Battery not charging when driving.

LauraRey · June 2017

I was surprised when I arrived home to find the battery was significantly drained. I'm pretty sure this must be user error. My seven-pin tests as working fine. I had the battery switch set to on. The fridge was set to battery. Thoughts? What did I do wrong? The only thing I can think of is to run a check on the fuses.

Newfisher · June 2017

What is the Amp output of your alternator? There are several threads regarding the 3 way Norcold eating batteries while towing. My newer group 31 drops to half life in a 2hr trip. Solution is larger alternator or remove the Norcold and go with a Truckfridge or ARB. Some have success towing in the LP position , but tow vehicle aerodynamics may blow out the flame on the front.

dmerzbac · June 2017

@LauraRey The same thing happened to me on a recent camping trip. When I got home from Chattanooga, the battery was definitely on the low side. I tow with a Ford Escape, so I'm wondering if I'm not getting enough amp output from the alternator as @Newfisher mentioned. I guess I could travel with my cold foods in my Coleman cooler, and then leave some ice blocks in the refrigerator to cool it down. Or I could travel with the propane on, but I would rather not do that.

LauraRey · June 2017

I'm towing with a Ridgeline, which I believe has a 150 amp alternator. I'm definitely going to put some frozen bottles of water in next time.

atlasb · June 2017

I also can,t keep the battery charged on the trip home (3 way Norcold) We purchased the coleman 12v ice less and pre cool it at home and then also use the frozen Ice packs until the 3 way gets cold to transfer.

Sharon_is_SAM · June 2017

Best to pre-cool and put frozen milk jugs in it to keep it cool. Turn it off in route. Consider getting a Yeti or ARB for very long distance travel.

crampshaw · June 2017

The charge line from the tow vehicle may not keep up with the 12v setting on the 3-way fridge. Nor will it effectively recharge a depleted battery unless you drive all day (without the fridge on). Even with a high output alternator on the vehicle. The problem is that the alternator's output is controlled by the tow vehicles' battery and that charges up real fast after starting which turns down the charging output to the trailer.

One exception to to this is a Ford tow package that uses a second alternator on the engine exclusively for recharging the trailer battery and whose output is controlled by the trailer batteries. Expensive tho. seems like an electronic equivalent might be possible but I haven't found it.

ScottG · June 2017

LauraRey said:

I was surprised when I arrived home to find the battery was significantly drained. I'm pretty sure this must be user error. My seven-pin tests as working fine. I had the battery switch set to on. The fridge was set to battery. Thoughts? What did I do wrong? The only thing I can think of is to run a check on the fuses.

If you are getting power at the 12V charging pin on the tow vehicle plug, and your battery is connected, and your fridge is cold, than a blown fuse is unlikely to be the source of the problem.

It's possible--but also unlikely--that the 12V charging wire in the trailer pigtail is broken or disconnected. That would force the fridge to run exclusively off the the T@B battery.

As others have noted, this is common issue. While your alternator seems sufficient, I've noted that alternator ratings usually reflect a relatively high engine RPM. At more typical cruising speeds, the output is considerably lower, not to mention that a chunk of that power is needed to run the vehicle systems. I wonder if that is at the root of so many T/V's being unable to keep up with the fridge.

mickietucs · June 2017

Had that same thing happen first time I picked up and drove home. Immediately checked the fuse and sure enough, it had blown. Put in a new fuse and have been good to go since then.

drpprmt · June 2017

This is a real issue with me. I have had RV's with refrigs. since they used ice, and used them on propane while traveling and have never had a problem. Either this refrig is not suitable for RV use or there is an issue with installation. In this day and age it is unacceptable to have this problem. The only response from the factory is read the instruction book that states to use the refrig on 12V while traveling. Great...you get the book AFTER you purchase the unit! I certainly hope there is enough complaining about this issue to get a solution; other than laying out even more $$$$$ to replace a new refrig! Unacceptable!

Newfisher · June 2017

^^^^^ Agreed 100% on all accounts. This isnt my first "rodeo" but my first battery draining fridge that doesnt work towing on LP. Sucks

db_cooper · June 2017

Once I learned that the thermostat doesn't work on battery mode (it just runs on high), I switched to propane during travel. Hasn't blown out once, and doesn't freeze the food. We also throw a couple frozen water bottles in and drink the water once melted.

skwhee · June 2017

Just as a double check, your vehicle change wire may need to be connected. We have found that both GM and Ford vehicles do not come from the factory with that wire hooked up. Just because your lights work does not mean that the 7 pin connector is charging your trailer battery while traveling. On our Chev the charge wire had to be landed in the breaker box. On the Ford F150 a relay had to be added. In one case we had our T@B dealer technician check on it. In the other instance we had the auto dealer check when we were purchasing the tow vehicle.

ScottG · June 2017

Having not used the fridge on DC for two seasons, this thread inspired me to give it another try--if only to gather some hard data.

I have a group 27 battery in good condition, and tow with a stock Nissan Frontier with a charge/aux line to the 7-pin plug. When we broke camp the battery was showing >12.4V under light load (fridge running on propane and the usual phantom drain suspects). On departure, I switched the fridge to DC, then drove the ~7.5 hours home at highway speeds with the engine at ~2000RPM. If we stopped for longer than it took to get gas, we turned the fridge off.

I arrived home with the battery showing <12.5V (no load). While certainly not depleted, it was not fully charged as it would otherwise be after such a long trip.

So, while I might opt to use the fridge on DC for a long trip in hot weather, I think I would shut it down within a couple hours of arriving at a campsite without hookups. YMMV depending upon your T/V, driving style, and battery condition!

