Chassis and House Battery Disconnect Switches

[tamdle]

Good morning everyone,

I am still learning about my 2016 GT XL 352QS, one of the things that I am trying to look for is the Chassis and House Battery Disconnect Switches, and seems that I could not locate either one. I may be blindsided somehow.

Would you mind to point it out for me if the coach even has any of such thing? I think it should, but if not, I could add one of each, but I certainly do not want to duplicate what already has.

Thanks,
Tam Le

[Iggy]

Tam le
The chassis battery which is the engine battery does not have any disconnect switch.

Now the House batteries do have a switch which is located usually by the entry door with all the other switches for steps and awning.
Here is a picture of my 2012 378TS model and your should be similar.
If the light is on then it is closed and you have 12 volts to the motorhome.
You also have3 to have this on to charge the batteries while driving and when parked and plugged into shore power at the campground.

[tamdle]

Originally Posted by Iggy

Tam le
The chassis battery which is the engine battery does not have any disconnect switch.

Now the House batteries do have a switch which is located usually by the entry door with all the other switches for steps and awning.
Here is a picture of my 2012 378TS model and your should be similar.
If the light is on then it is closed and you have 12 volts to the motorhome.
You also have3 to have this on to charge the batteries while driving and when parked and plugged into shore power at the campground.

That is right, the house disconnect is the switch by the door, shame on me, I used it as habit but keep looking for a RED KNOB.

About the chassis, I will have to install one.

Thank and have a great day,
Tam Le

[Iggy]

Originally Posted by tamdle

That is right, the house disconnect is the switch by the door, shame on me, I used it as habit but keep looking for a RED KNOB.

About the chassis, I will have to install one.

Thank and have a great day,
Tam Le

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.

[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.

[ScottBrownstein]

If you don't run the genny at least every month or month and a half the carbs are susceptible to developing varnish and then they will surge wildly at a later time.

I also seem to recall that Ford recommends actually moving the rig something like 30 feet once in awhile and I assume that is for the transmission and differential lubrication.

Personally I have never done it.

[bubbles]

Just a note. Yes the battery disconnect switch light bar is an indication the batteries are not disconnected when they are the sole source of coach power. However; the light bar in the battery disconnect switch is not an indication of the batteries not being disconnected when shore power/engine/generator is supplying power to the coach (the light bar will illuminate regardless batteries disconnected or not). It could be a false indication that charging of the battery is taking place (battery charging is not done when the batteries are disconnected). Pressing the top half of the switch is the only way (without a meter) to verify. This is predicated on normal operation of the system.

[randman132]

I'll answer that one for him. Twisting a shutoff switch or pulling a shutoff plunger is easier than bruising off the snow, lifting the hood, finding a wrench and disconnecting the battery...especially when the temp is zero outside. I put shutoffs on everything. Likewise, I put a solar panel with a controller on every unit I've owned too and use Seafoam in the fuel tank over the winter. I never have issues in the spring!

[Iggy]

Originally Posted by randman132

I'll answer that one for him. Twisting a shutoff switch or pulling a shutoff plunger is easier than bruising off the snow, lifting the hood, finding a wrench and disconnecting the battery...especially when the temp is zero outside. I put shutoffs on everything. Likewise, I put a solar panel with a controller on every unit I've owned too and use Seafoam in the fuel tank over the winter. I never have issues in the spring!

But original thread is from Houston Texas area and not Colorado.

[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.

[randman132]

Valid point. But still easier all around

[markb422]

Originally Posted by ScottBrownstein

If you don't run the genny at least every month or month and a half the carbs are susceptible to developing varnish and then they will surge wildly at a later time.

I also seem to recall that Ford recommends actually moving the rig something like 30 feet once in awhile and I assume that is for the transmission and differential lubrication.

Personally I have never done it.

Running the gen. at half power has to do with the generator more than the engine. Especially in a humid area the armature and stator can get corroded. I added a fuel shut off valve to mine so I can run it out of gas when shutting it down so the carb will not varnish. You can also use a stabil storage fuel additive to help prevent varnishing. I add stabil even with the shutoff.
Moving the rig also will get the weight off one spot on the tires. Last time I took mine for ride I could tell there was flat spots on the tires until the tires warmed up.

