New owner 2001 2619 TrailManor

[Joe1963]

Hi. We are new owners of 2001 2619 Trail Manor and have a few questions.

• The owner's manual seems to imply the lights can run off the battery, but I have not figured out how to do this. Does anyone know if this is possible and how to make it work?
• The refrigerator is supposed to be able run off of AC, Propane and DC, but the selector knob is stuck on AC. I'm guessing it might need a little lubrication, but how do I get to it?
• Most of the bag seals, especially the roof, need to be replaced. I found a video that shows how to do it, but the trailer is shown disassembled. Is there a way to replace seals without disassembling the trailer?

 

[Bill]

I'm assuming that as new owners, you don't know if these things were problems when you bought the trailer, so we have no history to build on.

The interior lights can indeed run off the battery. We need a lot more info, so a few questions to get started.
o Have you confirmed that the battery is indeed connected? There are 3 wires - black (or short red) to the battery positive terminal, and a white one plus a bare copper one to the battery negative terminal.
o Have you checked the water level in the battery? Have you checked the battery voltage, assuming you have a meter of some kind.
o Have you checked the main battery fuse, which is in the +12 VDC power line about a foot from the battery's positive terminal?
o When the lights fail to work, is the TM plugged into shore power, or running purely on battery?
o Are all lights failing, or just the ones in the rear shell ceiling?
o Are any other 12 volt devices failing? For example, do the fans run?

As for the refrig switch. Assuming there is no visible damage, a good first step is to get a spray can of Dry Lube from any hardware store. Any brand will do. Get a can that has a nozzle or straw of some kind. Remove the knob (pull it off if it will come) and spray a generous squirt into any and all openings in and near the switch including under the knob, with the idea that some of the liquid will soak into the mechanics of the switch. Wipe up any drool with a paper towel as it happens. Try to work the switch for a few minutes. If that doesn't work, there may be internal corrosion. Get a can of electrical contact cleaner and repeat the above.

What make/model refrig is installed in your camper?

Let us know what you find. We will go on from there if needed.

Bill

 

[Joe1963]

So, I found the problem with running the lights off the battery. Someone installed a light switch inside the battery box to cut off the power. I'm assuming that is not standard issue. Also, the battery box had water up to the top of the battery, which I'm assuming came in through the vents at the top. There seems to be some debate on whether or not to drill drainage holes in the bottom of the box. Any opinion on that?

 

[Kidkraz]

Wow, that household light switch is not definitely not the correct shutoff. There's other options for a cutoff switch. Who ever installed that was creative, but...just wow.
You can drill drain holes on the bottom of the battery box. Inspect the whole box, if there's cracks on the cover, it might be best for a replacement to include some of the wiring and connectors to the battery.

 

[Bill]

Joe -

KidKraz is right. The light switch is rated to carry only 15 amps AC, and the TM battery circuit is fused for 30 amps DC. (DC is harder to shut off than AC.) So it is not even close to right.

As for the battery box, I'm a bit leery of drilling drain holes. The purpose of the box is to contain battery acid if the battery is damaged. If the acid drains out, whatever is below it may be damaged. The box is supposed to have a waterproof cover to keep water out in the first place. I would suggest replacing the box, making sure you get one with a cover. They are not expensive.

Finally, I would bet the battery is toast. It has clearly been completely submerged. The acid has probably been fully diluted by the water that rose over the top. All that orange stuff is corrosion from the connectors where the diluted acid flowed out of it. It looks to be years old, and I can't imagine it will even hold a charge.

My suggestion is that you save yourself a lot of headaches and start from scratch. Get a new battery - a plain old Group 24 lead-acid battery from WalMart will get you started off fine. It is what the dealers install. Get a new battery box - WalMart is good again - and strap it down with a nylon strap. Clean up the battery connectors with a wire brush. Get rid of the light switch. And hit the road with confidence.

Bill