Need Battery Kill Switch Advice

[pmahoney]

Hi Forum.....

So- learned the hard way about the voltage drain on the battery and now am ready to install battery kill switch on my 12volt deep cycle battery.

Only question.... which side is better. I gather it can be done on either but installing on negative side may be best / safest?

Any advise or wisdom is appreciated....

Thanks in advance.

BTW- why dont manufactorers do us a favor and simply install one of these to begin with? Seems like a $10.00 no brainer and would save many a great deal of time / money...

[Willis]

Originally Posted by pmahoney

Hi Forum.....

So- learned the hard way about the voltage drain on the battery and now am ready to install battery kill switch on my 12volt deep cycle battery.

Only question.... which side is better. I gather it can be done on either but installing on negative side may be best / safest?

Any advise or wisdom is appreciated....

Thanks in advance.

BTW- why dont manufactorers do us a favor and simply install one of these to begin with? Seems like a $10.00 no brainer and would save many a great deal of time / money...

I put my switch on the negative side. I'm no electrician so someone may correct me, but seems to me that some devices may be grounded directly to the frame elsewhere in the trailer so breaking the circuit to the battery on the negative side guarantees nothing can draw from it.

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[Triguy]

This can be a "fun" topic with thoughts going both ways.

Here's my take.

I have a Blue Sea marine disconnect switch. Blue Sea instructions are to install off of the positive terminal per ABYC standards. I have used (and seen) both neg and pos setups, but the marine ones are always off the positive.

[KyDan]

Read this thread and then you decide.
Go with which ever is easiest for you.
MY battery is grounded out on the tongue and
at the power center.
I wanted to put the disconnect switch near the power center and my
positive wire runs from the batteries on the tongue to the power center
with no tap offs in between.
Some trailer take power from the battery and split and some goes to
the power center and some goes to say a slide out motor.

In my case I could disconnect the positive wire at the fuse block in the
power center and everything in my trailer was off line.
I put the switch in the toe kick area next to my power center in the
positive wire.
Most switches are going to be found in the positive wire and the switched
devices will be grounded on the negative wire.

Read this thread for an active discussion. Some folks are passionate about
which wire they think the main switch should be located in but in fact
either side will get the job done as long as there is nothing up stream from
the switch except the battery(s).

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ing-15499.html

AND I totally agree with you. Battery disconnect switches should be
standard equipment on all RVs. I've had to install my own on all 3 of my
trailers. I expect to have to add one on my next trailer if there is a
next one!

Good luck and happy camping!

[RubenZ]

I believe most the forum use this one if you have TWO Batteries or this one if you have one. Very nicely built. I also did it how TRIGUY said based off of BLUE SEA's instructions.

[pmahoney]

Wow... posters are passionate about polarization indeed!...

Thanks for all the great (and quick) feedback...

Now if we can only get Manu's to install this as standard in all our units!

Much appreciated!