Sure Power 1314 Recall - FYI

UglyScout

UglyScout

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Sep 1, 2010
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Location
Newberg, OR
I just had my 6 month old Sure Power model 1314 Battery Separator fail, it wouldn't stay closed so all the driving in the world wasn't charging my camper battery. Which lead to a dead battery after 3 days of running my 12v fridge and 2 nights of heat. Anywho - in emailing with the company it was determined mine is part of a very recent recall. The recall involved the separator over heating and possibly catching fire!! YIKES!

So check your campers - I know FWC uses them from the factory and they are super common for the DIY guys...

Here is the notice I received from Sure Power.

They handled my emails very fast and offered me a refund or a new one. No questions asked, no giving me the run around as if I didn't know what I was talking about. They are a local company to me and I've used there stuff for 20 years - so I am sticking with them and getting a replacement.
 

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Thanks for the heads up. I checked mine and it isn't in the recall. Nice to know about the company policy.
Dsrtrat
 
Just checked mine.It seems to fall within the numbers.I e-mailed the co.Now waiting for a response.Thanks for the heads up.I have had no problems with mine that I have noticed ,it works like it should but don't want to take any chances.I have an alternative charging source (solar) so if it failed during a trip as long as there was no damage I could still have my battery charged.

Frank
 
So I just got off the phone with Sure Power. No replacements available until September....doesn't help much when you are leaving in a few days. I requested a refund, which for my model is $80.00. Does anyone have any ideas on another brand that I can get fairly rapidly?



Cort
 
Okay sorry for all the updates guys but I just found this unit:

A local supplier had a Newmar BI-100 (PN 490-4345)

This is a repackaged Surepower unit and they call it a battery integrator not a battery separator. On the outside of the Newmar box I found these numbers 1315NM, which matches one of the model numbers on the Sure Power recall. This model number is not listed on the unit itself making it hard to identify that this unit is actually made by Sure Power and could be recalled as well. I was able to find one outside recall range. I Thought folks would want to know about this since its easy to miss.

Cort
 
Just received my response from Sure Power,stop using and send back NOW.So what do we all do? Use the unit,find a new one as Cort has found out that the other units seem to be the same?This becomes a problem when most of us plan to use out campers before september.

Stan,Marty what do you suggest?

Frank
 
A quick search and found that the 1314-200/1315-200 might be a replacement.Don't know much about all this just looking for ideas.Will check with the company in the morning and see if that is a replacement.These aren't on the recall list.I'll post what i find.

Frank
 
If the manufacturer has deemed there is enough of a problem to warrant a recall, it will have a timeline of immediately (i.e. NOW!). They can't very well advise you to keep using it until it is convenient for you to replace it. If your camper burns down before you got around to replacing it because they said take your time, even though it is a known hazard, that exposes them legally.

You have to make your own judgement to the risk/reward ratio choosing to continue to use it. So you can replace it now with soemthing else or choose to wait.

I bypassed mine in favor of a truck mounted automatic charging relay unit.

You could wait to replace it when stock is available this fall and unplug your cable to the truck bed power receptacle, then it will be turned off and present no problems when you are not looking. Plug it in temporarily when you need it and can monitor it for your peace of mind.
 
Just received my response from Sure Power,stop using and send back NOW.So what do we all do? Use the unit,find a new one as Cort has found out that the other units seem to be the same?This becomes a problem when most of us plan to use out campers before september.

Stan,Marty what do you suggest?

Frank


I've been speaking with Jeff & Marty at All Terrain Campers over the last couple of days. Obviously not every single separator is bad or we would have been hearing horror stories for years but ATC feels, as do I, the prudent plan is to follow Sure Power's recommendation to stop using the separator now. ATC found a distributor for the Newmar unit (a re-packaged Sure Power unit) in the Bay Area but they are out of stock and that Newmar is almost 3 times the cost of the Sure Power unit. Sure Power claims that they will not have replacement separators until September but it remains to be seen how they will be able to handle the volume of the recall. In the meantime ATC will be going back to the method of using a solenoid and thermal breaker until Sure Power irons the situation out.
 
Make sure you check the S/N if you buy a Newmar unit (see my previous post). My Newmar unit was only $20.00 more than the Sure Power. My suggestion is to check Marine suppliers...especially smaller outfits as they are less likely to have lots of turn over on these units so the chances that they will have an older unit that is not recalled is higher.

Cort
 
If the manufacturer has deemed there is enough of a problem to warrant a recall, it will have a timeline of immediately (i.e. NOW!). They can't very well advise you to keep using it until it is convenient for you to replace it. If your camper burns down before you got around to replacing it because they said take your time, even though it is a known hazard, that exposes them legally.

You have to make your own judgement to the risk/reward ratio choosing to continue to use it. So you can replace it now with soemthing else or choose to wait.

I bypassed mine in favor of a truck mounted automatic charging relay unit.

You could wait to replace it when stock is available this fall and unplug your cable to the truck bed power receptacle, then it will be turned off and present no problems when you are not looking. Plug it in temporarily when you need it and can monitor it for your peace of mind.



I agree not looking for any dangerous problems.Explain the automatic charging unit please,where to get one and what they are.

Thanks Frank
 
I'm going to just run without the separator for the rest of the summer and straight wire the truck charge line to the camper battery. I'm really not at risk of draining my truck batteries in the summer now that it is finally warm enough to not need the heater.

It will charge all the time - which will be better than not charging.
 
I'm going to just run without the separator for the rest of the summer and straight wire the truck charge line to the camper battery. I'm really not at risk of draining my truck batteries in the summer now that it is finally warm enough to not need the heater.