Rolltide82 · June 2017

I would buy a high output alternator. If you can find an alternator shop that does rebuilding and such. I had one made for my Tacoma. 230 amp....you also have to have bigger guage wiring. Cost me about 500 bucks for alternator new large gauge wire and gel battery. I run a huge amp and many off-road lights and on board air pump. Mine charges finr while towing....however I only camp 45 mins from my house....so fridge not on long..

dsatwork · June 2017

db_cooper said:

Once I learned that the thermostat doesn't work on battery mode (it just runs on high), I switched to propane during travel. Hasn't blown out once, and doesn't freeze the food. We also throw a couple frozen water bottles in and drink the water once melted.

Just out of curiosity how fast do you tow your Tab?

I have a theory that those of us who prefer to drive at freeway speed whenever possible, will always have trouble keeping the propane lit during travel.

In California where I live, that would be 55 if I'm driving the speed limit but I never do mostly 65 in CA and 70+ in other states where it's legal. I didn't have any trouble with it staying lit while driving up to the local mountains. But I couldn't ever get over 60mph on that trip. Didn't have any trouble driving the freeway from San Diego to San Clemente (45 minutes), but there was traffic on the 5 and rarely got it to 65 mph that day. At 70 mph, I can't keep it lit for any significant time. Add huge crosswinds and it's impossible to keep it lit at all. But on a trip like that you only stop every few hours, so it's impossible to know how soon it's actually going out. I have plenty of battery (200AH), so even though my 2016 Sorento can't keep up with the charge, I usually have plenty of battery when I get to camp.

However, my biggest concern is how hot it got running it on 12v across Arizona when the temps were triple digits and that was in early June. We were on our way home and didn't have any raw meat and not much to lose, but the temps got close to 60 degrees in that fridge.

DeeDee · July 2017

This is our 2nd camping season with our 2016. The problem with the (new) battery not charging while driving has just started. It's happened twice. Never an issue with the old battery. Any ideas why that might be? Next trip, I'm not going to turn on the fridge and see what happens.

Ratkity · July 2017

First, get an indicator light and test your 7-pin on your TV. If you are looking at the key on the topside (so it only goes in one way), the power pin is on the right. After you rule out your TV as the culprit, then you have to hunt out the bad ground on your camper. There are several threads that go over where the power pin normally is and how to test why you aren't getting any juice to your battery.

That said, your battery doesn't charge that much while you drive. You can even lose battery charge if you run the 3-way frig on 12V (if you have that frig).

Good luck tracking down your power gremlin!

Sharon_is_SAM · July 2017

I recently read that it takes up to 30 cycles before a new battery settles in and charges the way it should.

DeeDee · July 2017

Ratkity said:

First, get an indicator light and test your 7-pin on your TV. If you are looking at the key on the topside (so it only goes in one way), the power pin is on the right. After you rule out your TV as the culprit, then you have to hunt out the bad ground on your camper. There are several threads that go over where the power pin normally is and how to test why you aren't getting any juice to your battery.

That said, your battery doesn't charge that much while you drive. You can even lose battery charge if you run the 3-way frig on 12V (if you have that frig).

Good luck tracking down your power gremlin!

TV 7-pin tests good. Now to find the wire on the camper.

TulsaTime · July 2017

Try this: Disconnect the battery from the T@B. Plug your tow vehicle to the T@B and connect the 7 way plug. Start your tow vehicle. Running lights and brake lights should work. Turn on any light in the T@B. Most likely it won't work. That is telling you that your tow vehicle does not charge your battery on the T@B. You can alter your vehicle wiring to make it charge but it will be expensive. See other threads by using the search feature.

DeeDee · July 2017

Disconnected from the T@B and checked, bake and signals all worked. 7-pin from the TV check good. I'm thinking its the charging wire on the T@B. Thanks.

ScottG · July 2017

@DeeDee, assuming your T@B is wired similar to mine (2015-S) the charging circuit is pretty simple to trace. All the wires from the trailer pigtail run into a plastic junction box under the trailer, near the front.

The second post from the right connects (among other things) the charge wire from the pigtail to the positive wire from the battery. The first post from the right does the same for the negative wires. The rest of the spaghetti is irrelevant in this case.

Figure out which wire is which, and check both lines for continuity between the trailer plug and the junction box, and between the junction box and the battery. If both are intact and properly connected, your battery should be charging while you drive.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5021717/uploads/editor/oz/ug908f38j7uf.jpg

Michigan_Mike · July 2017

DeeDee said:

The problem with the (new) battery not charging while driving has just started. It's happened twice. Never an issue with the old battery. Any ideas why that might be? Next trip, I'm not going to turn on the fridge and see what happens.

If you are running with the frig on that is the issue and as noted throughout the forum, it's an energy hog and will sap your battery while traveling.

Good luck!

DeeDee · July 2017

I miss typed, I meant off. In the past, we've always traveled with the fridge on battery. It's always worked fine and charged the battery nicely.

DeeDee · July 2017

ScottG, thanks! A picture is worth a 1000 words.

RollingBnB · July 2017

Just because you bought a new battery doesn't mean it's actually good.

DeeDee · July 2017

Found the problem! The charging wire has rubbed against the tv chassis. Wore a hole through to the wiring which had become corroded, as you can imagine. Thanks for all your helpful suggestions.

rkj__ · July 2017

Glad to hear you found the source of the problem.

dsatwork · July 2017

DeeDee said:

Found the problem! The charging wire has rubbed against the tv chassis. Wore a hole through to the wiring which had become corroded, as you can imagine. Thanks for all your helpful suggestions.

Way to keep after it until you found the issue and solution

Ratkity · July 2017

DeeDee said:

Found the problem! The charging wire has rubbed against the tv chassis. Wore a hole through to the wiring which had become corroded, as you can imagine. Thanks for all your helpful suggestions.

w0000h000! Good job

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