What current should I get on the 12 volt receptacal

[LarryandLiz]

I'll recap the issue we've encountered trying to recharge our Apple devices (iPad-2/iPhone-6).

The adapter I'm using works when recharging the devices on the 12 volt receptacal on our tow vehicle. The trucks receptacal reads 12 volt via the volt-meter. I'm using the same adapter and it does not work on the trailer 12 volt receptacles. FYI We have never used the 12 volt receptacal for anything other than trying to recharge devices. The trailer lights and max fax works fine on batter power.

We have a 2014 17b with solar panels and 2 6 volt batteries.

The battery monitor shows a full charge.

The solar monitor show 13.5

I tested the batteries and each read 6.72

I tested two of the trailer 12 volt receptacals and each read 7 volts. I've done this before and received similar readings. Is this the problem


Thanks for any help
Larry







Sent from my iPad

[LeonW]

When I put the voltage meter into the 12volt outlets, I usually get 13+ volts. This was also true on our 17b. So I bet that is the problem.

[tractors1]

Originally Posted by LarryandLiz

I'll recap the issue we've encountered trying to recharge our Apple devices (iPad-2/iPhone-6).

The adapter I'm using works when recharging the devices on the 12 volt receptacal on our tow vehicle. The trucks receptacal reads 12 volt via the volt-meter. I'm using the same adapter and it does not work on the trailer 12 volt receptacles. FYI We have never used the 12 volt receptacal for anything other than trying to recharge devices. The trailer lights and max fax works fine on batter power.

We have a 2014 17b with solar panels and 2 6 volt batteries.

The battery monitor shows a full charge.

The solar monitor show 13.5

I tested the batteries and each read 6.72

I tested two of the trailer 12 volt receptacals and each read 7 volts. I've done this before and received similar readings. Is this the problem


Thanks for any help
Larry







Sent from my iPad

Sounds like your 12V lines are wired across just one battery instead of the pair of 6V.

[LarryandLiz]

Thanks Charlie,

A few weeks ago I tested the receptacals and got 8 and 9 volts. Does that still indicate that the lines could be crossed?

FYI I am on a huge learning curve on trailer electrical systems.

[Jubal]

Check the voltage of the fuses for the 12v outlets in the fuse panel of the converter box. The fuses should be the voltage as measured between the two batteries. If so , the problem is in the wiring between the outlets or the outlets themselves. If you can remove the outlets you can check the voltage between the wires attached to the 12v outlets, the voltage should be very close to battery voltage and the voltage at the fuse(s).

[Ron in BC]

As the others have said, it's almost as if you're only getting voltage from one battery but I don't know how that could happen.

Have you measured the voltage from the plus of one battery to the negative of the other?

Ron

[LarryandLiz]

Ron,
I'll have to see if the wires on the 12.00 volt-meter stretch far enough.
I appreciate Bob's suggestions although about all my skill set will let me do is check the fuses. We looked at them awhile ago and I think they were yellow.

As you can see my skill set is limited. Although I think it is good for me to try to learn as much as I can. I'm also quite glad that we aren't too far awY from ETI

? But if the wires are screwed up, how come the lights and fans work?

[LarryandLiz]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

As the others have said, it's almost as if you're only getting voltage from one battery but I don't know how that could happen.

Have you measured the voltage from the plus of one battery to the negative of the other?

Ron

Ron.

I got 13.43 by checking the negative of one battery to the positive of the other.

I suppose this means that the trailer is properly wired ?

I checked the receptacals and got 8 volts plus on three of them. One plug doesn't have any reading.

It took Liz coming out to the trailer to check the batteries cause I could stretch the volt-meter wires between the two batteries as I leaned over the spare tire but I needed Liz to reach around to twist the volt meter so we could see the display

[Ron in BC]

[QUOTE=LarryandLiz;101422]Ron.

I got 13.43 by checking the negative of one battery to the positive of the other.

I suppose this means that the trailer is properly wired ?

/QUOTE]

No, it doesn't mean that the trailer is properly wired but it means that the first item on the trouble shooting list can be checked off.

I'm very suspicious of several outlets having a problem at the same time. As others have mentioned checking the fuse voltage would be a good next step. You can remove the fuse and check the voltage at the fuse socket. Pos. probe to fuse socket, neg. to any ground. Also, on mine at least, the rear side of the 12 volt outlets are accessible. The pos. terminal is exposed. You can also check the voltage there.

There's lots of experience on the forum. Just keep posting your findings and the problem will become clear at some point and you'll have had some trouble-shooting practice.

Ron

[rbryan4]

Yes, 7 volts is the problem. The charging adapter needs 12. I agree with Ron. Check the voltage on the input wire for the receptacle itself.

[Ron in BC]

OK, thinking about it some more, here's what to do.