It will charge all the time - which will be better than not charging.


Possible downside is the camper battery will be connected when you start your engine. That means a big load transient, more concern is the current draw temporarily attempted down your camper wire and connector. Not likely a problem for most people, but something to consider. Smaller wire has higher voltage drop, so will naturally self limit the current as long as the starting battery can supply the need. If you have a weak starting battery, your camper battery may try to supply the missing current and stress your wiring or connector. If you have not properly fused the the camper wiring to protect the weakest link (possibly your connector of choice, not always the wire size, or a crusty connection) you might melt the wire insulation and cause a short or at the extreme a fire.

- Mike
 
I agree not looking for any dangerous problems.Explain the automatic charging unit please,where to get one and what they are.

Thanks Frank


Automatic Charging Relay (ACR), Battery Combiner, Voltage Sensitive Relay (VSR)

These are really the same things, different name. A solenoid, relay, or solid state switch that has circuitry to monitor the startng battery side voltage (or both sides in some models) and when the voltage rises above a setpoint like 13.4VDC, will close the switch and parallel both batteries.

The idea is the starting battery must be reasonably charged by that time (high enough voltage achieved) and so it is OK to connect the house battery and start sharing charge voltage with it.

When the engine is turned off, the charging stops, the voltage on the system will drop below a setpoint such as 12.8VDC and the switch will open separating the 2 batteries. Now a camper load will not drain your starting battery or reverse.

Diode isolator types have no switching, but introduce more voltage drop permanently into the system, limiting your max charge voltage at your battery. They must also dissipate heat through a large finned housing.

Marine units are explosion proof and corrosion protected by being packaged into an enclosure whcih adds cost. The Surepower unit is open frame with a minimal cover and thus is lower cost. Same operation though.

I use a Blue Sea System marine unit that has built in current limiting to 60amps for the camper side wiring for extra protection and is a solid state switch with low voltage drop. My preference for my application, same results. This just illustrates that you can find a solution in the marine stores as well as 4x4 and RV outlets.

There are several marine and 4x4 offroad units on the market. Most on the store shelves are rated for 100-200 Amps, with bigger ones for 350amps or more using larger solenoids such as for the 24VDC banked battery systems on large craft. A 100amp unit is quite fine for our application.

Some sample marine unit limks
http://bluesea.com/category/2/productline/overview/387
http://www.marine-electronics-unlimited.com/Blue+Sea+7600+CL-Series+BatteryLink+ACR+s.html
http://www.hellroaring.com/battery1.php (this is a popular offroad/RV brand)

This one is educational and happens to use the Model 7600 CL BatteryLink version unit I use:
http://bluesea.com/viewresource/59

3 versions compared:
http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/document.do?docId=142&title=Three+ACRs+from+Blue+Sea+Systems
 
Possible downside is the camper battery will be connected when you start your engine. That means a big load transient, more concern is the current draw temporarily attempted down your camper wire and connector. Not likely a problem for most people, but something to consider. Smaller wire has higher voltage drop, so will naturally self limit the current as long as the starting battery can supply the need. If you have a weak starting battery, your camper battery may try to supply the missing current and stress your wiring or connector. If you have not properly fused the the camper wiring to protect the weakest link (possibly your connector of choice, not always the wire size, or a crusty connection) you might melt the wire insulation and cause a short or at the extreme a fire.

- Mike


I did consider it but I am using the factory 12V+ wire to the factory 7-way RV trailer plug from Chevy which is hot 100% of the time. If it was at all risky I'd be a member of a class action lawsuit by now :D The 12V+ is fused at the truck at the factory power distribution center.

I should test it when starting to see if I get any sizeable reverse flow though.

I have seen a truck melt wires, when trying to charge a deed battery after being jump started, so I know what you are talking about.
 
OK.I had a talk with Judy at Sure Power and will get refund on the 1314 separator .They will not replace that model with the 1314-200,for reasons she didn't want to discuss . ie the different model is a more expensive part.She did refer me to the Smith Auto Electric co from Yakima ,wash. I talked to Jim Smith about this issue his recommendation is to use the 1314-200.He said he has had comments with Sure Power about this issue and that the 1314/1315 models are a problem and that they should not be in use.

Having said all this I just ordered the 1314-200 from ASE Supply Outlet. The cost is $111.00 including shipping.Bought done.
When it arrives I will remove the 1314 model and return it to Sure Power for a full refund.
If anyone is in this same position you need to contact Judy @ Sure Power for the UPS return label.
I went this route because I wanted to have the same simple connection that I now have.Didn't want to fuss with different wiring and such.

I want to thank ugulyscout for bringing this issue to us.I am sure there are other WTW members that this affects and hope all this will help.

Camp safe contact smith auto smithae.com or 509 453 8275 ask for Jim

Frank
 
Thanks, sounds like 1314-200 is the solution. Did Judy say what the refund would be?

Is Smith Auto the same as ASE? Guess it doesn't matter, but if Jim was helpful might as well send business his way.

Thanks for your help.
 
I found my Sure Power is within the recall serial range as well. Unfortunately, being on the road right now I'm not in a position to remedy it - so I guess we'll be running the risk for a while until getting settled down in BC. I think I'll have enough down time (without camping) to collect a new part from Sure Power directly when they become available. I hope being Canadian (in Canada!) isn't a pain, like if it often is in these situations.

Good advice here, and thanks for bringing it to everyones attention.
 
Has anyone heard anything from FWC on this issue? We have a 2010 Hawk and are concerned about it as we are about to head out for a month long trip. Does anyone know where I would look for this surepower unit in the camper?
Michael
 
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