in digital meter

Don't by the cheapest models...
Don

Thanks, I saw those! Question is where is a cigarette lighter in the trailer?? I don't expect you to know exactly for my model but I just have never noticed one in the trailer....

[norty1]

Every trailer I ever had came equipped with one cig lighter outlet on the TV OTW amplifier panel.

[Bassdogs]

100 miles should put a good charge on a battery but the hot wire that charges the battery on the TT may not be hot. Many trucks need a fuse added to the fuse location that sends power to that wire. Check your owners manual and it will tell you where that fuse is located. My first 2 trucks did not have the fuse.

[Mustang65]

Originally Posted by norty1

Every trailer I ever had came equipped with one cig lighter outlet on the TV OTW amplifier panel.

x2
Don