We Have No 12 Volt Power In Our Tent Trailer

by Philip Wolfe
(Nags Head NC)

I have a 2002 Rockwood Freedom with a Centurion cs3000 converter. I am having a problem with the 12 volt system. I have no 12 volt power to anything. I have an on board battery also to run the 12 volt system. The 12 volt systems will not work at all even when plugged into the 110 system.

Anyone have any ideas?

We do have 110 power going to the converter and have power off the battery. All the trailer lights work but none of the 12 volt accessories in the trailer. We have checked all the fuses and breakers.

ANSWER: Greetings Philip thanks for submitting your question on our Ask An RV Question Page.

I have a gut feeling that you have accidently hit the battery shut off switch in your Tent Trailer. Look inside your trailer and see if you find a switch marked "Battery Shutoff". When that switch is turned off no 12 volt power reaches the inside of your Tent Trailer whether you are plugged into 120 volt electric or not.

Special Note On Tent Trailers Some Tent Trailers including the Freedom have an Automatic Safety Switch that turns Off 12 volt current when the roof is in the closed position. If this switch has malfunctioned you will not have any 12 volt power to your Tent Trailer until it is repaired or replaced. I urge you to look at your Owner's Manual to verify if your particular model has one of these switches.

If you do not find a battery shutoff switch, carefully check around the battery box of your trailer to see if you have any switches, loose wires or in line fuses there.

Check all the wiring leading from your battery to the inside of the trailer for a bad ground or loose connection, etc.

If you still do not find a switch, you need to methodically check the inside of the Tent Trailer for hidden fuses or breakers look inside all cabinets, closets, etc. You would be amazed where some RV Manufacturers hide fuses and circuit breakers.

This next one is a long shot but still check for any GFCI electrical outlets you might have. These outlets look just like a normal electrical outlet except they act as a circuit breaker. They only control 120 volt electricity, but if for some reason your converter is on a blown GFCI Circuit it may not be working even though you say it is.

The GFCI outlet has two buttons on it. One button is a test button and the other button is a reset button. If you run across one of these outlets press the reset button and see if that resolves the problem.

I assume that when you say that all the lights on the trailer are working you are talking about the exterior lights on the trailer such as marker lights, tail lights, etc. Those exterior lights are powered by your tow vehicle.

Everything I am assuming here is based on your statement that the 12 volt battery on your RV is charged. If you are not sure that it is fully charged or if it is receiving a charge from your converter then you will need to take it in and have it looked at by a Certified RV Technician.

I hope that this information has been helpful to you.

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Happy RVing

RVing Al

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