Why are my batteries not charging?

[eRoadTrek]

Hi all,

I've got a 2008 RoadTrek 210 Popular that I've owned since Sept. 2 months ago I set out on a road trip. I've had repeated electrical issues and I'm at a loss at this point. First, it was a loose connection on TrippLite. Tech fixed that. Then it was bad batteries and another loose connection. So new batteries were installed a week ago. Everything worked until a few days ago when suddenly it won't charge at all. It's like the TrippLite thinks the batteries are fully charged and just shuts off. It's not indicating it's charging on the monitor panel either. So, tech swapped out the Tripp Lite for exact same model and it's still not charging. We've run out of ideas.

[markopolo]

For an '08 210, the Roadtrek Electrical Simulator - http://www.metrotrekkers.org/utility/electrical.htm - shows two things to check:

#1 The Battery Switch needs to be ON (and working) for the monitor panel to work.

#2 There is a Circuit Breaker between the Tripp Lite and the Coach Battery that should be checked.

[booster]

Originally Posted by markopolo

For an '08 210, the Roadtrek Electrical Simulator - http://www.metrotrekkers.org/utility/electrical.htm - shows two things to check:

#1 The Battery Switch needs to be ON (and working) for the monitor panel to work.

#2 There is a Circuit Breaker between the Tripp Lite and the Coach Battery that should be checked.

I agree on those two items as a starting point. Especially the circuit breaker which are known to fail when the get that old.


If those items check out OK, then the 3rd one I would recommend would be to just hook up the charger to a different battery as a standalone to determine if the charger works or not.


If the charger works, you are back to looking at the van wiring for loose connections, etc.

[yogi22]

My problem was different, but may be related.
My engine battery stopped charging. Turned out that disconnecting the solid state isolator cured that problem. (one lead went to the alternator). I kept the house battery charged with a 100W solar panel while I did research.
I settled on the continuous-duty solenoid for $18.99.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/bestseller..._bs_15731411_1
It did take a fair amount of headscratching to hook it up so that it only activated with the ignition on, and to wire in automatic reset circuit breakers, but I had fun, and So Far, So Good.
If the problem is in the isolator, this will work.
Ken Kennedy
London, ON
2007 RoadTrek P

[Dave0718]

Once on my SMB a device which I think called battery separator went bad and the batteries would only charge from land line, not from engine. Replacing with new and all was well.

[booster]

I don't think this could be related to the separator as the OP is talking about the shore charger not charging. They did not mention AFAIK if the batteries would charge off the alternator.

[yogi22]

I wrote "isolator". I probably should have said "separator" but I couldn't come up with that word, and I'm still a little fuzzy on the difference. Either will work, as long as they're serviceable. I recall from my research that failures of my (former) type of separator were not uncommon.