Supplemental Breaking System

[ppworld]

I have a iRV2 Braking System that is powered by the auxiliary power supply in a 2015 F-150. It appears that the power supply is shutting down to preserve the battery even though I've connected the car batteries to the MH during towing to keep the car batteries charged. Any thoughts on how to address this issue....the owners manual for the F-150 is not very helpful.

[MSHappyCampers]

Hi ! Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined the gang!

Sorry I don't know anything about that!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

[Gary RVRoamer]

What is the actual battery status when the shutdown occurs? Is it actually somewhat discharged (voltage below 12v)? If so, have you determined why the line from the motorhome is not keeping t charged up? Without some knowledge of how that motorhome connection is wired to the F150, we can only guess...

If the F150 battery is not discharged, i.e. shows 12.6v or more, then it would seem the power shutdown is a false alarm condition and needs to be investigated as such. I can't help with that - do not know any specifics about F150 wiring and auxiliary power.

[knightstorm]

The charge line from the motorhome will keep the toad battery charged and is probably working. Many vehicles power off their auxiliary power outlets when the vehicle is powered off for a period of time to protect the battery. You can install an outlet that is powered from a circuit that is not powered off - RVI sell a kit for just this purpose.

One of my vehicles had two positions for the auxiliary power outlet fuse, one of which kept the outlet powered at all times. I don’t know how your Ford is set up.

[PanJH]

Originally Posted by knightstorm

The charge line from the motorhome will keep the toad battery charged and is probably working. Many vehicles power off their auxiliary power outlets when the vehicle is powered off for a period of time to protect the battery. You can install an outlet that is powered from a circuit that is not powered off - RVI sell a kit for just this purpose.

One of my vehicles had two positions for the auxiliary power outlet fuse, one of which kept the outlet powered at all times. I don’t know how your Ford is set up.

That's what happens on my F-150 , just not sure of the time-- probably about 20-30 minutes. I don't use it for the brake system as I have an M&G, but have observed it happening when I plug in my cell phone charger.

[fottip]

Originally Posted by ppworld

I have a iRV2 Braking System that is powered by the auxiliary power supply in a 2015 F-150. It appears that the power supply is shutting down to preserve the battery even though I've connected the car batteries to the MH during towing to keep the car batteries charged. Any thoughts on how to address this issue....the owners manual for the F-150 is not very helpful.

Yes, a '15 F150 shuts everything off after a short period for power conservation.

I don't tow our F150 - I tow a '17 Jeep Wrangler, and to ensure my aux brake power doesn't get interrupted, I use a totally independent power source - Jump n Carry.

Works fine, and the Jeep doesn't know it's there.

[CWSWine]

Originally Posted by fottip

Yes, a '15 F150 shuts everything off after a short period for power conservation.

I don't tow our F150 - I tow a '17 Jeep Wrangler, and to ensure my aux brake power doesn't get interrupted, I use a totally independent power source - Jump n Carry.

Works fine, and the Jeep doesn't know it's there.

My 2017 Jeep Wrangler has accessory plug in the center console that is wired direct and never shuts down. I have run by Blue Ox Patriot off that plug 24 hours a day for 3 days and never run the battery down nor shut off.

[fottip]

Originally Posted by CWSWine

My 2017 Jeep Wrangler has accessory plug in the center console that is wired direct and never shuts down. I have run by Blue Ox Patriot off that plug 24 hours a day for 3 days and never run the battery down nor shut off.

I just didn't see any advantage to using the Jeep's limited battery capacity for towing, when it's not being recharged, if I can make fully-capable external power supply available. It's about redundancy.

[CWSWine]

Originally Posted by fottip

I just didn't see any advantage to using the Jeep's limited battery capacity for towing, when it's not being recharged, if I can make fully-capable external power supply available. It's about redundancy.

Like I pointed out above I have towed for 3 days without disconnecting and left the Blue Ox plug in 24 hours a day without draining the battery and that's without a charge line from the coach. I see it as one more thing to carry and that needs to be keep charged, plus finding a way to secure it so stays plug in in case of accident.

[Lt Dan]

Originally Posted by CWSWine

My 2017 Jeep Wrangler has accessory plug in the center console that is wired direct and never shuts down. I have run by Blue Ox Patriot off that plug 24 hours a day for 3 days and never run the battery down nor shut off.

Same thing here. I used a RVI2 system for three years powered off of the center console outlet. I've also towed for 3-4 days in a row without starting the Jeep and the battery never ran down. The RVI brakes only run the compressor occasionally to build air pressure, they don't pull power constantly.

[fottip]

Originally Posted by Lt Dan

The RVI brakes only run the compressor occasionally to build air pressure, they don't pull power constantly.

Yes, they do. It has no internal power supply, and it pulls enough power to stay in communication with the hub in the RV. Otherwise, the tablet couldn't be used to change settings, etc.

[fottip]

Originally Posted by CWSWine

I see it as one more thing to carry and that needs to be keep charged, plus finding a way to secure it so stays plug in in case of accident.

OK. I see it differently. I see it as a stand-alone, independent auxillary power source which can be useful in a variety of ways, given that, in addition to its ability to jump-start a vehicle, it has both USB and 12V power receptacles. If "one more thing to carry" mattered to me, I wouldn't even be RVing, which requires carrying lots of things, many of which are strictly in case of emergency. And when it's in the Jeep doing its job, it's as secure as the RVi3 itself; it's not going anywhere.

[walt2137]

Originally Posted by ppworld

I have a iRV2 Braking System that is powered by the auxiliary power supply in a 2015 F-150. It appears that the power supply is shutting down to preserve the battery even though I've connected the car batteries to the MH during towing to keep the car batteries charged. Any thoughts on how to address this issue....the owners manual for the F-150 is not very helpful.

There is a free program on a F150 forum called Forscan that you can download and reset the items in your BCM you will need a OBD2 to a USB that can be found on ebay, it is a long read but its wort it if you have a newer F150
Go here
https://www.f150forum.com/f38/forsca...ations-349018/

[fottip]

Originally Posted by walt2137

There is a free program on a F150 forum called Forscan that you can download and reset the items in your BCM you will need a OBD2 to a USB that can be found on ebay, it is a long read but its wort it if you have a newer F150

I agree that Forscan is a valuable resource. Someone on the F150 forum took a lot of time and trouble to put together a tutorial on how to use it. I bought an "OBDLinkMX Bluetooth" interface to use with it, available on Amazon. The OBD interface connects to my laptop via bluetooth, eliminating the need for a USB cable connection.

There are caveats: There are some settings in the BCM that CAN'T be reset, and some that can break your truck if you do it wrong - similar to bricking a cellphone.

On the specific issue of the truck's aux power shutting down, my experience has been that I was able to extend the time before it shuts down, but I was not able to set it to stay on indefinitely.