Dingy battery dead.

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billnapoleon

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Jan 7, 2013
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I have an InvisiBrake system installed on my 2015 Jeep Wrangler. I have a Manual battery disconnect on the Wrangler. For 3 years the system worked flawlessly with my 2013 Winnebago Vista F53.
We recent traded the Vista for a 2012 Tiffin Allegro RED. On our recent trip from Northern California to Florida, the last few 5-7 hour day drives have drained the Dingy battery to where I have to use my jumper box to start the Jeep. I drive with the headlights or parking lights on to trickle charge the dingy battery as recommended. The only thing I see different between the gasser and the diesel is that whenever the exhaust brake engages
The InvisiBrake brakes the dingy brakes. This actuated the InvisiBrake much more often in some situations. This did not happen on the F53 gasses when the tow/haul transmission brakin engaged.
Any ideas, is the lower rpm diesel not putting out enough charging to the dingy? Tomorrow I am getting a new battery for the Jeep, maybe it's just getting old.
 
Run a charge line from the 7 pin connector on the RV to the toad's battery.
or

Have the ECI on the engine reprogrammed to not turn on the stop lights when engine brake is engaged.
 
Or simply install one of these. https://rvibrake.com/pages/towed-battery-charger-faq We have one under the hood of each of our towed vehicles. Simple to install, pretty cheap ($50 IIRC) and very reliable. No more dead batteries.

Kev
 
At a guess, the new coach either doesn't have the +12v pin on the plug wired in or it is not working, so charging of the dinghy battery from the coach isn't happening. However, it could be just old tired dinghy battery.  Check the +12v pin on the tow connector to find out if it has power.

I drive with the headlights or parking lights on to trickle charge the dingy battery as recommended.
Click to expand...

I've not ever heard of running with lights on to help with charging, nor can I imagine why it would be necessary.  May I ask whose recommendation that is?
 
If your exhaust brake is actuating your towed brakes you might want to reduce the sensitivity of the invisibrake.  Should be easy to do depending upon where you mounted the box.

 
Kevin Means said:
Or simply install one of these. https://rvibrake.com/pages/towed-battery-charger-faq We have one under the hood of each of our towed vehicles. Simple to install, pretty cheap ($50 IIRC) and very reliable. No more dead batteries.

Kev
Click to expand...
That's what I have.  Like Kevin said, easy to install and compensates for extended time running the compressor on the RVi2 auxiliary brake we have.

On the park light thing - I would supposed technically that if the toad lights are fed by t-tapping into the toad running lights and turn signals, then turning on the running lights would back-feed into the toad battery.  There is nothing to stop it really (no diodes, etc), but you have to be careful with the vehicle computers allowing any MH current to backfeed into the toad.  All of my toad lights are powered from the MH, but isolated from the toad via diodes that won't let power feed back through.
 
WILDEBILL308 said:
Like Gary I am curious who told you that.
Bill
Click to expand...

I have heard of it... The INVISI-Brake or is it "invisible brake" system. this is how it keeps the battery up. Far as I know this is teh ONLY system that takes charge current frm the tail light circuit.. Since this circuit is both fused and limited. I for one do not trust it.

Since the system is "invisible" I am assuming the person who posted of leaving headlinghs on forgot it.. one of the things I like abut that system is "INSTALL and Forget" but as I said I do not trust the "Tail light charge" method.
 
Far as I know this is teh ONLY system that takes charge current frm the tail light circuit..
Click to expand...

I'm somwhat skeptical of that too.  The Invisibrake wiring diagram shows that power for the brake unit comes from the 12v battery on the toad (dinghy). It also has a connection to the motorhome stop/tail/turn lighting, but that appears to be mostly for control purposes and to energize the toad's own stop/tail/turn lights.  However, the Invisibrake manual does say that it provides a "trickle charge" from the light circuit. From the Operator manual:

 
Turn the motorhome park lights on - this will activate the InvisiBrake charge circuit, which will provide a constant trickle charge to the vehicle?s battery during towing.
Click to expand...

In any case, since the OP changed coaches, his Invisibrake is plugged into a different system and the first step is to verify whether the wiring was changed over properly. For example, if the new coach has separate stop and turn signals while the previous one had integrated stop/turn, the wiring to the toad may need some revision.
 
I installed a device called a Toad Charge. It is actually a battery maintainer, and it works really well. No more dead batteries. And not too expensive either. Look it up.

Bill
 
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