Our trailer is beeping

10-23-2004, 06:39 PM

We have our 2004 TM2720 SL all ready for storage for the winter. sigh....We removed the battery and now we hear a single "tweet" sound coming from the trailer about every 2 or 3 minutes. What do you think is the causing this?

We had this experience when our battery was low and the beeps were steady and rapid, but with no battery attached, what could it be?

Any advice is appreciated.
Thank you,
smookie

**Bill** · 10-23-2004, 06:56 PM

Smoke detector on the ceiling.

Bill

10-23-2004, 07:13 PM

What a speedy reply! That's what I love about this website.

Does that mean my battery needs replacing on the smoke detector? That is what our Fire Dept. says to do when you change your clocks. Just wondering before we open her up once again before putting on the tarp.

smookie

10-23-2004, 07:50 PM

I'd suggest opening it up, removing the "weak" battery", then close the trailer and cover it for winter. Replace the battery in the spring when you are getting ready to use the trailer on a regular basis.

10-23-2004, 08:13 PM

Thanks everyone! Why didn't I think of the smoke detector? DUH.... :-)

Regards,
smookie

10-23-2004, 10:48 PM

We too have experienced the "beeping" smoke detector battery...stored it last year in October in an enclosed area where there wasn't room to open it, and at a location not at our home. We were notified that the trailer was "beeping" and figured out that it was the smoke detector! It beeped all winter, until we took it out of storage in May! Didn't seem to hurt anything if you have it stored where you can't open it so don't worry if you can't get to it. This year we took the battery out with the other winterizing things!

RockyMtnRay · 10-24-2004, 05:56 AM

Whilst I completely agree the cause of the beeping is a low battery in the smoke detector (it's happened to me once), I'm rather dubious of the wisdom of removing the battery "for the Winter".

Unless you put "check/replace smoke detector battery" on some kind of checklist and actually follow said checklist next Spring, I strongly suspect that your trailer(s) will be have non-functioning smoke detectors next year. Come Spring, it's going to be exceedingly easy to overlook the need to put a battery back in the smoke detector. I have quite a bit of experience in human factors engineering and frankly its simple human nature to forget about things that aren't readily noticed/needed.

Also keep in mind the innumerable fire department reports about the high percentage of smoke detectors that are found to be battery-less after house fires. Usually the explanation goes like "well, it was beeping so we removed the battery until we could get a new one and then we forgot".

Over the years I've grown to appreciate the concept behind "one minute managers"...namely you touch a piece of paper once and only once...you finish a task once it is started and don't fall into the trap of putting something aside until "later".

If you use quality alkaline or lithium batteries in smoke detectors, my experience is the batteries will usually last 2 to 3 years. Thus I council that you don't wait "until Spring" to remember to replace this battery...do it now with a quality battery and be done with it for a couple of years.

**Bill** · 10-24-2004, 07:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RockyMtnRay

Come Spring, it's going to be exceedingly easy to overlook the need to put a battery back in the smoke detector. ... it's simple human nature to forget about things that aren't readily noticed/needed.

To make sure it is readily noticed, remove the smoke detector cover and put it in the kitchen sink. Remove the dying battery and lay it in the smoke detector cover. It would be hard to overlook this in the spring.

And you get to start next year's camping season with a brand-new battery, rather than one that is already 6 months old and ready to be changed again when you change your clocks again.

Bill

**dlajoie** · 01-19-2005, 06:39 PM

We covered our 2720SL for the winter and forgot to remove the battery from the smoke detector. I did this last winter as well with no problems. Well, last night it was 14 below and the smoke detector has been beeping ever since. Either the extreme cold or the dry air has triggered it. I was hoping the battery would just die but it looks like it will have to take the snow off and open it up. A really tough 9-volt battery. I"m hoping that the neighbors are not hearing it.

**shunter917** · 01-21-2005, 03:34 PM

I'm betting that many of us (including me) have had this happens at least once. At least I didn't have to shovel snow to get to it!