Battery Use - Hi-Lo camper travel trailer forum

PappaP · 03-21-2012, 07:17 PM

I have recently became a new owner of a 1999 Classic HiLo model 29B. I had been researching different popups for awhile and finally made the plunge on the HiLo and think that I will be more than happy I did in the future.

Anyways, my question is about the Battery use. I have the roof mounted solar panel, that I believe came standard with the trailer, and if I understand it correctly that is merely for keeping a trickle charge on the battery during storage periods, correct?

Second part of question, is the Battery only used for raising and lowering the HiLo or should it also provide enough power to operate other components inside the trailer? Like would I be able to use lights or the water pump etc... if I was dry camping?

Thanks in advance for any responses.

JackandJanet · 03-21-2012, 07:22 PM

Yes, the battery will run the lights and water pump too. Possibly, it might last two days if you minimize electrical usage. But, you'll find you'll need a generator to keep the battery charged if dry camping for longer than that.

- Jack

PappaP · 03-21-2012, 07:34 PM

Wow, that is probably the quickest response I have ever gotten from a forum! Thanks Jack.

The reason I was asking is that it seems that my Battery may not be holding a deep enough charge to operate anything. Unless I am missing something, like another power switch? I am able to operate the lift up and down and the tongue jack up and down, but I am not able to operate anything else in the trailer, like lights etc...

JMDoering · 03-21-2012, 07:52 PM

Pappa,

Since this Hi-Lo is new to you and you haven't experienced its performance history, I really suggest you take it to competent auto or trailer electrical specialist and have them check the solar trickle charger, its regulator, and also the battery(ies). Even if all is well, at least you'll have a baseline evaluation with which to judge future performance.

I bought a second hand Hi-Lo and after one use was suspicious of the condition of the battery. Had it checked and found out that the solar panel had failed and that the battery had a bad plate.

You wrote "battery," so I'm assuming your Hi-Lo came with only one. When I replaced my bad battery I went ahead and bought two. My battery box had the space and I wanted the "longer legs," an extra battery would provide. Haven't regretted to extra expense for a second.

Finally, if you plan to do a bunch of dry camping, check out the HTF library... a number of good threads have been written and posted that give great ideas for how to conserve battery power.

Congrats on your new purchase and welcome to the HTF!
Jim

JMDoering · 03-21-2012, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PappaP

The reason I was asking is that it seems that my Battery may not be holding a deep enough charge to operate anything. Unless I am missing something, like another power switch? I am able to operate the lift up and down and the tongue jack up and down, but I am not able to operate anything else in the trailer, like lights etc...

There is a three-way switch adjacent to the lift switch. The positions are: camping - towing - lifting/lowering. Sorry, but without looking at my actual switch, I can't remember which position is which. Yes, when the switch is in the lift position, it does cut-out other non-critical loads. In the "camping" position its supposed to cut out the lift system. "Tow" position is only supposed to power the reefer. I have noticed that ours isn't quite that perfect.

Since my switch acts a bit funky, I recommend you seek out the written facts in the HTF library, in one of the Owner's Manuals that have been saved there.

Jim

retiredcamper47 · 03-21-2012, 08:32 PM

The 3-way switch should be in the up position to operate the lights and water pump, middle position for towing, and down position for raising and lowering.

Bob

RichR · 03-21-2012, 10:31 PM

If you get a new battery make sure to get a deep cycle battery for best performance and battery life.

This 2001 manual should cover your 1999. It may answer some questions. http://www.hilotrailerforum.com/f49/...2001-hi-lo-23/

campthewestcoast · 03-22-2012, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PappaP

I have recently became a new owner of a 1999 Classic HiLo model 29B. I had been researching different popups for awhile and finally made the plunge on the HiLo and think that I will be more than happy I did in the future.

Anyways, my question is about the Battery use. I have the roof mounted solar panel, that I believe came standard with the trailer, and if I understand it correctly that is merely for keeping a trickle charge on the battery during storage periods, correct?

