Brand New 2022 Dutchmen Yukon 399ML Battery Question

[TSal]

Hi all!

My fiancé and I recently took a week long road trip to pick up our brand new 2022 Dutchmen Yukon 5th Wheel. It's the 399ML floorplan if that matters. We're hauling it with an F350. We've had the trailer a grand total of three days, and as I'm sure all of you can guess, we're already confused.

The first night we just found a Cracker Barrel to park at overnight and we had lights on just long enough to set up the slideout in the bedroom, sleep, and put it back after breakfast to get back on the road.

The second night we tried to do the same in a Walmart parking lot and had no lights. The slideouts wouldn't work. Ever since we have no electricity. The leveling panel doesn't even light up anymore. We'll be back to where it will be parked in a campsite tomorrow, and we're wondering if our two marine batteries are shot already?

Do the batteries charge at all off of our truck?

Will everything magically work when we connect to shore power and will the batteries charge then?

Did we just get faulty batteries from the dealer and they need replaced?

Of course any other advice will be appreciated.

[Notanlines]

You will need to get your test device and check the following:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/29142802243...0aAuieEALw_wcB
When looking at the diagram on the left, (Truck bumper) the plug labeled 12V+ auxiliary must be hot when the ignition is on. This is probably your problem, batteries are not charging when on the road.
Your owner's manual will list the fuse that must be installed.

[Cora]

Do you have residential frig? That will drain power fast. We have the same battery power issue. We have upgraded batteries and it didn't help. The truck will charge the batteries, but not enough to help the batteries without hooking to shore power. With all the new electronics in the units there is a constant drain on the battery. When we would put the RV in storage for several weeks we would turn the batteries off, but they were still drained because of the electronics still running. The only thing we have found is to disconnect the batteries completely. We have a Jayco Pinnacle 2020. In the battery compartment there are two switches we disconnect (complete battery disconnect) when we aren't going to be using the RV for several weeks then the batteries do stay charged. We will be traveling to AZ in a few weeks. It will take us 4 days and the batteries will be dead 2 days on the road. Since it is winter, we are winterized and will be staying in motels and not hooking up to shore power.
When the batteries were completely dead, hooking up to the truck won't charge fast enough to work slides or landing gear. You will have to hook up to shore power.

[Corm]

I have a 2019 F350. Your charge line (as mentioned in a previous post) is most likely not working. I had my dealer look at it before I took delivery, and they had to put a fuse in the fuse box before it would work. It was explained to me (by my dealer) that Ford ships their trucks without that fuse in place. I tow a Big Horn camper with a residential fridge and don't have any problems keeping the batteries charged, even after boon docking several nights in a row. Just driving during the day charges my batteries fully.

[440scout!]

Tsal I had a similar problem with the batteries getting very low even with the charge working from the trucks battery on the 7 pin power cord.
I resolved it by installing a Renogy 40 amp DC to DC charger from Amazon. The 20 amp model may be on black Friday sale for around $100. and it may be all you need. It will manage how much power goes into your camper batteries not allowing more than the stated amperage which is really beneficial especially if you ever switch to lithium batteries.

[sourdo]

Trying to recharge the house batteries while driving just does not work.

Why? Long wire runs from the front of your truck, the alternator, and to your 5Wh cuts volts down right there. Add all the wiring in the 5W too all adds up to dead batteries.

We do lots of boondocking, dead batteries was common.

There are a couple of fixes, one is to install at least a pair of 100 watt solar panels to recharge in conjunction with the truck, yes you can have multiple chargers running. You might have issues on a cloudy days.

We have 6 100 watt panels feeding a 200 amp 12 volt lithium battery, this runs everything but the A/C. I rarely use the house charger.

Also a DC to DC charger is another option. How those works is beyond the scope of this discussion. I think the solar is the cheaper easiest option. Since your rig is new, it may be prewired for panels.

I hear this complaint often. It is a misbelief that the house batteries can be recharged by driving.