Battery won't keep charge
 

Hello, I have a 1988 22' and the battery won't keep the charge when I'm plugged to the 110v or even the truck when I use the trailer.

When the trailer is plug to the 110v, every thing that work with the 110v in the trailer work well.

But the pump, the light and the air heater ( all thing that work on 12v) drain the battery and it never keep it charge.

I don't know well how trailer work, but I believe that there must be something to charge the battery when the trailer is plugged with the 110v or the truck ?

Thank you!

And sorry for my English, I'm not English.:)

I tried to disconnect the battery and all 12 v Equipment are not working.

I tested the 110 volt the come Inside the converter and it's ok.

But there is no 12volt voltage on any output.

So the light and pump are only working when the battery is in place , and the battery voltage is getting lower hour after hour.

I would recommend having your battery checked out to determine if it is able to hold a charge and maintain a load, most auto parts stores can check this for free. Also if your converter is not outputting 12v then you may have a bad converter as well. I would recommend checking your battery first though and then the converter next.

I suspect you've blown a fuse in your tow vehicle's trailer battery charging circuit. This is easy to do if you raise the top on your trailer with the trailer plugged into the tow vehicle. I THINK you will be looking for a 30-Amp fuse. Look for it in the tow vehicle's fuse box.

Now, the battery in the trailer may also be defective and needing to be replaced. I had to replace my trailer battery right after I bought my trailer (new) because it had become damaged due to being discharged on the dealer's lot. So, if it doesn't seem to be holding a charge for a reasonable length of time, replace it or have it load tested at an auto parts store. Make sure you replace it with a trailer battery (deep cycle battery) if replacement is necessary. It will withstand the deep discharges in trailer use better than an auto battery, but no battery really likes to be discharged to a low state, so try to minimize that.

Hope this helps - your English is fine, by the way.

- Jack

First, how old is the battery?
it should a deep cycle type, do you have 1 or 2 batteries(2 -12volt deep cycle batteries are better than one) check the water level in the battery,if the water level ever dropped bellow the plates you might have a bad cell.
Have the battery checked at a auto parts house sometimes they do it free. with the trailer not plugged into 110v, disconnect battery, use a battery charger to charge the battery on low amps (2 amps) overnight then check if it holds a charge. Just trying to know the battery condition.
When the trailer is plugged into 110v,the convertor is desined to maintain a12volt battery not charge a dead battery. Make sure the 3-way switch in the center position(off),the refrigerator must be turned off (seperate curcuit) at this point. disconnect the battery, with the trailer plugged into 110v check if you have voltage at your battery cables. this will tell you if your convertor is putting out voltage to charge/maintain your battery. Also check the output voltage of the convertor. If you have no voltage from the convertor when plugged into 110v,you will run down your battery. Trace the wires from the convertor to the 110v subpanel,check fuses and curcuit breakers. Are you getting 110v to the convertor, check with a voltmeter.
Charging from the truck while towing, shouldn't be a problem unless....you have no voltage getting to the battery on the trailer or your charge line is to small. I had to rewire my truck (like most trucks from the factory)because I was only getting 5 amps to my trailer batteries,with running my refrigerator on 12 volts while towing (refrigerator needs 12 amps) I was running down my house batteries on the trailer. I installed a 30amp curcuit breaker and 8gauge wiring back to the trailer which gives me enough power to run the refrigerator and charge the batteries.
I hope this is a starter point for you

My converter received 110v power the plug is fine, but without the battery i don't get any 12v on the output of the converter.

Is it possible that my converter is dead ?

My father rv trailer is a 2004 and can run 12v light without a battery when it plugged to 110v. Is it suppose to be the same thing with a 1988 hilo?

For the battery, I don't know , I bought the trailer last year. The battery seems not too old.

The battery charge well when I plug the battery on a charger at home

thanks

Any udeas of what's going on ?

Maybe you should put the battery on another charger overnight then test it after a few hours off of the charger. Take it to a battery store and have them put a load test on it. It may not be holding a charge. If it is bad get a deep cycle battery. In the HiLo you must have a well charged battery to raise the top. The converter does not have the capacity to do that.

I should have added. If the converter is charging you should be getting at the battery a reading of at least 13 volts and as much as 13.6 volts. Or if you unplug the converter you should see a drop in voltage.

Sure sounds like your converter is dead since you have 110 volts going in and nothing coming out. The only thing you may want to check is if there is a fuse blown inside the converter. This means you will have to take the converter apart. Be careful if you do, there are probably some good sized capacitors inside that could give you a shock. No fuse blown looks like you might have to replace the converter.

thank you for the advice. I will check this when I will be back at home . Just hope that's only a fuse.

Otherwise there is a precise model I need or every rv shop will know what I need even if he don't know what is a hilo trailer.

Converters are generic so what you will need is one that supplies at least the output of the present converter, like 30 or 45 amp, and will fit in the compartment. Look for one that has a good charger. The Inteli-Power converter is a good one and if you get one add the Charge Wizard to get optimum charging and maintenance.

AC to DC Power Converter - PPL Motor Homes

If both fit, which one is the best 30 or 45 amp ?

thank you !!!

I wouldn't go for anything less than what you have, but as the man said in the video you don't want to go with something too much more. See if you can find what the rating is on your unit. I'm guessing 45 amp without having any references to consult.

There other types of converters from the one I attached yesterday, the one like on my HiLo looks more like the Parallax in this attachment. I think it is 45 amp. RV Converters & Chargers - 110V AC to 12V DC - PPL Motor Homes

Did you check your battery and converter output? Also, check the breaker(s) in the battery compartment area to see if they are conducting.

yes I checked, nothing on the convertor output, but in the input i got 110v

My 1985 has fuses inside of the converter box. They control all of the interior lights and 12v functions.

Open up the converter box and make sure you don't have a blown fuse. Or anywhere else that has your 12v panel with fuses. There is one that controls the 12v function of the converter in my trailer.

steve

Thank you for all your answer, finally it was the fuse Inside the converter. But there is a reason why the fuse blown ?



My converter is a 30 amp , is it because is not enough for the pump, air heater and light in the same time ?

Almost every lights in the trailer is led .

It is plenty big enough.
install new fuse and try again.
NO, I don't know the amperage of the one needed. But since it is for the entire 12v system circuit it should be larger size.

If it blows again you must determine why! Something crossed, or ?

Something may have have shorted out momentarily some where. Keep an eye on it. The 30 amp converter along with the battery should run everything that is original equipment. Plugging in 12 volt accessories could help to overload the system. If I am correct, the battery supplies the bulk of the load and the converter simply keeps the battery charged. Trying to run things without the battery online could overload the converter and blow the fuse. The converter can charge up to 30 amps, a 45 amp charger would charge faster.

charger noise
 

is it normal to hear the charger hum, seems to work and charge fine? it is a 89, thank you