Second part of question, is the Battery only used for raising and lowering the HiLo or should it also provide enough power to operate other components inside the trailer? Like would I be able to use lights or the water pump etc... if I was dry camping?

Thanks in advance for any responses.

Check voltage with volt meter on the output leads of the solar panel. Most likely its a low wattage for battery maintance. If you look at buying new batteries, get 2 6volt deep cycle batteries wired in series to get 12volts. You will get a longer run time or amp hours.

JMDoering · 03-22-2012, 01:25 AM

If you go with the two 6 VDC batteries in series, be sure to measure the depth of your battery box to make sure they will fit.

Jim

DebW · 03-22-2012, 04:20 AM

PappaP

Check with the guys at J&R Repair about your solar panel working. We also had a problem with ours last year for the first time since new and can't remember what they called it but whatever it is it's located on the outside of the camper behind the fridge grate. Take the fridge grate off and this thing is mounted on a piece of wood. Hubby isn't here so can't ask him what it was called anyway we replaced it and the solar panel now works again. I'll find out what this is called and post when I talk to hubby.

Deb

PappaP · 03-22-2012, 01:36 PM

Thanks to everyone of you for your responses, it is greatly appreciated. Yesterday after my initial post I had done a little more research, I think it was in the 2001 Hilo manual in the reference library where I had seen the explanation of the power switch being in the up position to allow power during camp mode, that was not really explained when I purchased the trailer from its previous owner, he had only explained having it in the down position for raising and lowering and then put it in middle to eliminate draining the battery power.

Anyways, many of you confirmed this being the possible issue and thanks for the quick responses. I will be bringing the trailer to the house today from out of storage and check it out further.

And I have already been reading up about upgrading to a two battery system in the future for longer dry camping periods.

Thanks again to you all,
PappaP

JackandJanet · 03-22-2012, 09:18 PM

I put an additional battery in my trailer for that very reason too, since we mostly "dry camp".

- Jack

PappaP · 03-23-2012, 12:51 PM

To follow up, the issue was the power switch not being in the "up" position to work on DC for camp mode.

But, I had left the frig on DC mode with the frig fan on overnight, the only other item running was the Fantastic fan above the queen bed, and this morning came out to a dead battery.

Most likely if I was dry camping the frig would probably be running on propane though.

On my 1999 model 29B, the battery and hydraulic pump is located in a storage box just to the left of the entry door. It does not look like there is adequate space to add another battery in that compartment. Unless someone out there has experience with adding or modifying this battery storage someway? I would like to hear your ideas.

Thanks again,

campthewestcoast · 03-23-2012, 02:02 PM

PappaP,

Can you post some pictures of the battery box location and the front and back of your trailer?

sting32 · 03-23-2012, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PappaP

To follow up, the issue was the power switch not being in the "up" position to work on DC for camp mode.

But, I had left the frig on DC mode with the frig fan on overnight, the only other item running was the Fantastic fan above the queen bed, and this morning came out to a dead battery.

Most likely if I was dry camping the frig would probably be running on propane though.

Thanks again,

Oh yeah, look around in these forums, because lost of posts, about how you can cause your tow vehicle's battery to be dead, if you leave fridge on and hooked to car that is NOT running and charging the battery(s).

You might understand why, the fridge uses a high watt heating element that heats a "tank" area of an amonia based solevent that cools the icebox/fridge on camper type fridges... but that is the neat part with these 3 way fridges, propane will do the heating very cheapley, when boondocking, and DC is to keep it cooling while traveling, AC the nights before you leave & some campgrounds that you know have AC as part of the camping spot..

THe fridge keeps cold, using propane pretty cheaply, at least when new/working correctly. ALso you SHOULD ALWAYS have the trailer parked pretty "level" when fridge is being "run" which is technically "buring" especially if on propane --> and is a hazard at gas Stations.

