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Old 06-18-2015, 09:47 AM   #1
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Dead batteries won't recharge

We have a six months old 19' footer. Like it a lot. Used it several times without incident.

Yesterday we went to show the trailer to new prospective buyers who called. And who drove 200 miles.

The lights were dead. Fridge, etc.

So I plugged the trailer into 110. A few minutes later the lights began to work again. I left it plugged in for four hours or so. The minute I un-plugged there was no juice at all. No lights. No Fridge.

I thought an inverter or converter was supposed to recharge the (two 6volt) batteries when plugged in to 110. Four hours on the cord should have enough. I have it plugged in again now. We'll see what happens. How do I trouble shoot this? What should I do? What should I look for?

I do have a solar panel as well. Pressing the B button on the controller for two seconds shows a 2 in the digital controller display. Battery types (shown by the B mode in the controller) seem to be Flood, AGM and Gel. I'm not sure what any of those terms mean. I'm currently set to 2 in the controller display, which corresponds to battery type AGM I think. Is that correct for two 6volt batteries?

I checked the circuit breaker box. All seemed OK. I flipped the breakers anyway. I did not check the fuses.
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Old 06-18-2015, 10:17 AM   #2
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OK. I have the trailer plugged into 110 again. Lights work. Fridge works. Monitor display shows a fully charged battery.

The instant I unplug the trailer there isn't enough juice to run the monitor display. Does this mean the batteries are charged, but somehow disconnected from the system as a whole, when not plugged into 110?

I don't have a multi-meter yet. I think I will go buy one.
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Old 06-18-2015, 10:23 AM   #3
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Is the disconnect switch for your batteries turned off?
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Old 06-18-2015, 10:26 AM   #4
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Ah. Disconnect switch for the batteries. Didn't even know there was such a thing. I'll see if I can figure out where that is.
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Old 06-18-2015, 10:30 AM   #5
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Ours was on the passengers side bench seat near the front of the trailer just below the cushion.
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Old 06-18-2015, 10:30 AM   #6
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Solved. Thank you. That was it. When I showed the prospective customers how to turn the table into a bed I apparently knocked the battery switch to off. Now all is fine.

Knowledge is power. And so is the battery.
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Old 06-18-2015, 10:32 AM   #7
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Glad that worked.

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Old 06-18-2015, 12:17 PM   #8
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Install a plastic guard for the switch. Many on the forum have done so to prevent an accidental switch off.
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Old 06-18-2015, 12:35 PM   #9
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A beautiful example of Escape owners helping other Escape owners. I'm sure I will have some questions after we pick up the new 21 and it is comforting to know there is a large pool of experience out there ready to help. Loren
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Old 06-18-2015, 01:23 PM   #10
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Pittendrigh, You might recheck the battery setting for your solar panel. If the batteries have caps on the top to add water then the setting should be "1" for flood. Some flooded batteries don't gave caps, so look at the label. If they are AGM those letters will be prominently displayed on the sides.
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