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Old 07-06-2017, 09:17 AM   #1
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power dead in my 19'

Having problems with solving problem with my escape 19. Yesterday when the fridge was running on battery, it drained down after dark, forgot to switch to propane when we stopped. Got it switched, and it ran OK for the day, but the battery never recharged after driving all day, and the solar appeared to not have any impact at all. this morning, no power at all, even for the 12V appliances or lights.

The batteries do not appear to be recharging as the vehicle runs, and the solar does not appear to have any impact either.

Help, the freezer is defrosting!!!
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Old 07-06-2017, 09:45 AM   #2
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Have you checked the water level in each of the battery cells? Is the battery very hot to the touch?
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Old 07-06-2017, 09:55 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bjsmitty View Post
Having problems with solving problem with my escape 19. Yesterday when the fridge was running on battery, it drained down after dark, forgot to switch to propane when we stopped. Got it switched, and it ran OK for the day, but the battery never recharged after driving all day, and the solar appeared to not have any impact at all. this morning, no power at all, even for the 12V appliances or lights.

The batteries do not appear to be recharging as the vehicle runs, and the solar does not appear to have any impact either.

Help, the freezer is defrosting!!!
Assuming the main power switch has not been flipped and that the car alternator and solar charge system is actually connected to the batteries.

The batteries are drained alright. When that happens they need to be "kick-started" to allow them to accept a charge and even then they may not be able to be resurrected.

You need to get them connected to a real battery charger which any gas station with a garage and mechanic will have. Tell them the situation that the batteries are drained and they will put a high voltage charge on them for about five - ten minutes. When they do this they will watch the amp flow. This will overcome the "charge acceptance" problem and get the batteries "over the hump" which will allow them to accept a charge.

The problem is most likely that the car charge system and the solar charge system puts out a voltage around a max of 13.5 - 14 volts which is too low to to overcome the charge acceptance resistance generated by draining the batteries. You need a short time (minutes) on 14.8 or 15 V to break down the resistance to accept a charge. Do not do this yourself unless you are versed in charge acceptance of batteries.

The long term solution is to put a capacity monitor on the batteries which will shut down the loads when the battery capacity reaches a low limit.

Wishing you luck
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Old 07-06-2017, 11:40 AM   #4
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Anyone remember that parkliner battery fire on FGRV. Wasn't it caused by a battery depleted too far then the converter trying to recharge it? I'm going off my poor memory here. Would that be something the OP would have to be careful of if they were depleted too far?
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Old 07-06-2017, 12:27 PM   #5
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Make sure your disconnect switch under dinette is on vs off....
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Old 07-06-2017, 01:25 PM   #6
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Lost power

thanks so much for all the wonderful advise. Unfortunately, the trailer is in a location where NO ONE has the time to look at it. So, my husband is driving across WY living off of an ice cream diet. We will try and get it looked at when he gets to his NPS job.

Thank you everyone! We never have mastered the electrics in this RV. (followed the recommended running with the fridge on battery, and clearly that was a mistake, propane only unless on shore power!! )
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Old 07-06-2017, 03:19 PM   #7
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...
and the solar appeared to not have any impact at all. this morning, no power at all, even for the 12V appliances or lights.
...
This is peculiar. The solar system should be able to run lights and low drain appliances even if the batteries are stone cold dead.

Check your fuses - all of them including the one near the battery.
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Old 07-06-2017, 04:39 PM   #8
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You always need a back-up cooler. There can be all kinds of refrigerator problems.

You may have such battery depletion that will will take quite a while for them to come back. And Alan has mentioned some additional possibilities.
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Old 07-06-2017, 05:09 PM   #9
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Lost power

Yes, we checked the fuses, that was our first thought, but where is this fuse "near the battery"?
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Old 07-06-2017, 06:14 PM   #10
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Yes, we checked the fuses, that was our first thought, but where is this fuse "near the battery"?
On the bar that is attached to the positive battery terminal - at least mine is.
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Old 07-06-2017, 07:15 PM   #11
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Yes, we checked the fuses, that was our first thought, but where is this fuse "near the battery"?
Mine is in a plastic covered holder, about 6 inches from the battery on one of the main wires. Sorry, no photo.

Another thought...
Check the tow vehicle fuses.

You really should see the lights and low amp devices (like fans) working if plugged into the tow vehicle with its motor running. This is independent of the chargers and the state of the battery. With the normal 60+ amp alternator, the power to the trailer is limited only by the size and length of the charging wire (which can have a significant impact sometimes, but not to the extent that you get NO power.)
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Old 07-06-2017, 09:10 PM   #12
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Yes, we checked the fuses, that was our first thought, but where is this fuse "near the battery"?
It's not a good photo, but it's that little black plastic case about 2" from the positive battery terminal post (partially hidden by the battery box) - located in-line on the red battery cable. Once you pop the plastic lid, inside is a typical automotive-style blade fuse, a 40 amp. https://www.delcity.net/store/ATO/AT...FdCCswodHTgM8g
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Old 07-06-2017, 10:12 PM   #13
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On the bar that is attached to the positive battery terminal - at least mine is.
Robert: That's a large red wire with the fuse. Is that possibly going to an inverter and the smaller line is for the balance of 12V systems? Have an older 19 (no inverter) and only have a main fuse under the drivers side dinette bench near the converter.
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Old 07-06-2017, 10:28 PM   #14
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Just posting ours since maybe can see better but it looks different?

Two 6Vs on 21'
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Old 07-06-2017, 10:33 PM   #15
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One of the 6 Vs
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Old 07-06-2017, 10:35 PM   #16
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When we had troubles with our system it was completely the fault of the toggle switch under the dinette table. It was switched to OFF as in isolate the battery. When that happens there's no charge going in, and as a result, no power coming out. I think I saw somewhere on the forum about how someone changed that out and put in a switch with an indicator light to show operation.
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Old 07-06-2017, 10:52 PM   #17
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Robert: That's a large red wire with the fuse. Is that possibly going to an inverter and the smaller line is for the balance of 12V systems?
I don't have an inverter but do have the 40 amp ATO/ATC fuse in the same plastic holder. Also thinking that a typical inverter would need a higher amp fuse to handle the surge.
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Old 07-07-2017, 12:56 AM   #18
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I don't have an inverter but do have the 40 amp ATO/ATC fuse in the same plastic holder. Also thinking that a typical inverter would need a higher amp fuse to handle the surge.
Alan: I'm was referring to Robert's photo in post #10. He doesn't mention his fuse size.
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Old 07-07-2017, 08:45 AM   #19
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My Power-Loss Experience

Hi All,

I'm not particularly savvy regarding things electrical, but I second Alan's suggestion on checking fuses, especially that main 12V fuse by the battery. On an early shakedown trip after acquiring our new-to-us 21' last year we experienced power problems on both the 120V and 12V sides. Fortunately the problems occurred near the end of the trip, so we made it home and got on the phone with ETI.

Reace helped me trouble-shoot by phone. The 120 ultimately proved to be a problem with the detachable power cord. The 12V traced to that main fuse by the battery. (Mine is identical to the pic posted by Cathy above.) Sounded like that was not the first time Reace had dealt with that issue. Mine had a 50 Amp blade-type fuse that was blown/partially melted. He suggested replacement with a 40 Amp. (I do have the inverter, but rarely use it.)

After fixing those two items everything has worked flawlessly since.

Paul
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Old 07-07-2017, 11:17 AM   #20
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...
On an early shakedown trip after acquiring our new-to-us 21' last year we experienced power problems ...
And that reminded me...
On our first trip I found that the main wire connections to the battery were only finger tight. Something easy to double check.
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