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Old 03-19-2019, 08:00 PM   #1
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Battery Cut Off Switch Location

I have a new 2019 Coachmen Catalina Trailblazer 29th. I just picked it up 3 days ago and the battery went dead sitting in my drive because the battery was not cut off. Does anyone know where the battery cut off switch is located for this model? Thanks.
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Old 03-19-2019, 10:37 PM   #2
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I have a new 2019 Coachmen Catalina Trailblazer 29th. I just picked it up 3 days ago and the battery went dead sitting in my drive because the battery was not cut off. Does anyone know where the battery cut off switch is located for this model? Thanks.
It likely doesn't have one. Follow the positive lead off of your battery and see if it hits a switch or a circuit breaker first. If it hits a circuit breaker first, you don't have a disconnect switch.

My Coachmen didn't come with one.
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Old 03-19-2019, 10:53 PM   #3
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Also there are some 12v things that don't really cut off. It's just like the computer and radio in your car and will drain your battery if you let it sit. In the trailer it's the LP and CO2 sensors, radio and possibly other things depending on exactly what 12v items you have. If you don't have a disconnect switch the easy thing to do is just disconnect the negative wire from the terminal while in storage. I would make sure it's fully charged first before disconnecting it.
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Old 03-19-2019, 10:57 PM   #4
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If it were me, I'd go back to the dealer. Chances are that the rig sat in their lot and the battery wasn't fully charged when you picked it up. Even with parasitic drain, the battery shouldn't go dead in that amount of time.

The advice to disconnect the negative cable or install a battery disconnect switch directly on the battery is good practice.
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Old 03-19-2019, 11:00 PM   #5
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The disconnect switch I put in disconnects EVERYTHING! If you put one in, make sure it does that. Convention is that it goes on the positive cable.
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Old 03-20-2019, 08:41 AM   #6
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Thanks for the information. I will install a battery disconnect switch.
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Old 03-20-2019, 05:54 PM   #7
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Is there a disconnect switch that cuts both + & -?

There seems to be some question on whether to disconnect the "+" side, while others say NO, disconnect the "-" side.


Is there a disconnect switch that cuts both the + & - ?
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Old 03-20-2019, 06:13 PM   #8
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many units are wired with items before the disconnect switch. I remove the negative terminal on the battery. quickest cheapest disconnect switch ever.
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Old 03-20-2019, 06:44 PM   #9
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"+" or "-" Disconnect

I don't want to re-open this much discussed topic BUT


IMHO - If You disconnect the "+" cable, there is NO possible current flow in any of the wiring circuits.


However, If You disconnect the "-" cable, the "+" side wiring is and remains hot all the time and any wiring or anything that touches a "-" negative wire or any part of the chassis will cause a spark or cause an item to begin operating should the on/off switch is also set to "ON" and could actually cause a fire.



Again, IMHO, I choose disconnecting the "+" cable (at the battery) to prevent any possible electrical current drain.


NOW, it would be really nice if both the "+" and "-" were disconnected at the battery and I was asking if there is such a switch available? one throw and both cables are disconnected.
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Old 03-20-2019, 07:33 PM   #10
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BBDAWG ..... I have been a Boater for many years, mainly Cruisers, and have seen many battery cutoff switches, however I personally have never seen one switch that would cut off both Pos and Neg at the same time. Would be nice if they made one.
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Old 03-20-2019, 07:37 PM   #11
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I come from the boating world. Battery disconnected at near the battery and on the pos. terminal.
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Old 03-20-2019, 07:39 PM   #12
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With the negative side disconnected I can't think of any way that a positive wire touching the frame or another negative wire would cause any spark or damage.
The circuit is broken at the source which is the battery. Please explain how this could happen.
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Old 03-20-2019, 07:58 PM   #13
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Repeat after me, before this gets out of control like the thousand other posts: It does not matter if it is the positive or negative side. That is the only answer.
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Old 03-20-2019, 08:20 PM   #14
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Harbor Freight - Battery Disconnect Switch - Item#97853, Cheap, simple and small enough to fit inside battery box.
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Old 03-20-2019, 08:27 PM   #15
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Repeat after me, before this gets out of control like the thousand other posts: It does not matter if it is the positive or negative side. That is the only answer.
X2. Exactly. Negative is just usually easiest.
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Old 03-20-2019, 08:52 PM   #16
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Repeat after me, before this gets out of control like the thousand other posts: It does not matter if it is the positive or negative side. That is the only answer.
X3. It does NOT matter.
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Old 03-20-2019, 09:29 PM   #17
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With the negative side disconnected I can't think of any way that a positive wire touching the frame or another negative wire would cause any spark or damage.
The circuit is broken at the source which is the battery. Please explain how this could happen.

If the negative is disconnected the positive remains a hot potential. When muddling around with adding some new device, any wire from the positive side becomes a completed circuit if any of the wires from the positive side accidentally touch any form of ground.


You are working on several wires, including one or more from the positive side and you get interrupted, but are not worried because the battery was disconnected. Should one of those positive wires contact any negative or ground - a spark can happen, or worse.


That can not happen if the positive wire is disconnected from the battery.
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Old 03-20-2019, 09:46 PM   #18
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This is the Marinco battery disconnect I installed on our 2018 Surveyor 243RBS travel trailer
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Old 03-20-2019, 10:47 PM   #19
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If the negative is disconnected the positive remains a hot potential. When muddling around with adding some new device, any wire from the positive side becomes a completed circuit if any of the wires from the positive side accidentally touch any form of ground.


You are working on several wires, including one or more from the positive side and you get interrupted, but are not worried because the battery was disconnected. Should one of those positive wires contact any negative or ground - a spark can happen, or worse.


That can not happen if the positive wire is disconnected from the battery.
There is no path back to the battery ground, no chance for any positive wire to become grounded.
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Old 03-20-2019, 10:54 PM   #20
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It doesn't matter. Putting it on the positive side is just the standard convention
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