Spring check won't raise
 

2505C model Went to do spring check in Tahoe. Battery dead I think. Pulugged into land power and car. Was covered with snow most of winter so solar changer may not have trickle changed but lots of sun last 2 weeks. When I flip raise switch get a couple of chugs and then stops. Trying to get to hand pump to raise but cannot slide out the plastic cover in A-frame area as trapped by two pads from the top. It appears to me that you must be able to raise the top a bit to get into the battery and pump area. Any suggestion on how to loosen the lid to the pump area or the lift the top enough to slide out and do hand pump. Saw something in here that frame must be level to get cleanest lift. Suggestions appreciated. Leaving plugged in and will recheck before dark. If battery won't change must replace but can't get to it as can't get to pump area where battery is.

Spring check no raise some more info
 

So when I first turned on light on front jack it was dim and when tried to adjust jack just got a couple of chugs then dead. Plugged into shoreline (learning the lingo here?) light was bright and jack worked fine. Could still not lift top. Now will go out in an hour to see if any action. I can find no info on forum on how to to batter and lift pump. Still looks to me like top must be up to get to the part of the A-Frame containing these. Poor design seems to me. But maybe I am doing something wrong. Crawled under and seems like might be able to drop the box but being a 79 y/o retired Doctor hard to get under stuff like this. Tried using metal stabilizer bars to lift up enough to free cover but can't move top. Wondering if seals at bottom when to lowered may be stuck to something and motor does not have enough umph to get it loose. Thoughts. BYW my medical expertise is high blood pressure and happy to trade my expertise for yours.

See if you can squeeze jumper cable in enough to get to positive terminal or even, I think, solenoid. Then ground to frame with negative and jump from vehicle. Likely need to leave the shore power on for at least 12 or more hours to get the battery back up to snuff. Sounds like it is taking some charge if light got brighter. Give it some time.

Hey Doc:

I'm in for the trade! Am headed to my cardiologist this week to see what to do about my erratic BP.

I know some of our more experienced folks will respond quickly, but here's what I think is the right answer.

The hydraulic lift system is powered by the battery. Your symptoms are typical of a discharged battery. Here's info from the 2004 Owner's Manual:


12-Volt DC
Your Hi-Lo is equipped with a 12-Volt DC electrical system. This system
supplies voltage to operate the 12-Volt hydraulic lift motor, interior
lights, fans, radio, water pump, furnace, monitor system, and other 12-
Volt appliances. The 12-Volt battery is charged through the tow vehicle
alternating system. The battery is located in A-frame
tongue section on the front of your trailer.

The converter will supply 12-volt requirements when your trailer is
connected to a 110-volt supply source. This not only saves the power in
on-board battery, but the converter will automatically sense the condition
of the RV battery. If it is below full charge, the charger section of the
converter will start charging the battery. The battery will automatically be
charged at a high or low amperage rate, depending on the need. The rate
of charge will decline, as the battery reaches 'full charge' and the charger
will drop back to 'maintenance' level. Anytime a storage battery cannot be
charged as described, it is possible the battery is defective.

Leave your camper plugged into shore power for a day or two and see if that charges your battery sufficiently to raise the top.

FWIW: I have never had to use my manual pump, but believe it can be accessed from underneath the pump/battery compartment. As I say, I've never done this, but it looks like that is how it works.

Good luck!!

Welcome, lowerbp! What the others have been telling you about the battery is correct. It is the ONLY thing that has the Amperage to run the lift motor. Shore power or a solar panel won't do it.

As hilltool suggested, if you can get jumper cables in, an external battery will work.

You SHOULD have a small hinged section in the front of the battery box that you can lift up even with the top fully down. This gives you access to the manual lift pump receptacle. The handle you insert into that should have been stored in that front area too, so that you can get at it. If it's not there, just find some kind of metal rod that will fit into the pump. It's a round opening about 1/2-3/4" as I recall.

Now, it's possible too that your trailer did not have the manual raising feature. If so, you're going to have to raise the top with something like farm jacks and some lengths of 2x4 lumber to support the top if you have to move the jacks. That's the only alternative I know of if you can't get electrical power to the lift motor.

- Jack

Thanks. For the notes. Went out to try. Only get high squealing sound and click click click like when car a battery is dead. Voltage regulator. Am going to send picture of access It does have a hand pump in manual and I have bar just can't get to it with top down. Think we will leave it plugged in for a few weeks as we are leaving. And then give it a go when we get back.

Here is picture or "access" to stuff in A-Frame spot. Note the sliding plastic top we cannot get out as it is pinned down by the sliding top resting on it. But can't seem to enter photo here.
Will try in another place to put pict.
BP Dr.

