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05-12-2013, 03:53 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 5
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Battery disconnect strangeness 2250S
I switched the battery disconnect to 'OFF' and the lights did not work as expected.
I was surprised to find that the awning and slide-out still worked, so I'm not sure what else might be on this circuit. There was no external power hooked up so it is either being powered by the coach or chassis battery. I was going to disconnect the coach battery just to see what would happen but it would be nice to actually have the wiring diagrams which I don't have...
Any ideas appreciated.
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05-12-2013, 04:00 PM
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#2
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Mod free 5er
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Concord, NC
Posts: 24,702
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Quote:
Originally Posted by btwwop
I switched the battery disconnect to 'OFF' and the lights did not work as expected.
I was surprised to find that the awning and slide-out still worked, so I'm not sure what else might be on this circuit. There was no external power hooked up so it is either being powered by the coach or chassis battery. I was going to disconnect the coach battery just to see what would happen but it would be nice to actually have the wiring diagrams which I don't have...
Any ideas appreciated.
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If you are hooked to shore power, they are being powered by the converter. If you disconnect from shore power and the disconnect is off, it should kill all power to the trailer.
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05-12-2013, 04:13 PM
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#3
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Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 5
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Not hooked to shore power, generator is off, chassis engine is off.
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05-12-2013, 04:17 PM
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#4
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Mod free 5er
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Concord, NC
Posts: 24,702
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Quote:
Originally Posted by btwwop
Not hooked to shore power, generator is off, chassis engine is off.
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They have to be getting power from the chassis batteries used to start the engine.
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05-12-2013, 04:38 PM
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#5
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Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 5
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As it turns out, the power IS coming from the coach battery. I unhooked the cable and the awning and slide-out no longer have power - so I guess the battery disconnect doesn't completely disconnect the battery. This is a 2014 model, maybe a new 'feature'? 
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05-12-2013, 04:45 PM
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#6
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Mod free 5er
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Concord, NC
Posts: 24,702
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Quote:
Originally Posted by btwwop
As it turns out, the power IS coming from the coach battery. I unhooked the cable and the awning and slide-out no longer have power - so I guess the battery disconnect doesn't completely disconnect the battery. This is a 2014 model, maybe a new 'feature'? |
Feature or a wiring short cut? I think I would want to at least investigate the possibility of changing the awning to the other batteries, but do see an advantage to the slide out on the coach batteries in case of the other batteries being discharged for some reason or other.
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05-12-2013, 05:21 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 3,570
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Quote:
Originally Posted by btwwop
I switched the battery disconnect to 'OFF' and the lights did not work as expected.
I was surprised to find that the awning and slide-out still worked, so I'm not sure what else might be on this circuit. There was no external power hooked up so it is either being powered by the coach or chassis battery. I was going to disconnect the coach battery just to see what would happen but it would be nice to actually have the wiring diagrams which I don't have...
Any ideas appreciated.
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I believe the slideout because of the load involved uses a separate fused power supply direct from the battery. The electric awning is also direct battery wired with its own fuse, I guess because its often a option and easier to wire this way. No lights or appliances which are in the fuse panel should be operating however with the switch. If they do the solenoid disconnect is not throwing to the open position.
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05-12-2013, 09:10 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: South Carolina
Posts: 1,441
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Quote:
Originally Posted by btwwop
I switched the battery disconnect to 'OFF' and the lights did not work as expected.
I was surprised to find that the awning and slide-out still worked, so I'm not sure what else might be on this circuit. There was no external power hooked up so it is either being powered by the coach or chassis battery. I was going to disconnect the coach battery just to see what would happen but it would be nice to actually have the wiring diagrams which I don't have...
Any ideas appreciated.
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You post really surprised me, too. I thought the battery disconnect separated the coach batteries from the entire system. Our 2011 Sunseeker 3100 (built during August, 2010) is in the driveway for our trip this week, so I went out and checked it. It does exactly as you described. The awning and slide work with no shore power and with the battery disconnect off. Why it is set up this way is a puzzle to me. I can see that this allows you to bring in the slide and awning with the battery disconnect switch no functioning and no shore power, but why? I’d like to hear Forest River’s reasoning for this arrangement.
You may already know this, but in case you don’t, the awning is powered though a fuse and the slide is powered through a circuit breaker in the Battery Control Center, which is behind a panel beside the entry step. This panel gets power from the shore line through the convertor. There is a circuit breaker on the BCC printed circuit board between the convertor terminal and the coach battery terminal on the board.
The battery disconnect switch is directly above the BCC, so I don’t think this was done as a shortcut. It looks like it would have been simpler to run the battery cable to the disconnect switch only instead of to both the disconnect and to the BCC.
You have made me curious. When I have time I will try to follow the cables and find out how this all works.
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05-12-2013, 09:39 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 3,570
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RamblerGuy
You post really surprised me, too. I thought the battery disconnect separated the coach batteries from the entire system. Our 2011 Sunseeker 3100 (built during August, 2010) is in the driveway for our trip this week, so I went out and checked it. It does exactly as you described. The awning and slide work with no shore power and with the battery disconnect off. Why it is set up this way is a puzzle to me. I can see that this allows you to bring in the slide and awning with the battery disconnect switch no functioning and no shore power, but why? I’d like to hear Forest River’s reasoning for this arrangement.
You may already know this, but in case you don’t, the awning is powered though a fuse and the slide is powered through a circuit breaker in the Battery Control Center, which is behind a panel beside the entry step. This panel gets power from the shore line through the convertor. There is a circuit breaker on the BCC printed circuit board between the convertor terminal and the coach battery terminal on the board.
The battery disconnect switch is directly above the BCC, so I don’t think this was done as a shortcut. It looks like it would have been simpler to run the battery cable to the disconnect switch only instead of to both the disconnect and to the BCC.
You have made me curious. When I have time I will try to follow the cables and find out how this all works.
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Just checked some schematics from 2003 Coachmen 32' "C" had same features, slide on breaker from battery. Awning in those days still people powered.
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05-13-2013, 07:23 AM
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#10
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Commercial Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Bristol, IN
Posts: 18,961
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The point of the battery disconnect is to prevent the coach batteries from being drained by a parasitic draw. Neither of those items fall into that area, they only really draw power when someone is holding the switch. We can keep them from operating while in motion and this allows us to have shorter wiring runs to batteries for high draw motors.
This is how its supposed to be wired. No reason to fret.
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05-13-2013, 01:23 PM
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#11
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Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 5
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It would be nice if this was documented in the Owners Manual, there is precious little detail about how the electric systems really work.
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05-13-2013, 01:26 PM
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#12
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Commercial Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Bristol, IN
Posts: 18,961
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It would be nice. I know they're working on a new owners manual, but I'm guessing it will be as generic as the first. It is more of a general manual as opposed to something specific for each floor plan/model. Seems like they're always outdated the second we print them.
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05-13-2013, 01:37 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Posts: 3,570
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by btwwop
It would be nice if this was documented in the Owners Manual, there is precious little detail about how the electric systems really work.
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You really need to find a copy of BCC (battery control center) for your camper. They are all different but stll similar. It will show battery charge circuit, leads to converter, independent power supplies from battery. You won't find schematics but BCC sketches are around. Start with Forum search.
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05-13-2013, 01:39 PM
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#14
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Commercial Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Bristol, IN
Posts: 18,961
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Our BCC mfg prints the board layout on the back side of the panel. That's a start
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