New Camper Has Arrived - No Battery!

[norty1]

It would be a deal breaker if it was not equipped with a battery. I have bought two from different dealers and it was not a question. Jayco had 2 12v batteries included.

[sootsweeper]

I would think even though you are going to have the camper as a seasonal spot, a battery will be required in the event the power goes out ( it happened to me this weekend) no furnace , no hot water heater and no lights. Get a good battery because you never know when it will be needed and needed Badly! Good luck with your new TT

[nylyon]

Interesting thread. Want or need? In PA as well as most other states, your trailer must have a break away switch which will STOP the trailer in the event of a disconnect. This is accomplished by the trailer having a battery. Unless you are camping at the dealership you NEED to have the battery in order to tow the unit off the dealer lot.

You didn't mention if the dealer is playing a game with you or not, hopefully not. It they are, did the dealer perform a state inspection on the trailer? If they did, how could it have passed without a battery?

In any event, I hope that they are not playing games with you on this as it's a trivial thing to do. Not only have I gotten a battery, but full propane too, and I do expect that to be the case.

[RedHorse1]

This is one of the things that never occurred to me as we made the expedition (Houston-Orlando) to pick up our X23B. The dealer had one installed. Granted it's not the best battery for the application (Interstate automotive) but I'll use it till it's dead and replace it with a deep-cycle.
The lack of a battery wouldn't have been a show-stopper for us, just an inconvenience but I'm glad our dealer took care of us.

[Wyotraveler]

My new 19RD came with two good quality deep cycle batteries and both 30 pound propane tanks were filled. All that and I still got a great price on my TT. A little over 30% off Jayco's MSRP. Dealer never mentioned who furnished the batteries. Guess that is another plus for the dealer I bought from. Sure wish I lived closer so I could have him service my TT as well.

[RoyBraddy]

I had to pay extra for my batteies the last two time I purchased a trailer. The manf doesnt provide them. The Dealer does. He probably makes a good mark up on them too.

[Seann45]

By law in most places you have to have a battery installed.. because if you dont and the trailer comes loose from the tow vehicle the breakaway switch needs to activate the brakes... and as we all know if the trailer breaks away then the umbilical cord comes out too...

[Jayco1101]

it's irresponsible for a dealer to send a TT down the road without a battery and a bad sales practice to not just supply a $80- 100 battery on one of the most marked up products a consumer can buy....SMH!!!

[merrickvilleguy]

Originally Posted by cdembek

In the same boat here, battery did not come with the camper. We have a 29bhs, just wondering what size battery to purchase?

I've got a pair of 24's in boxes on the front rack of my 29bhs, they fit nicely in there

[Bob in Mass]

In going through older threads (I joined in June)...on the battery issue, of the 2 Jaycos i bought they both had a battery at delivery. 2 different dealers.

BUT, how do the trailers get to the dealer? Over the road in most / all? cases. Interstate. I can't imagine not having a battery for the break away switch. Unless the hauler puts one in for the delivery ride.

Just my $.02.

[RoyBraddy]

My POPUP came with one GP24 85AH battery part of the purchase and I got a second one at their cost. They installed for free... Guess it all depends who the dealer is.... They all mom and pop around here I think....

[bbapps]

What's the purpose/advantage of two batteries? I've heard this before, but was not fore sure. I am guessing more juice to open a full slide. Is that correct?

[WIBadger]

I guess it all depends how grumpy or mad you are with the dealer. If it were me, I would go back and insist that the dealer provide me with a new battery. If you saw the trailer advertised with a battery, I'd inform the dealer that he/she is in breach of your contact via the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing. As mentioned in many of the previous posts, the battery is an integral part of the trailer. If the dealer initially refuses (and I would keep at it), then you at least know who is not going to be servicing your TT beyond any warranty issues (let Jayco know, too). If you're not the sort of person who wants to argue over $60-$70 dollars (and I don't mean to suggest that you're less of a person if you don't), pick one up at Walmart and move on. It's always amazing to see how dealers will bend over backwards to get your business, only to lose you as a customer over a few dollars. Very short-sighted indeed.

[WIBadger]

bbapps -- the purpose/advantage of two batteries (or more) is that you can operate/run items in your TT for a longer period of time before having to recharge the battery bank. It has nothing to do with providing more "juice" per se for the slide-out. If you have your basic 12V deep cycle battery, it may state that it has 105AH (amp hours). To avoid damaging your battery, you should never go below 50% of the AH rating; in this case about 50amp hours. If you have at least two batteries, you'll have about 230AH total (verses the 105AH), meaning that you can consume about 110 amp hours before having to recharge.

[bbapps]

Ahhh, thanks for the explanation... Always wondered about that, given we usually go to sites with electric available, we should be good. However, planning on storing the camper at a storage facility, so a second battery may not be a bad idea.

[Crabman]

Originally Posted by bbapps

Ahhh, thanks for the explanation... Always wondered about that, given we usually go to sites with electric available, we should be good. However, planning on storing the camper at a storage facility, so a second battery may not be a bad idea.

Whenever you store your camper or do not use it for more then several days without shorepower you want to disconnect your battery(s) terminal or install a disconnect switch. There are parasitic draws that will kill the battery in about a week.

[bbapps]

Thanks for that advice. I was planning on taking the baterry off when not in use, figured it would eventually get stolen in a public area. I was thinking for times when out working on camper or something, but a generator would probably be a better solution.

[Nitehawk]

I guess battery or no battery depends on a number of things , the dealer, the sales man, what is negotiated at time of sale and the laws from State to State and Provence to Provence, I know in Ontario a trailer MUST by law be equipped with a battery, who pays for it I guess would depend on other factors

[JAMMFAM]

I just figured they left the factory with a battery in them.

[skidoorider]

Over the last 15 years we have purchased 2 brand new trailers from 2 different dealers and neither one came with a battery. I had the option of purchasing one but never did because I am an Interstate Battery dealer.

RB