High squealing could mean your lowering "vent" is open. This is something you should be able to get to using the flap at the front of your battery box - assuming you have such a flap.

- Jack

Another way to raise the top a bit at the front:

Cut two 2x4s to a length that matches the distance from the front corners of the top to the ground (you MAY have to put something like a stepping stone under the 2x4 to keep it from digging into the ground).

With the 2x4s in place, lower the front of the trailer using the tongue jack. This will push up on the top, raising it. Don't go too far though, or it will put stress on the guide blocks. This may give you access into the battery box.

I'd actually raise the tongue first, so that when I lowered it, the trailer would end up close to level.

- Jack

Not surprising but too bad that Hi-Lo didn't add an external pair of posts on the outside of battery box and cover them some way. I can get my front "flap" up just barely enough to squeeze a jumper cable in , but, I'm working blind in getting it to reach back to a battery post. I know this discussion has come up before. I should really do a little mod this summer as it is bound to happen to me at some point.

Make an adapter "jumper" to plug into the trailer plug and use a 12v jumper box or cables directly to the tow vehicle battery. That's how I raise and lower mine when I put it in storage I take the battery right out.

Tom, that's a clever solution, but you're pulling a lot of Amps through that little 10 gauge wire from the trailer plug to the battery circuit. In your case, it probably works because you don't have a dead battery in there which will add to the Amperage load. I'd be reluctant to advise the OP to try this in his situation.

I think there's a great danger in melting that wire and possibly causing a fire.

- Jack

I might just get the top up high enough to get to the battery with jumper cables

I've never had this issue, but can see that it would be a real pain in the neck. As others have said, it's a shame Hi-Lo didn't design a convenient battery access.

I think I'll buy a set of automotive battery cables (long enough to drop below the battery compartment), attach them to the battery posts, insulate the free ends with a piece of pool noodle and strong tape, and secure them so they can be pulled down if needed. Seems like cheap insurance that would save a lot of frustration.

Any thoughts? Any better idea?

The extra battery cable idea is a perfectly workable one, piperjim. The only critical part of it is the insulation (as you said) on the ends of them, especially the positive cable. I think I'd look for plastic tubing that would fit with some force, rather than pool noodle. Also, make sure they are color coded so you know which is the positive one.

I once jumped a dead battery backwards, because the OEM cables to it were colored "backwards" (in my opinion). The red cable went to the negative post, black cable was on the positive one. I DID NOT look at the battery markings before connecting the jumper cables (I should have). Fortunately, the only damage was a blown fuse link in the dead car.

- Jack

Jack:

Jumping a battery "backwards" reminds me of my 1961 John Deere tractor. It's a 12 volt, positive ground system. Talk about confusing me the first time I tried to jump it off!!!! I stood there looking at that for about 15 minutes before I got on the John Deere forum for guidance!!!

Good idea on the plastic tubing. I have an old piece of garden hose...might try that.
Or, some vinyl tubing from the hardware store. I'm going to go out and see what length of battery cable I need right now.

I may do the same thing for an insurance policy. Take pics.

someone a few years back posted on here with a set-up similar to what they used on light aircraft. Dont remember exactly WHY you would do that for a plane but it made sense when I read it. It was heavy duty and maybe overkill- but it was basically a set of "posts" mounted externally. That makes sense to me with the posts ( a couple bolts would work) mounted low and to the side on the battery box. One would just want to make sure they were well covered and insulated both in an out and, , as you say, well marked.

Edit: And HERE it is; "On my 2805C there is a slot in the front of the battery box to put the jack handle thru to pump up the top. You have to lay down on the ground in order to pump it up, but once up about a foot you should be able to get a jumper cable hooked up to finish the lift. There is no hinged top on my battery box. To improve on this system I got the jumper cables and plug that came off a parted out light aircraft, installed the plug on the outside of the battery box, and connected it to the battery. Now if the battery is low I just plug the jumper cable into the plug, connect to the truck and up the top goes. "

piperjim - I often wonder why any system would be designed with a positive ground. Seems totally counter-intuitive to me. The car I jumped backwards was a normal, negative ground, but had the red cable to the negative post. I think it was an old Mazda.

Hilltool, that's interesting about the opening for the manual lift handle on your trailer. Maybe there's not enough room at the front of your battery box for a hinged flap like mine has. Sounds like you've designed a great aux power input solution!

- Jack

Just a thought, but why would we need BOTH positive AND negative cables hanging out? If a properly insulated POSITIVE cable were exposed, you could use jumper cables--one to positive and then the neg attached to the frame and, of course, the other end of the jumpers properly connected to the full charged batt. Maybe?
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