Battery Cut Off / Disconnect Switch

[SeaHarley]

I have a 2012 308RES TT we just got in November and after putting it away I noticed the battery voltage was dropping after a few days. Turns out to be because of the phantom DC loads. Radio, CO and Smoke Detectors, etc.

I looked for a battery cut-off or disconnect switch and was unable to find one in any logical location. So I decided to install one myself. I wanted to be as close to the battery as possible and I wanted a keyed switch so I could control anybody else fooling around with lights, jacks, etc.

This is what I came up with, See attached photos:

[camaraderie]

Nice SeaH! Where did you get that keyed switch?

[SeaHarley]

I got it off ebay:

Keyed Surface Mount Battery Kill Switch Car Truck SUV Jeep RV ATV Boat Go Cart | eBay

[rjshiflet]

That's a great idea - if you're like me, get at least TWO extra keys made.

[DreiHunde]

Great job!

[Witch Doctor]

That's a nice cut off switch set up, even in a water proof electrical box, best I have seen yet. Now that's doing your homework.

[camaraderie]

Thanks for that link SeaH...neat!

[rattleNsmoke]

Nice, clean job.

[Kaadk]

I really like the key'd switch. If I ever make the jump to the torklift locking battery box I might go that direction too with the switch.

Question: Why do you only chain one of the battery boxes?

[another_newfie]

That is a nice job. VERY well done.

[SeaHarley]

Originally Posted by Kaadk

I really like the key'd switch. If I ever make the jump to the torklift locking battery box I might go that direction too with the switch.

Question: Why do you only chain one of the battery boxes?

Well, right now the other box is empty..... working on adding another battery in the future. But since I had to reconfigure the ground wire, I only wanted to do it once!

[SeaHarley]

Just Noting here, There will be a revision to this Post.

I've been finding there is still a small amount of voltage getting into the systems inside, enough to create havoc with a few things, alarms going off etc. Getting 3 to 6 volts across the + and - studs on the inside 12 volt panel.

I feel it could be that the battery is grounded to the frame and everything else is grounded to the frame. So disconnecting the ground wire from the battery isn't cutting off the battery draining completely.

So I tried disconnecting the positive wire from the battery instead of the negative and WaLa. That did cut off all the voltage inside.

So my revision is going to be switching the "Off Switch" from the "negative ground" wire to the "positive plus" wire coming off of the battery.

I'll have to take care of this next week cause I gotta few other things I'm involved with.

More, Later.....

[bubbles]

My boat battery box would condensate and create a high resistance ground path for the battery even though the negative side cable was disconnected. Go figure.

[SeaHarley]

So yesterday, I finally got a chance to switch this over from the negative to the positive side.

What was happening, and the way I found out there was an issue is this. My propane detector started going off continuously, the red light was on instead of green. And my radio memory (blue background) light remained on. And my battery voltage was still dropping over a few days. So I put a meter across the pos. and neg. terminals inside on the panel and found what I'm calling stray voltages between 3 and 6 volts..... Go figure.

Anyway, now, with the switch "off", there is no voltage inside and the propane detector light and radio lights are off.... Tomorrow, I'll recheck the battery and voltages inside as a double check.

[SeaHarley]

I checked the battery voltage today and everything was fine, 12.7 Volts reading on the Voltmeter I installed and a full charge.

Here's a photo of the revised layout with the switch on the positive side of the battery:

[Gee Whiz]

did the electrical box come with he switch?

[rbq]

You are smart to put the chain & lock around the box. I had put a switch on my first battery box & went out the day I was to go camping to find that someone had stolen both of my 6 volt batteries & the boxes, the one box with the switch attached. I now have locks on the boxes & installed the switch on the frame below the propane platform.

[Blackhat6mike]

When I first bought my Aviator, I had the same problem with the bats going down when everything was off, or so I thought. Turned out, the outside stereo/entertainment system, propane det and TV signal amp were all drawing power. I went to my local marine supply store [West Marine] and bought a four way bat switch [bat 1, bat 2, both on and OFF]. Now I have a choice which bat, both or none.
I have installed a 400 watt solar system, so I really don't worry about the bats anymore. They stay at 13.8 The panels go through the controller directly to the bats and are not effected by the bat switch.
Chasing down the "power leaks" were found at the switch by pulling fuses one by one and seeing the red LED for that circuit come on. Those little trickle amp power draws add up fast.
Always install a switch on the positive input cable from the bat. or any electrical circuit.

[SeaHarley]

Originally Posted by Gee Whiz

did the electrical box come with he switch?

No it didn't. I bought the elect. box from HD and cut out for the switch.

[SeaHarley]

Originally Posted by Blackhat6mike

When I first bought my Aviator, I had the same problem with the bats going down when everything was off, or so I thought. Turned out, the outside stereo/entertainment system, propane det and TV signal amp were all drawing power. I went to my local marine supply store [West Marine] and bought a four way bat switch [bat 1, bat 2, both on and OFF]. Now I have a choice which bat, both or none.
I have installed a 400 watt solar system, so I really don't worry about the bats anymore. They stay at 13.8 The panels go through the controller directly to the bats and are not effected by the bat switch.
Chasing down the "power leaks" were found at the switch by pulling fuses one by one and seeing the red LED for that circuit come on. Those little trickle amp power draws add up fast.
Always install a switch on the positive input cable from the bat. or any electrical circuit.

Exactly!
Thanks for posting this.