Battery system not working 2022 2970RL

[Charlie0712]

So I’ve been boondocking for the past two days and everything worked. I got to my next location and the battery system isn’t working at all. Once I hook to shore power, everything works except my stabilizer jacks and fridge when I turn the battery disconnect off. I’m assuming something is shorted out but no fuses that I’ve checked have been tripped or broken. I did fill the fresh water tank for boondocking and emptied it before driving today and it was the first time I’ve used that but nothing else has changed. Any advice on where to check is greatly appreciated. It’s a 2022 imagine 2970RL.

[Cate&Rob]

If I read your description correctly, turning the battery switch On causes the 12V system to malfunction. Turning the battery switch Off allows most 12V things to work. I would suspect a bad battery. When the switch is off, the converter takes over and powers everything that connects to the battery through the switch. Start by checking voltage across the battery terminals (with the switch off). . . I would expect this to be very low and if so, replace the battery.

Rob

[Country Campers]

The stabilizer jacks, slide out, and possibly fridge will not work with the disconnect in the OFF position, it will need to be turned ON by pushing the key in and turning to the right. If the key can be removed it is OFF.

Brian

[Charlie0712]

Right. When the switch is in the on position for the key to be able to come out it is bypassing the batteries all together aonly using shore power. Everything but the fridge and stabilizer jacks works in that situation. When the key is in and turned to off, going through the battery system, then nothing works. I have the solar panel and the inside converter charge box thing also has no power.

[Country Campers]

The battery switch ON means the key is pushed in and turned to the right so the key can not be removed. This should allow battery power to all things in the RV that are on that circuit. Follow the wires from the battery to the trailer frame. There will be a fuse near the area where the positive wire connects to a post, check this fuse and any others you find, it should be red plastic in line fuse holder.

Brian

[Charlie0712]

I also just went out and checked that battery level and both batteries are showing -12 or more. Why are they showing negative? Did they kill themselves somehow? And if I just replace them will that get the fridge and stabilizer jacks to work again also? Or do I have two problems that happened at the same time?

[TedS]

Reversed meter polarity.

[Charlie0712]

Right but I have them plugged in correctly. So did the batteries change their polarity? And if not then what is happening? The solar charge box now gives a red light which when looking up says batteries are dead. So that’s my guess? The camper is less than a year old so just surprised that would happen already or did I do something for that to happen?

[Country Campers]

Right but I have them plugged in correctly. So did the batteries change their polarity? And if not then what is happening? The solar charge box now gives a red light which when looking up says batteries are dead. So that’s my guess? The camper is less than a year old so just surprised that would happen already or did I do something for that to happen?

Dry camping for a few days on 2 deep cycle batteries is asking alot from them. You may have damaged them. The reverse polarity mentioned above may have meant you had the meter leads on the wrong posts or wires on the batteries, red lead is positive , black is negative. I would disconnect the wires from the batteries, make sure to take a picture so they get back in the right place, and check the battery voltage individually and let us know what they are.

Brian

[Sandridge4]

In my old TT (non GD) the battery disconnect had to be in the position that the disconnect key could not be removed for stabilizers, tongue jack etc to work and also charge the batteries.

[Charlie0712]

So I went and had the batteries tested and one was bad. I got a new one and the same is still the case. I took out the new one and only the new one and still nothing. I disconnected the solar system and still nothing. I’m at a complete loss on what else to check. The fact that the batteries don’t work at all is one thing. And the other is that when on shore power everything works except the fridge and the stabilizer jacks.

[Cate&Rob]

It is quite possible that power for the stabilizer jacks and fridge bypasses the battery switch. If so, there will be separate wiring and fuses for these on the tongue of the trailer. The fuse for the fridge might be behind the fridge (it was on some models). The fuse for the stabilizers should be on the tongue.

From your messages, I am not sure that we have a common understanding of when the battery switch is turned “On”. This is pushed in and turned clockwise so that the key cannot be pulled out.

Rob

[howson]

So I went and had the batteries tested and one was bad. I got a new one and the same is still the case. I took out the new one and only the new one and still nothing. I disconnected the solar system and still nothing. I’m at a complete loss on what else to check. The fact that the batteries don’t work at all is one thing. And the other is that when on shore power everything works except the fridge and the stabilizer jacks.

As Rob suggests, look for something amiss in the auto-reset breaker area. Could be a wire, a bad breaker, or even a bad case of corrosion.

Below is this area on my 315RLTS in the OEM configuration (YOURS MAY BE DIFFERENT BUT SIMILAR). On a TT it's right behind the front "A" frame, typically on the street side.