Battery question in the 400

Alan
Alan Member Posts: 120
in Battery/Electrical & Solar
As expected, when hooked up to shore power the installed battery health indicator shows 4 lights and a plug-in meter shows 13.7+/-. When I unplug from shore the indicator goes to 1 and the meter is in the 8 something. Have I somehow killed the battery? We have only had the 400 for a couple of months. When attached to our Tacoma the indicator and meter are showing good charge.mostly I wonder how people boondock if the battery acts this way.
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  • skwhee
    skwhee Member Posts: 246
    @Alan

    Ugh! Sorry this happened to you. Sounds like a battery failure, Warranty at nüCamp should be able to help you with this.

    Contact warranty@nucamprv.com 

    Let them know the details of your situation including your location and your near term travel plans, but do not expect a reply until Monday. Until then isolate the battery. You can use shore power but you will not be able to use the refrigerator while towing. Hope it doesn't totally mess up any travel plans. Again, sorry this happened. Keep us posted.
    Steve and Karen Cullowhee, North Carolina 2008 Ford F150 --2018 T@B 400
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  • SteveK
    SteveK Member Posts: 17
    Do you have the battery disconnect switch turned on?  Also check the battery fuse (should be located near the battery itself).  Total battery failure on a new battery is highly unlikely, especially if the dealer demonstrated battery operation during your walk thru.  Try measuring the battery voltage right on the battery terminals.
    2018 TAB 320 S and 2017 Honda Ridgeline RTL-T
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  • ScottG
    ScottG Administrator Posts: 5,655
    @Alan, when you are on shore power or connected to your truck, the voltage you see reflects the output of the T@B's or the trucks alternator. In that situation, it tells you nothing about the state of charge of your battery.

    When you disconnect those external power sources, then what you see is what the battery is providing. There are lots of variables, but regardless, 8V is pretty low, and you are right to suspect battery damage.

    Make sure you have charged the battery fully. You can do this with the on-board converter, though if you have a good standalone charger I would use that. After charging, measure the voltage at the battery terminals with the battery disconnected. A good battery should charge up to ~12.8V, and maintain a charge of >12.6V for several days in a no load state.

    A rapid decline in battery voltage after removing the charger is a symptom of a failing battery. I suspect this is what you will see, but you may get lucky! 
    2015 T@B Max S (320)
    2015 Nissan Frontier SV V6 4x4
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  • skwhee
    skwhee Member Posts: 246

    @Alan

    Excellent information here. Thanks @ScottG and @SteveK. 

    Going through all these troubleshooting steps is necessary. Ultimately though you have probably experienced battery failure. This Discover battery is an excellent design, the reason nüCamp chose to use it in the T@B400 model, but it appears that there has been a problem with storage conditions at the supplier between the Discover factory and nüCamp. Your description fits the pattern of the couple of instances of which we are aware. 

    Keeping the battery isolated will protect other equipment in the unit from damage caused by low voltage until a replacement battery can be installed and still permit use of shore power. It's an aggravation but the warranty folks at nüCamp will make it right!

    Steve and Karen Cullowhee, North Carolina 2008 Ford F150 --2018 T@B 400
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  • Alan
    Alan Member Posts: 120
    Does this mean I should put the battery switch to off/bypass?
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  • skwhee
    skwhee Member Posts: 246
    Yes

    Steve and Karen Cullowhee, North Carolina 2008 Ford F150 --2018 T@B 400
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  • AMac
    AMac Member Posts: 75
    edited September 2017
    Alan said:
    Does this mean I should put the battery switch to off/bypass?
    Is the bypass position with the long side of the switch oriented vertically? 
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  • Alan
    Alan Member Posts: 120
    No, it is horizontal 
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  • skwhee
    skwhee Member Posts: 246

    This is the Green/On/Connected setting. Rotate it to the Red/Off/Disconnected setting to isolate the battery. The Off position is usually used when storing the trailer without connecting it to shore power or a trickle charger to protect the battery from discharge from phantom loads. Also in situations like @Alan is dealing with, to protect other electronic equipment from low voltage from a damaged battery. 
    Steve and Karen Cullowhee, North Carolina 2008 Ford F150 --2018 T@B 400
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  • AMac
    AMac Member Posts: 75
    Thanks @skwhee! I couldn't see the green until I saw your photo!
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  • AMac
    AMac Member Posts: 75
    @Alan how was your battery issue resolved?
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  • Alan
    Alan Member Posts: 120
    Not yet sure. We completed our 2 month trip and dropped the camper off at the dealer to do warrantee stuff and general maintenance.
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