No one wants a dead car battery. It’s the worst. Further insult is when you get to your destination and your car, which is attached to your RV for towing, is dead. The first time it happened we thought it was our fault. We were checking into a military recreation area where you had to show ID and proof of insurance at the gate. By time we completed the process our car had been sitting without the benefit of the trickle charge for 30 minutes. Luckily, there was a maintenance worker who came along so we did not have to unhook the RV to turn it around to jump the car.
The second time it happened was a few weeks later. We were driving down the I-35 near San Marcos, TX when the brake lights for the car went out. We got off the highway and saw that the car had a dead battery again. Even though we were at a gas station no one would help up with the jump. We had to disconnect the RV, turn old girl around to jump the car. I thought it must have been my fault because I attached the wire. I was kicking myself for not taking proper care in preparing the car for towing.
Our very next trip it happens again. I tripled checked all the attachments myself. Donna even checked behind me. The car lights go off again but this time on I-10 in Houston, TX. (I think you can see the theme. This mess only happens when we travel through big cities.) We make it safely to our destination. We know we have an issue. There are two main suspects – the car battery or the cable that connects the RV to the car which runs the lights and trickle charges the car battery.
Our next call is the RV Tech to help us figure this out. First, he checks the car battery. It is not perfectly charged but she is holding her charge so we quickly rule that the car battery is still good. It should be. We purchased a new battery for the car right before we left Georgia for good. That battery is six months old.
He then moves onto checking the connections between the RV and the car and the cable. When he picked up the cable he asked if it was new. We stated we bought the entire towing package new six months ago. He puts one end near his ear and shakes. We can all hear the tickling noise. It seems that one of the screws has come loose. He pops the end off and low and behold we have two loose wires. He tightens the wires down and all is well. We took of the next day for a 250 mile trip. We made it to our destination with a car that would crank.
Suspect #2 – cable that attaches to RV and car. The metal end that attaches to the car is where our problem occurred.
We now know what to check and how to fix it if this happens again. Have any of you experienced this issue?