Test the voltage on the output side of the fuse, where the screwdriver is pointing in the photo. 12 volts comes to one side of the fuse, through it and to the terminal with the setscrew. The individual wire carrying current to one circuit attaches here. Check the voltage. Even if you're not sure which is the outlet one, they all should have 12 volts. Gently wiggle the wire. The setscrew could have backed off and isn't making a good contact.

If you have 12 volts going out the wire to the outlets then the probable cause is a bad inline connector. ETI uses snap on connectors to split the wire to multiple locations. They pierce the insulation and shove a little blade of metal onto the wire. I don't like them and don't use them but they usually work OK and are quick and simple for a manufacturer to use.

Given your symptoms, including one outlet that's dead, it's possible a bad connector is the problem.

At any rate, first confirm that each terminal by the fuse has 12 volts.

Ron

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

... At any rate, first confirm that each terminal by the fuse has 12 volts.Ron

I was fooled by a circuit that had a little voltage but not enough to do anything useful - except enough to light a small led! Turns out that the led in question was the fuse blown indicator on the fuse panel. Just enough current flows through the led to provide a weak voltage on whatever device/outlet is downstream. So easy to check, so easy to overlook...

--
Alan

[Ron in BC]

Know what you're saying. I sometimes use a big old fashioned 12 volt bulb for trouble shooting. If it glows brightly I move on. I've been tricked by fuses that look OK. I never accept a "looks OK", I test them by substituting a known good fuse or with a meter.

In this case, where a couple of outlets have low voltage and one has none I'm betting it's a poor connection somewhere after the power leaves the fuse terminal block.

Ron

[LarryandLiz]

Thanks Ron and all for these responses. It looks like we have a Saturday project as soon as my daughter picks up our granddaughter who is here for a sleepover. Liz is WAY more mechanical than I am. This will be a joint project for us! Marriage togetherness in action.

[Brian B-P]

My issue with the "poor connection" theory is that the voltage lost across a high-resistance connection is proportional to the current. If you plug in a device that has low resistance (so will take a lot of current with the intended voltage), the high current means lots of voltage lost at the poor connection, and so not enough voltage at the socket. But a voltmeter is a very high resistance device, so very little current flows through it, and even with thousands of ohms of connection resistance the voltage measured at the socket should still be so close to the battery voltage that you can't see any difference in the readings.

Since it seems exceptionally unlikely that any outlet is wired directly to one of the (nominally) 6-volt batteries without going through the distribution panel, resistance is the obvious explanation... I just don't see how it is consistent with very low voltage when there is no load (current being drawn by the circuit).

[Ron in BC]

I see what you're saying Brian. Basically, if you had a muli-strand wire and all but one strand were broken, you'd still get full voltage. The problem would show up if you tried to draw any amount of amps in which case the single strand would burn up like a blown fuse.

I'm thinking that poor contact somewhere down the wire between the fuse terminal and the outlet there's a high resistance poor contact situation. In that case, wouldn't a high resistance drop the voltage?

Ron

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by LarryandLiz

Thanks Ron and all for these responses. It looks like we have a Saturday project as soon as my daughter picks up our granddaughter who is here for a sleepover. Liz is WAY more mechanical than I am. This will be a joint project for us! Marriage togetherness in action.

Hi: LarryandLiz... Just as long as your "Saturday project" isn't a shock to your Marriage!!! There could be many negatives and few positives to it. Good luck!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[LarryandLiz]

So here we are in the trailer and don't know where to put the voltmeter probes.


Luckily we can use wifi on our driveway

Liz is making me edit all my "probe" comments

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

I see what you're saying Brian. Basically, if you had a muli-strand wire and all but one strand were broken, you'd still get full voltage. The problem would show up if you tried to draw any amount of amps ...

Yes!

Originally Posted by Ron in BC

I'm thinking that poor contact somewhere down the wire between the fuse terminal and the outlet there's a high resistance poor contact situation. In that case, wouldn't a high resistance drop the voltage?

Again, only if significant current is being drawn. If there is some load on the circuit - not just outlets with nothing plugged into them or a meter - then there could be enough current to cause the voltage drop, but that load (appliance, light, whatever) would also be getting the low voltage.

[Ron in BC]

OK, working from the photo.

Do you see, in the upper left area, the heavy black wire marked "Neg"? You can use that as your all purpose ground.

Pull one fuse, any fuse, and insert the probe into the left side recess where the blade of the fuse goes. You should have 12 volts. Put the pos. probe onto one of the screw heads that hold the wires in place. See if you have 12 volts at each terminal or only test the one for the outlets if you're sure which one it is.

This is presuming that you've pulled and checked the fuse is OK and better yet, substituted a new one or one from another socket that you know to be good.

Ron