Issue with our T@B400 battery

PamHoward

Well my husband and I were loading our three month old T@B 400 to go on a long trip when we realized that the system was not working.  After reading, fiddling and calling we figured out that it might be the HUGE battery not working....ugh.  Here is the problem.  We did not have the equipment to test the battery so we had to take it out and take it to our local RV place where we found out it's charge was down to 5%.  We did not want to tow the camper because the place usually does not have anywhere to park.....so we took the battery out.  My husband has been switching the battery switch to off after we get back from camping trips, so we are not real sure why it went down.  Another problem is the opening on the outside of the camper is NOT tall enough to bring the battery out .  My husband had to lift it up over the wooden base of the queen bed and bring it out the door.  We think we have heard that in February 2018 that NuCamp are putting in two batteries instead of the one HUGE battery. Anyone else know about this?  Our dealership that we bought the camper from did not know of the two battery system upgrade. Has anyone been able to convert the one battery to the two battery system?  Thanks for any information!

Sharon_is_SAM

The conversion to the 2 6 volt system should not be difficult.  Curious, what was the state of charge of your battery before you turned the switch to off?  A battery stores best when fully charged and AGMs are known for their limited self discharge.

PamHoward

Sam we had used the camper the week before. I assume that it was fully charged when we got home. One week later I plugged it in to prepare for our trip. If the battery isolation breaker had tripped, I didn't find it till 3 days later when we were getting ready to leave and nothing worked. After phone discussions with the dealer and the factory, I checked the voltage with my VOM and it measured 5.9v. Had it on a smart charger set for AGM batteries for 8 hours yesterday and now it only reads 6.5v.

Sharon_is_SAM

Sorry, but it sounds like your battery is toast.  Were you Boondocking or plugged in while camping?  What was your charge before towing home?  Is it possible that while plugged in on shorepower you had the Battery Cut Off switch turned off?  It will not “trip” on it’s own.  Anyway, the 6 volt batteries are lighter individually and sounds like you will get this mod sooner than expected.

PamHoward

Sam when we were camping we were running the AC but were plugged in.  When we called NuCamp they seemed to think that the battery is bad.  We have an appointment with the dealership week after next to take it in.  It is still under warrenty and there is also issue with our back window shade that they need to fix as well.  We bought a brand new camper thinking we would not have any problems for a year or two.

Sharon_is_SAM

There have been other “bad” batteries.  Don’t be disappointed with these bumps in the road.  NuCamp is a great company and will take care of your issues.  Keep in mind, any trailer is an assembly of various manufacturer parts that nuCamp can not control.  Things happen to these mini houses that we drag down bumpy roads.  What matters is the customer service you receive when things go awry.  Inquire about replacement with two AGM 6 volts as they did change to that battery arrangement.  AGMs can be laid on their sides if necessary to make them fit.  Also, you will learn a lot about maintenance and repairs as you go along on the forum.  We have all been there and done that and become seasoned Tabbers.  You will, too!

pthomas745

And, batteries are just..possessed.  Acid and lead in a box.  Who knows what goes on in there?

I recently had a six month old car battery just completely collapse.  Pulled out my trusty voltmeter (which I learned to use when I bought my trailer) put it on my Noco charger (which I bought after I bought my trailer) and nothing happened.  It had just died, and I knew it was over.  Brought it back to Batteryworld, and they confirmed it to be wasted, and handed me a brand new one right over the counter, free. 

Who knows?  You can take the best of care of your battery...to no avail.

Verna

Some of the 12V batteries for the 400’s did have defective cells in them.

I do not know exactly why the factory chose to start using the two 6 volt batteries, but I have been extremely satisfied with my dual 6 Volt setup for 3 years with my T@B 320, and I am extremely satisfied with the dual 6 Volt battery setup in my 400. 

Plus, I can lift the individual 6 Volt batteries out IF I could not find a younger back to help me with it .

jkjenn

PamHoward said:
 We bought a brand new camper thinking we would not have any problems for a year or two.

Pam, I am really sorry to hear about your issues. I am sure nuCamp will treat you right. 

As an FYI, I learned, while researching before purchasing that it is not unusual for an RV to have issues during the first year or so, no matter how well they are made. Some FT RVers will even by an RV that is a year or two old to skip working through the problems a new RV might have.

Keep us posted on how things turn out!

PamHoward

Hey I thought I would report back on the battery issue.  We decided to work with Nu Camp directly and they have been great.  We took the huge batter out and tested it.  After trying to charge it with my husbands old battery charger we learned we need to get a Smart Charger.  We charged the battery for at least 24 hours over three days and it finally said it was charged....yeah!  The converter is no longer tripping and hopefully there is no damage.  We are needing to drive two hours to Asheville (the big city for us) so since we are going, there is a state park about halfway. We figured we would be close and we could test it out.  Also, we had an issue about the cords and frame on our back window coming apart.  NuCamp is sending us a new window frame.....yeah!!!  Ron and I both decided that having a camper is a real learning experience! 

Sharon_is_SAM

Big learning curve @PamHoward!  Pays to do your forum homework and learn from our experiences.  Glad the battery is ok and your shade will soon be repaired.

Michigan_Mike

PamHoward said:

Hey I thought I would report back on the battery issue.  We decided to work with Nu Camp directly and they have been great.  We took the huge batter out and tested it.  After trying to charge it with my husbands old battery charger we learned we need to get a Smart Charger.  We charged the battery for at least 24 hours over three days and it finally said it was charged....yeah!  The converter is no longer tripping and hopefully there is no damage.  We are needing to drive two hours to Asheville (the big city for us) so since we are going, there is a state park about halfway. We figured we would be close and we could test it out.  Also, we had an issue about the cords and frame on our back window coming apart.  NuCamp is sending us a new window frame.....yeah!!!  Ron and I both decided that having a camper is a real learning experience! 

Glad to hear your battery decided to cooperate and wake up.  There is a little trick that can be used to revive dead AGM batteries and this video tells you how it's done.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Slqd73ZOQvI

ScottG

@PamHoward, some chargers--including some smart chargers--will not charge a battery that has been depleted below a certain voltage. (I'm sure there's a reason for this, though it remains out of my pay grade.)

As you have probably already deduced, you'll want some means of monitoring/checking your battery voltage. Symptoms of a battery that is aging or damaged include settling in at a lower voltage after a full charge, not holding its voltage as well in a no-load condition, and discharging more rapidly under load.

These changes can be subtle and incremental. However, once you start monitoring your voltage you will get a sense of what is normal and whether something is changing. You are very right about it being a learning experience!

Whatever the cause of your original problem, hopefully the battery has survived the insult and will continue to provide good service for a while. Hauling that thing in and out of the 400 sounds like quite a chore!  :-p

BigGrover

Just wondering, what your battery charge indicator was showing in the T@b when this occurred?  While camping I am in the habit of using the monitor to check all the levels - black water tank, gray water tank, battery charge level and fresh water level  usually once each AM and PM.