Battery Drain

Message Share Topic Printable Version Google Delicious Digg StumbleUpon Windows Live Yahoo Bookmarks reddit Facebook MySpace Newsvine Furl Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic

   Winterizing my 171 I thought I'd top off the batteries by plugging into shore power before putting them in storage. The trailer isn't parked near the house so I used a 50' 14 gauge extension cord to reach the trailer. I've done this before when the batteries were in storage and I needed power to the trailer so I thought it would be no big deal. When I checked the voltage meter a couple of hours later I was shocked to discover that the batteries were drained down to 5.85 volts. I immediately unplugged from shore power, put the batteries on a charger, then stored them in the garage when they were full. Batteries are two brand new 6 volt wired in series, but it seems that shouldn't make any difference since it is then a 12 volt battery. 
The converter breaker wasn't off and nothing was turned on in the trailer. I'm at a loss as to what the cause of the drainage was, but I'm guessing there's someone here who will have an answer or educated guess. Thanks in advance.

Author	Message Share Topic Printable Version Google Delicious Digg StumbleUpon Windows Live Yahoo Bookmarks reddit Facebook MySpace Newsvine Furl Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic
mikeyg2347 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 27 May 2015 Location: MT Online Status: Offline Posts: 75	Post Options Post Reply Quote mikeyg2347 Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Battery Drain Posted: 27 Oct 2022 at 11:46am
	Winterizing my 171 I thought I'd top off the batteries by plugging into shore power before putting them in storage. The trailer isn't parked near the house so I used a 50' 14 gauge extension cord to reach the trailer. I've done this before when the batteries were in storage and I needed power to the trailer so I thought it would be no big deal. When I checked the voltage meter a couple of hours later I was shocked to discover that the batteries were drained down to 5.85 volts. I immediately unplugged from shore power, put the batteries on a charger, then stored them in the garage when they were full. Batteries are two brand new 6 volt wired in series, but it seems that shouldn't make any difference since it is then a 12 volt battery. The converter breaker wasn't off and nothing was turned on in the trailer. I'm at a loss as to what the cause of the drainage was, but I'm guessing there's someone here who will have an answer or educated guess. Thanks in advance.
	Mike

StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6297	Post Options Post Reply Quote StephenH Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 27 Oct 2022 at 3:30pm
	Check the heavy power draw possibilities such as a pulled emergency disconnect cable or the TV antenna booster turned on. If you have a clamp-on meter that can measure DC amperage, that will be handy to help trace anything using more than trivial (e.g. light) power.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

mikeyg2347 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 27 May 2015 Location: MT Online Status: Offline Posts: 75	Post Options Post Reply Quote mikeyg2347 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 27 Oct 2022 at 7:04pm
	I don't have a clamp-on meter, but as far as I can tell everything is normal. I was camping with it all last week and winterized it over the last couple of days. The tv, microwave and air conditioner were all removed long ago. My batteries were charged to 12.6 volts just prior to plugging in to shore power. After it was plugged in for a couple of hours I unplugged it, checked the battery voltage and it was 5.85.
	Mike

jato Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3237	Post Options Post Reply Quote jato Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 28 Oct 2022 at 4:16am
	I would agree with StephenH above that only something with a big draw capability could draw down your batteries that low in that short of a time frame. Your setup is like mine, no A/C, microwave/convection oven or entertainment system. That leaves only two potentials for power draw in both our r-pods, either (as StephenH stated) your emergency brake cable got accidentally pulled or your fridge is running on battery mode. Maybe the converter isn't functioning? Did you hear the fan running when it was plugged in? With a power draw of that magnitude the fan should have been running and would shut off once you unplugged from shore power.
	God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."

mikeyg2347 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 27 May 2015 Location: MT Online Status: Offline Posts: 75	Post Options Post Reply Quote mikeyg2347 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 28 Oct 2022 at 8:32am
	The emergency brake cable hasn't been pulled. The old 3-way fridge was swapped out this summer for a compressor model which was turned off. That leaves the converter and I didn't hear a fan running. If it is the converter it seems kinda weird that it would go out since I am never plugged in to shore power. I wish now that I'd left the batteries in place until this mystery was resolved, but at 65 lbs each I'm reluctant to drag them out of storage to conduct any experiments. This may have to wait until spring.
	Mike

jato Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3237	Post Options Post Reply Quote jato Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 28 Oct 2022 at 12:28pm
	I had a weird thing happen a month ago while we were in Colorado near Pikes Peak. Went to Mueller State Park and had electricity for a change. I went to check the charge on my batteries and noted that they were not fully charged, only reading about 12.55 volts instead of the normal 12.72 showing a full charge. As I unplugged from shore power the fridge beeped as in no power so I went to turn it on propane, nothing. And down the line everything was dead, even the slide wouldn't function, no lights, it was strange. Had a brother help me trouble shoot and ended up figuring the circuit in the converter failed so ended up taking the big red wire feed and moving it to another 'leg' on the converter, using the circuit that usually feeds the A/C. Moved it to that line and everything 'magically' worked again. Can't explain why it suddenly quit, but it did. Glad I have yet one more circuit/line to work with (microwave/convection oven) in case this ever happens again.
	God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."

mikeyg2347 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 27 May 2015 Location: MT Online Status: Offline Posts: 75	Post Options Post Reply Quote mikeyg2347 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 28 Oct 2022 at 7:24pm
	Interesting. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks.
	Mike

StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6297	Post Options Post Reply Quote StephenH Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 28 Oct 2022 at 7:33pm
	https://wfcoelectronics.com/trouble-shooting-charts/ Look for the proper one for your converter. That should help.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS