Chassis and House Battery Disconnect Switches

[tamdle]

Originally Posted by Iggy

Why do you have to install a switch for the engine battery?
It isn't needed. If you do not plan to use the motorhome for the winter and it sits for 6 months just lift the positive lead off the battery.

You were right, I could just remove the cable at the terminal end, but with the lever or a knob, I could just cut off the power without any tool, it just a little cleaner.

Thank Iggy.

[tamdle]

Originally Posted by JBP

Why do you need to disconnect the chassis battery? remember that Ford wants you to run the coach engine every 15 days or so. The Ford manual has very specific instruction. Also, the generator needs to be run to 50% load every 30 days. You will get reply's that say that they never do it.
If you can I would suggest that you do.

Thank Jim, I do run my engine often, but sometimes when I am out of the country one to two months at the time, I just want to make sure that I am not ruining the chassis battery.

As for the house battery, the coach is always plug in at my 20amp house circuit to keep the refrigerator and the air unit running during the Texas summer heat and the furnace for the winter cold as well as keep the expensive coach battery charged.

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by tamdle

You were right, I could just remove the cable at the terminal end, but with the lever or a knob, I could just cut off the power without any tool, it just a little cleaner.

Thank Iggy.

You might try one of these. It is cheap and reliable. Connect it to the negative post.

[tamdle]

Originally Posted by fastwilly

Sorry to be jumping in on an others question, but I hope you can help me.
I have a 2000 Fleetwood pace arrow vision motor home. I took it out of storage and brought it home and plugged it in to a 110 V. We live in Minnesota. So I turned on both furnaces and left them run for 3 hours.
My problem is this. The batteries were dead after that. I expected that having plugged in would have kept the batteries up.
I'm guessing I may have a blown converter (ac to dc) or maybe fuses?
where would the converter be located and /or the fuses for the converter be located?
Any help would be very much appreciated.
We are heading out to Florida tomorrow morning.

I am not sure where is your converter is located, but for my coach, it is located right at compartment where my incoming 50amp cable is.

As for my plugin, I do plug my coach to my existing 20amp circuit outside the house with a 10 gauge extension cord and my Progressive Industries EMS-PT50C. With this, I have my 2 furnaces set at 40 degrees F and they both work fine in the last few days when the weather turn cold below freezing point. I also turn on my Artic Pack and put 100 watts light bulb in the low drain compartment where the water pump is. Since I do not want to have my 100 watts bulb run all the time, I did use one of the temperature control plugs that will turn on the power when the temperature dropped below 35 degrees F. It seems to work fine.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[tamdle]

Originally Posted by jergeod

With todays alcohol in the gas you do not want to drain the carb it will leave a white power which will in time plug the orfices in the carb each time you add gas back to the carb. Same thing with fuel injection you never run them dry and leave them for any lenght of time for the same reason.

Makes sense, I also heard about "sea foam" that you could add to your gas tank one in a while to clean the fuel system as well. Have anyone heard about that? Not sure if it works with the big engine or not.

[tamdle]

Originally Posted by wahoonc

Typically the chassis battery is not charged when you are plugged into house power. They do make a little trickle charger than can be wired into the system that will take care of it automatically.

Aaron

Thank Aaron.

[tamdle]

Originally Posted by bubbles

You might try one of these. It is cheap and reliable. Connect it to the negative post.

Thank Bubbles!

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by tamdle

Thank Bubbles!

But if you plan on leaving the coach connected to shore power why would you want to disconnect the chassis battery. I only offered up a disconnect for the chassis battery if needed. Your coach does not need a disconnect for the chassis battery if left connected to shore power. The chassis battery, right along with the coach batteries will be charged. To dispute one post, it is a wrong assumption to say it is typical for no chassis battery charging from shore power. The Gerorgetown does not fall into that "typical" alumni. Maybe I'm missing something here.

[tamdle]

Originally Posted by bubbles

But if you plan on leaving the coach connected to shore power why would you want to disconnect the chassis battery. I only offered up a disconnect for the chassis battery if needed. Your coach does not need a disconnect for the chassis battery if left connected to shore power. The chassis battery, right along with the coach batteries will be charged. To dispute one post, it is a wrong assumption to say it is typical for no chassis battery charging from shore power. The Gerorgetown does not fall into that "typical" alumni. Maybe I'm missing something here.

Bubbles, you were right, if the shore power WILL charge the chassis, then I do not need the chassis disconnect.

I thought about the disconnect just because I was not sure if the shore power would charge my chassis battery.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by bubbles

But if you plan on leaving the coach connected to shore power why would you want to disconnect the chassis battery. I only offered up a disconnect for the chassis battery if needed. Your coach does not need a disconnect for the chassis battery if left connected to shore power. The chassis battery, right along with the coach batteries will be charged. To dispute one post, it is a wrong assumption to say it is typical for no chassis battery charging from shore power. The Gerorgetown does not fall into that "typical" alumni. Maybe I'm missing something here.

I have run across very few motor homes where they chassis battery is charged when it is plugged into house power. They are the exception if they do, and in my experience they have usually been the more expensive DP style. Until the OP tests his and finds out for sure he won't know. I would be surprised if it did.That ~$30 charger that I linked to in an earlier post would cut into the profit margins.

Aaron

[tamdle]

Originally Posted by ilmor

This is a much better idea than a chassis battery cutoff. The chassis battery will still lose power if cut off.

X2 for me too, I just received the answer back from FR, my 2016 GT XL 352QS chassis battery will NOT be charged with shore power, therefore trickle charger may be best for this use.

[bubbles]

This is an excerpt from the BCC document on my GT. Evidently I am wrong as to the charging of your batteries. When I asked FR where my black tank backflow preventer was located they told me it was behind the shower faucet access panel. It is located in the bedroom closet provision for a washing machine. I'm done.

"Interconnect Relay"
Control electronics on the circuit board parallels the coach and chassis batteries with the
interconnect relay. In addition, the batteries can be paralleled with a momentary pushbutton
switch on the driver's console that applies +12vdc to P3-1.
For the purpose of charging the coach and chassis batteries, power for the control
electronics is obtained from the ignition switch and coach battery through diodes D1 and
D2. Underway, when the charging source is the engine generator, +l3.2vdc on the
ignition line triggers the electronics. After a lSsec. delay, the interconnect relay closes,
paralleling the batteries. Should the battery voltage go below 12.7vdc, the interconnect
relay will open after around a 15sec. delay. When the vehicle is parked and on shore
power, when the converter brings the coach battery up to +13.2vdc, the interconnect relay
will close after the 15sec delay, charging the chassis battery as well. As before, the relay
will open when the battery voltage goes below 12.7vdc.