Raising it up with dead batteries

[Mrtoner]

Both batteries are about 8 years old and seemed to be holding a charge, but now with hot weather they have decided they don't want to play any more.

Problem is, they totally died with the unit down, and I need to raise it to access the battery box. I have a 17RK.

I can just barely lift the battery box cover enough to access the front terminals. I tried jumper cables from my Tahoe, and got nothing. I suspect dead cells in both batteries, so I somehow have to go direct to the power lines to the trailer itself.

I can't manually jack it up because the hydraulic pump is BEHIND the batteries, and I can't pull the batteries until I jack it up.

I am going to put a charger on it all night and see if I can get enough to raise the top.

Any other thoughts are welcome....

 

[JackandJanet]

Is there any way you can disconnect one (or both) of the battery cables from the batteries? If so, you could then apply your jumper cables to the disconnected cable and to the other cable (or to both cables if you could get them both off).

I think your problem is that the batteries are so bad they were taking all the power you were delivering from the jumper cables and leaving nothing for the lift motor. Disconnecting at least one of the cables takes the batteries out of the circuit and connects you directly to the "power lines" as you desired.

MAYBE, if you have any luck with the charger, it will recover the batteries enough to get things moving though.

And, from your post it seems you don't have the "manual" lift option in your trailer?

- Jack

 

[Mrtoner]

I agree the batteries are toast and I suspect at least one dead cell.
However, since the batteries are connected in parallel, I can only access the opposite terminals, leaving one battery in the chain at any time.
I need to access the power lines without going through EITHER battery. I am getting a stuttering sound - I believe that to be the solenoid just not getting enough voltage to engage.

I really wish I could access the manual lift feature. As I mentioned earlier, it is INSIDE the battery box behind the batteries.
It is ONLY accessible when the top is up, because the forward section of the top comes to rest on top of the battery box. see pic.
When this is resolved I might but connections to the battery terminals where I can clip on jumper cables without raising the top.

 

[Mrtoner]

Well, doh! I maneuvered the trailer so i could plug it in and at least try raising through the converter.

It was slow at first, but lifted up, so I am all better now.

BUT, I think some terminals to connect jumper cables when the top is down might be good preventative steps.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Bravada]

I had the same problem. I had to plug into electric and some time that wouldn't work. I did put a new battery in and still had the problem. The problem was solved with two new wires and a circuit breaker.

I was very frustrated not knowing what to do or where or what to do next.

Hopefully, you'll be able to save a little time. Good luck!

 

[Mrtoner]

Interesting!

So were the breaker and wires corroded? How did you know the breaker was bad?

Which breaker is this?

thanks

 

[JackandJanet]

It was probably one or both of the breakers in the battery compartment. They likely had corroded terminals if the top lifted slowly. If they have failed, the top would not raise at all. (A circuit breaker either works or it doesn't; it's a simple, ON/OFF switch.)

- Jack

 

[dnbndnb]

So I have an older HiLo and have the same dead battery problem.

Under the trailer there is a bundle of wires heading back out of the battery box in a now "dying of age" plastic tube. One of the wires is a thicker red wire, a thinner red wire, a yellow wire and I forget now if there are more. If I tapped into the thicker red wire and grounded to the frame, and chance I could be charging my batteries?

 

[renoites]

I believe that the wire bundle you refer to is the wires to the lift switch/drop.
There is a relay on mine just before leaving the battery box. it goes to the switch.
This has nothing to do with the charging of the battery.

Don't tap into anything on your trlr. Use a multi-meter to check where it goes and what it does. That thick red wire is likely HOT, and grounding to the frame will just make sparks!
I also have an older trlr. Use caution, as melting down your electric is time consuming and very frustrating.

 

[hilltool]

I replaced both my batteries this spring. had to use the manual pump to raise it enough to get cables on it to get it up. I place my batteries , in opposite directions so I can get access to a negative and a positive by just getting a bit of the front flap up on my battery box. None the less, after replacing the batteries the top would not raise without a jump. After running all the sensible diagnostics the problem came down to one positive cable , though it felt solid, was not making adequate contact with the post. I just didn't have the nut torqued enough on the connector. lesson: never assume the obvious is ok until you have checked it thoroughly ....Also, I've been telling myself I'm going to rig external posts for five years now. A great idea- I just never seem to get to it.

Rick

 

[Mrtoner]

Pulled out the dead batteries, then jumpered to my truck battery and I still got a stuttering solenoid.

So I went through all the wiring in the battery box, replacing wires with corroded connectors, cleaning terminals, replaced the circuit breakers and eventually installing new batteries.

Once I got into it, I was surprised at the amount of corrosion on various connections. On top of the batteries being old, they weren’t getting a good charge with all the corrosion.

I tested by jumpering again to the truck, and system cycled up and down with no problem. All those corroded connections just made it hard to get a clean circuit. Installed new batteries and everything now works very well.

 

[piperjim]

As I have the chance, I'm treating major electrical connections with this corrosion preventative:

"NOCO NCP2 CB104S 4 Oz Brush-On Oil Based Battery Corrosion Preventative

Stops battery corrosion for the life of your battery.
Oil-based formula that does not dry or evaporate.
Eliminates battery corrosion for increased cranking ability.
Environmentally safe and resistant to reversion, moisture, shock and vibration.
The original formula since 1914, and Made in the USA."

 

[rvranger-HILO]

We have a Towlite 2403, our manual lift pump is in front of the battery. When our battery died I used the pump, 120 strokes to lift top. The higher you go, the more access to battery and longer the strokes. Not fun but it works.

John

Hi-Lo Towlite 2403
Aspen 2007

Equal-izer hitch

 

[SamAZ]

External Battery Connections

I'm glad to hear that you were able to get the top lifted up and surprised to hear that the pump was not accessible with the top section down. I have installed external battery connections from the battery box to just below the tongue frame so that I can connect jumper cables or a jump charger. I was able to weld a bracket to hold a couple of fiberglass electrical insulators with a bolt to connect jumper cables to the battery cables. Works pretty good.

 

[rvranger-HILO]

The hinged portion of our trailer gave me enough room to access pump with a short handle. Eventually it was high enough for me to lift cover to have longer strokes I too have altered the battery so I can charge batteries with top down.


John Fargnoli

2304 Tow-Lite

2007 Aspen

Equalizer Hitch

 

[kimbo@alum.mit.edu]

In the future you could also try charging through the 7 pin connector to the trailer from the tow vehicle. Another positive point is at the breakaway switch.