Winnebago View 7-pin power problems

[dave5131]

I'm towing a 2024 Ford Maverick behind our 2025 View. Had the roadmaster invisibrake system installed professionally. We've had huge problems with the Maverick battery completely draining after a 3 hour drive with pretty limited braking. I've found tons of postings about this but I thought I'd start at the source and test the 7-pin outlet on the RV first using a voltmeter.

This morning I couldn't detect any voltage at all. Ran out to get a cheap circuit tester to try and come at this from another angle. The tester indicated everything was working perfectly. Of course, my voltmeter now also showed a clear reading! I figured I'd leave things a few hours and try this again. Sure enough, I go back to the vehicle and the 7-pin is completely dead again!

Any thoughts as to what might be causing this? These intermittent problems are a bear to track down. I'm suspecting some type o computer glitch.

Cheers

Dave

Did they install any cutoffs at your fuse box? They did for mine. If not, that is likely what is draining the battery.

 

[DaveU]

Quick update on this problem. I really appreciate all of the helpful responses.

I took the Maverick back to the place that installed the Invisibrake system and they installed a dedicated charge line from the 7-pin to the 12V battery. My understanding is that without this charge line the system will 'steal' some charge using the running light power supply, but in some TOADs this isn't enough to maintain the battery. The Maverick Hybrid clearly falls into this category!

Like many Maverick owners, I'm also having separate 12V battery issues. I've done a lot of online research and it appears a recall Ford issued around 12V batteries was related to a manufacturing defect that affected the battery model installed in the non-hybrid versions of the Maverick. While the 12V in the Hybrid model, which is the only Maverick model that can be flat towed, is not defective, it appears to be of poor quality. It won't show up as being defective if tested. Like many Maverick Hybrid owners, I've started getting regular messages in the FordPass app saying some services are being disabled to preserve battery life. Some people resolve this by replacing the Ford battery. Others have suggested that Ford is aware of the situation and has been working on a software fix for a long time - Ford dealers are apparently reluctant to mention this, if it's true, but the alleged issue is that the battery management system is prioritizing charging the main hybrid battery and short-changing the 12V battery.

I'll try to post another update in the future. My plan is to resolve the ongoing low-battery issue, which happens regularly even with the Invisibrake system completely disconnected. Once I have a battery that is capable of staying charged with normal daily driving, I'll test use it as a TOAD with the new 12V charge line.

For now, I'd definitely suggest anyone considering using the Maverick Hybrid as a TOAD should get a dedicated 12V charge line installed if they're using the Invisibrake or similar braking system.