[wrapperman]

Fastwilly to answer your questions I have found the converter to either be close to where the power cord enters the coach or right behind the fuse panel box in the wall. As for the converter fuses they could be located on the converter itself. I have replaced those fuses several time for my friends.
If your converter is out, and you are leaving town, I have been in that spot before, what I did was order a converter on ebay (or Amazon with 2 day shipping) and had it shipped to where I was headed and it was there when I arrived. You should be able to buy one for a little more than a hundred bucks.
Good luck and post what you did to fix your issue.
Safe travels.

[tamdle]

Thanks everyone for educating me. You are great!

My other related question is: When you have the RV external power plug in, I know that it will charge to house batteries, does it also charge the chassis battery as well, or not?

I have my RV plugin to the housing outlet (20amp) so I could run the air unit during summer and the furnace during winter. I know that it charged my house batteries but not sure if it charged my chassis battery or not.

Thank,
Tam Le

[jergeod]

Originally Posted by markb422

Running the gen. at half power has to do with the generator more than the engine. Especially in a humid area the armature and stator can get corroded. I added a fuel shut off valve to mine so I can run it out of gas when shutting it down so the carb will not varnish. You can also use a stabil storage fuel additive to help prevent varnishing. I add stabil even with the shutoff.
Moving the rig also will get the weight off one spot on the tires. Last time I took mine for ride I could tell there was flat spots on the tires until the tires warmed up.

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.

[wahoonc]

Originally Posted by tamdle

Thanks everyone for educating me. You are great!

My other related question is: When you have the RV external power plug in, I know that it will charge to house batteries, does it also charge the chassis battery as well, or not?

I have my RV plugin to the housing outlet (20amp) so I could run the air unit during summer and the furnace during winter. I know that it charged my house batteries but not sure if it charged my chassis battery or not.

Thank,
Tam Le

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

[ilmor]

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

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

[ScottBrownstein]

My personal experience is that chassis batteries are charged when plugged into house power and the converter is running. This is true of my 2015 335 and was even true of my 1997 Fleetwood Bounder. You can easily check it by measuring the voltage on the chassis battery after it has been plugged in for a while, but most Battery Control Centers will bring on the chassis after the house comes up to more than 13 volts.

Perhaps a simpler way to check it is to press the boost start switch after a while. Normally, without the converter running you will hear the solenoid click in as the house is put in parallel with the chassis. However, the BCC uses the same solenoid to bring on the chassis so when you press it you will not hear the click since the solenoid is already engaged. This is the same method that the house gets charged when the engine is running.

[bubbles]

Originally Posted by tamdle

Thanks everyone for educating me. You are great!

My other related question is: When you have the RV external power plug in, I know that it will charge to house batteries, does it also charge the chassis battery as well, or not?

I have my RV plugin to the housing outlet (20amp) so I could run the air unit during summer and the furnace during winter. I know that it charged my house batteries but not sure if it charged my chassis battery or not.

Thank,
Tam Le

If no changes (and I believe there hasn't been) have been made to the Georgetown stable since 2012 then yes the chassis battery will be charged via shore power. The BCC (battery control center) controls the charging by a priority circuit. When the coach batteries are at a preset charge level the chassis battery will also start to be charged.

[markb422]

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.

I use a stabil marine/storage which is supposed to neutralize the ethanol in my chainsaws, and all my engines that sit for a month or so between running.
Both of my portable generators came with shutoffs.
I have also rebuilt a lot of carbs that have sat with ethanol gas in them for extended periods. Green corrosive gunk coats everything inside the carb and all the small orifices are totally blocked with the green stuff.
I try to buy recreation fuel (ehonal free) for my small engines when I can, but if I can't, I add the stabil marine. I also add stabil marine/storage to my MH fuel tank if I know it will be sitting for a month or more without running.