IT is better to be as close to level, it has to do with blocking the path that the circulation of the amonia, and causeing HUGE problems. When a trailer is moving down the road, it bounces enough to keep fluids moving like they should, at least, if not they'd have to make it so you cant do it, right?

Rolff · 03-23-2012, 05:19 PM

We almost always dry camp and have a single 12V deep cycle battery in our 22 ft '95 towlite. We use battery lanterns if we sit in the trailer longer than a half hour in the evenings and if we aren't running the furnace we can go for 7 days on it. I now carry a second fully charged deepcycle battery in the truck with us. If we drain the first one I swap it out. The second battery is also my spare in my boat.

JMDoering · 03-23-2012, 07:02 PM

We found some LED under counter lights in an outlet mall store. They cost us about $7 each, each fixture has five LED bulbs in each of three of gimbaled lights. They were an easy install under the hanging cabinets and I hung them close to the existing cabin lights. They take six AAA batteries each.

When dry camping, instead of the installed cabin lights, we use the AAA battery run LED lights. I estimate we conserve over a 1/2 day's charge on our trailer batteries. One set of batteries lasted almost the entire camping season. In September I finally had to replace the batteries in two of the fixtures... they never did go dark, just too dim for reading.

In terms of dry camping and conserving battery power, I like the idea of installing LED bulbs in the existing cabin light fixtures. What I don't like (yet) is the cost of quality reliable 1156 size LED bulbs!

So check your local outlet mall!

Jim

Rolff · 03-25-2012, 02:11 PM

I agree with Jim on the LEDs. I ordered several from DealExtreme and when they got here I had clicked the wrong size. What an idiot. Luckily I sold them on Craigslist for a net loss of just $7.

PappaP · 03-26-2012, 02:47 PM

One other thing I found out was that once the battery is dead it will cause your brake controller to come up with a "no trailer connected" condition. I had thought that maybe I had blown a fuse but after checking all the fuses were good. I started to go into trouble shooting mode, checked the voltages out of the TV connection and they were good, so I was thinking maybe some wires lost connection on the trailer. I was running short on time and decided to take the trailer back to storage and after a few miles driving my brake controller started to show up as if the trailer was connected again. Then it dawned on me that "doh" I had ran the battery dead the night before.

Lesson learned, don't run the battery dead.

PappaP · 04-29-2012, 07:05 PM

Just following up on my battery issue. I was still wondering if my battery is indeed good or going dead. So I took it into Interstate Batteries and had them check it out, (it is a Deep Cycle Interstate Battery). The battery was showing only 11.26V when I checked it before taking it to them. This was due to the Master switch being left on when I took the trailer into camping world to have the hub bearings repacked the previous week, partly my fault because I didn't double check it before dropping the trailer back at storage site.

Anways, Interstate had to keep the battery overnight to charge it and said the next day it was not holding a charge. I explained to them I had to wait a few weeks before I could work the battery in the budget and then I was told that the battery was not at the level of voltage to necessarily make it bad but it had been charging over night and was not at the level to indicate it was good? If that makes sense? So when I got home I checked it before installing back in trailer and had 12.26V and also when I checked my battery panel inside it stated that it was at full charge, which I have not ever seen read that level on the battery panel. So, I left the trailer connected overnight to AC power and was going to check out fridge and a few other things the next day. The following day I measured the battery and it read 12.9V and the battery panel showed it was just under half charge.

So the question is, is there a reliable way to test out the battery to determine if it is holding the proper charge. The trailer has a solar panel as well, but not real sure if this is operational as well. Just wondering if part of the battery issue was due to leaving the master switch on and giving a false indication, as well as the possiblity of Interstate battery just wanting me to purchase a new battery when its not really needed?

Sorry kind of long winded thread reply but trying to make it understandable to someone reading the post. I attached a few pictures showing where the battery is located and there is not really room to add a second battery as desired.