Troubleshooting Battery Bank Drainage on a 40 Foot Gooseneck Trailer

Published 09/01/2023

Question:

I have a 40’ gooseneck with air ride and EOH disc brakes. I have a breakaway along with onboard batteries, my question. My onboard batteries are not keeping a charge, what could be causing this issue?

asked by: William K

Expert Reply:

There are a LOT of things that could be keeping your battery bank from being fully charged:

- Old/worn out battery bank
- Appliances or other electronics being left on
- Damaged wiring somewhere
- Poor grounds
- Charger doesn't exist or isn't working properly

Make sure everything is turned off that could be drawing power and check your wiring. If all of that looks good then it could be beneficial to have the batteries tested to make sure they are in good-working order. You also need to make sure you have a charger installed like the Redarc In-Vehicle BCDC Battery Charger # 331-BCDC1250D because the 12V power on the vehicle and trailer 7-Way connectors only supplies a minimal amount of power so you won't see your battery bank gain a charge from it.

If you can narrow down where the issue is happening I can provide more detailed information on what to look for, but if you aren't confident in what you're looking at then you might consider having a shop take a look at it and fix it for you.

expert reply by: Jon G