Battery not charging

[Nicfrey50]

We purchased a 2024 Jayco Eagle 29.5BHDS. I just went boon docking for the first time since getting the unit, and went to unhitch and the battery is completely dead. Not even enough juice to life the camper to raise it. Had to plug into the genie to unhitch. No lights on, nothing like that. It’s been plugged into shore power for the previous 8 trips.

Any tips on where to start? Thanks in advance!

 

[markb5900]

Start easy, check your battery disconnect and make sure it didn’t get moved.

 

[Nicfrey50]

Start easy, check your battery disconnect and make sure it didn’t get moved.

Is this the battery disconnect? If so, this switch has never been moved from picking it up from the dealer.

 

[markb5900]

On mine it looks like this

 

[Nicfrey50]

I don’t have a battery disconnect on my unit. I just read thru the manual and it says (if equipped). Any other tips?

 

[craigav]

Is this the battery disconnect? If so, this switch has never been moved from picking it up from the dealer.

That looks like a battery disconnect to me. Did you "Push" it? ~CA

 

[RoadieWingZ]

Is this the battery disconnect? If so, this switch has never been moved from picking it up from the dealer.

Yes, that’s your disconnect and it’s in the “ON” position so the battery is gonna get drained in a boon docking setting.

 

[Nicfrey50]

That looks like a battery disconnect to me. Did you "Push" it? ~CA

Yes I've pushed it and nothing happens/changes

 

[Nicfrey50]

Yes, that’s your disconnect and it’s in the “ON” position so the battery is gonna get drained in a boon docking setting.

So I guess I'm confused. Our first 8 trips have all been hooked to 30/50amp shore power and when we tow home it get plugged in right away. So our last trip, was an hour and a half trip and when we got to our location, the battery didn't have enough juice to even run the trailer legs up off the truck. So when you say the battery is gonna get drained, it shouldn't drain in a short trip like that correct?

 

[craigav]

It could just be a bad battery. I would have it checked out. ~CA

 

[Nevr2late]

You should also make sure the truck is pushing voltage through the umbilical. This picture is the truck outlet. The reason I bring this up is last summer I blew a fuse and the truck was not pushing 12v, and on a long drive with the fridge running on the invertor, we lost a good bit of battery power.

 

[Camper_bob]

How long was the trailer stored before your boondocking trip? If the disconnect switch is in the "on" position, you will have parasitic draw enough to kill a standard battery relatively quickly (less than a week in many cases).

Even if you have 12V through the umbilical in your truck connection, it's likely not pushing more than 2-3A. An hour and a half drive is not nearly enough to charge up a dead battery at that rate.

If it was plugged in to shore-power for a while before your trip, and the converter was not charging the battery, you could have a blown fuse or bad connection.

You need to get a volt meter and start checking what is and is not going into the battery in different situations. When plugged into shore-power, with the disconnect "on", not connected to the truck, you should see between 13.2 and 14.4 volts at the battery terminals.

 

[Camper_bob]

Also, I have to wonder what that disconnect actually disconnects? Is it all 12V? That caution sticker doesn't mention anything about how your fridge will not run if you do as directed and turn it off while towing...?

I'd be breaking out the DVOM and probing to see what's going on here...

 

[Nevr2late]

Even if you have 12V through the umbilical in your truck connection, it's likely not pushing more than 2-3A. An hour and a half drive is not nearly enough to charge up a dead battery at that rate.

I thought that as well until I started checking the battery management system on my LiFePO4 battery. For me it was more like 8 amps. Hard to tell exactly as I also have 400w of solar pushing 12v as well. Next time I drive at night I will see what I get.

 

[Camper_bob]

I thought that as well until I started checking the battery management system on my LiFePO4 battery. For me it was more like 8 amps. Hard to tell exactly as I also have 400w of solar pushing 12v as well. Next time I drive at night I will see what I get.

From what I've seen, it depends on the truck. Some have bigger wires, capable of pushing more amperage, than others.

I've personally never measured any of mine in any real way. Never really had a need to since my batteries always began the towing day pretty much fully charged.

 

[PACA]

Also, I have to wonder what that disconnect actually disconnects? Is it all 12V? That caution sticker doesn't mention anything about how your fridge will not run if you do as directed and turn it off while towing...?

I'd be breaking out the DVOM and probing to see what's going on here...

On my 2021 Eagle RSTS 5th wheel the battery disconnect pretty much only disconnects the slides and jacks. Here is a diagram.

 

[FireFlier]

From what I've seen, it depends on the truck. Some have bigger wires, capable of pushing more amperage, than others.

I've personally never measured any of mine in any real way. Never really had a need to since my batteries always began the towing day pretty much fully charged.

If the truck wires are too small you could have enough voltage drop that the battery will not charge much if at all, or a built-in BMS will not allow it. Not that FORD would ever put in the cheapest wires.