New battery for Jay Feather UL 228

[Shurdaddy]

Hi everyone,

First post as we just bought a new to me 2013 Jay Feather Ultra Lite 228. We took it out on our first trip last weekend and loved it. One thing I noticed was the lights would not come on when not hooked up to 30 amp. Tested the battery and it was dead. What battery would you suggest for this trailer? We will mostly be staying at electric sites, but may look at boondocking occasionally. I picked up an Optima D34M, but I'm not sure if that is the best choice.

Thanks in advance.

[JFlightRisk]

Welcome to the Forum from Western New York State! We don't boondock, but that battery should be fine for your trailer. Check to be sure it's 100% charged before you install it. The battery charger in the converter will keep it charged when you're plugged into a power pedestal.

[RetiredOne]

What you should also check with a digital voltmeter is the output of the converter, to make sure it's actually charging the battery. Check the battery voltage without the rig plugged into shore power, then plug it in, and see if the voltage jumps up. If the converter's not charging, you'll just end up with another dead battery.

[29BHS ECO]

Be sure that you tv is sending a constant 12V to the trailer while connected. If your tv is new it might have the 12v relay or fuse in the glove compartment if not in the fuse box .

[Shurdaddy]

The battery was 7 years old, so I'm assuming it was just old.

[Shurdaddy]

Originally Posted by RetiredOne

What you should also check with a digital voltmeter is the output of the converter, to make sure it's actually charging the battery. Check the battery voltage without the rig plugged into shore power, then plug it in, and see if the voltage jumps up. If the converter's not charging, you'll just end up with another dead battery.

You are on to something. Installed new battery and headed to campground. I when checking the tank sensors, I pressed the battery sensor and noticed it was low on day 2 (plugged into 30 amp at campground). I checked the battery with and without power and it was the same. I opened up the converter panel and noticed the breaker for the converter was tripped. I reset the breaker and it popped immediately with a small puff of smoke from the fan. All 12v and 110v items work, except for the battery charging. Thoughts anyone??

[Bob K]

Originally Posted by Shurdaddy

You are on to something. Installed new battery and headed to campground. I when checking the tank sensors, I pressed the battery sensor and noticed it was low on day 2 (plugged into 30 amp at campground). I checked the battery with and without power and it was the same. I opened up the converter panel and noticed the breaker for the converter was tripped. I reset the breaker and it popped immediately with a small puff of smoke from the fan. All 12v and 110v items work, except for the battery charging. Thoughts anyone??

That stinks.

I'd be looking at the DC circuit wire that runs from the charge controller at the power distribution center up to the junction box at the front of the trailer.

Do you have DC power when not connected to shore power? That would determine if the battery is connected to the DC distribution system in the trailer.

If yes, I'd check the junction box for problems. Then I'd look for any obvious problems on the wires running from the junction box to the power distribution center. If I didn't find anything there, I'd pull out the power distribution panel and start looking for problems there: loose screws, bad wire nuts, shorts, etc.

[BCx213]

Originally Posted by Shurdaddy

Hi everyone,

First post as we just bought a new to me 2013 Jay Feather Ultra Lite 228. We took it out on our first trip last weekend and loved it. One thing I noticed was the lights would not come on when not hooked up to 30 amp. Tested the battery and it was dead. What battery would you suggest for this trailer? We will mostly be staying at electric sites, but may look at boondocking occasionally. I picked up an Optima D34M, but I'm not sure if that is the best choice.

Thanks in advance.

I would recommend at least a Group 27 or 31 deep cycle Spend the extra and get a AGM over flooded. Less maintenance and does not discharge as quick when stored. When you are not using the trailer disconnect the battery and put it on a charger once a month