Battery Not Charging: Troubleshooting Tips

We received a question from an RV Repair Club member asking why their RV battery wasn’t holding any juice after a full charging cycle. While the problem of an RV battery not charging typically stems back to one common issue, there are a handful of other possibilities. So in this lesson, we do a little troubleshooting demonstration to explain what’s happening when an RV battery isn’t maintaining its charge and teach you how to troubleshoot to find a solution.

To help you get your RV battery back up to full capacity, Dave Solberg teaches you how to troubleshoot a faulty battery by first diagnosing your specific problem and then making the correct fix. As Dave mentions, there could be a few different causes if you discover a battery not charging properly on your RV. Most often, though, battery capacity depends on the type of charging cycle you conduct prior to operation.

With this idea in mind, Dave talks about the difference between a static fill (which can lead to sulfation, deteriorated terminals, etc.) and a multi-stage charge. He also gives you tips for testing battery capacity and describes what you should do with one/both of your battery’s solenoid(s) when a 25-amp draw reveals the battery has zero charge. Heed Dave’s advice, and you will show your RV batteries the TLC they deserve!