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Old 10-17-2013, 08:25 AM   #1
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Battery Disconnect

I have had 2 campers prior to my new (first time Flagstaff owner)

I will be taking delivery in April 14, but what is the disconnect button all about?


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Old 10-17-2013, 08:31 AM   #2
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it's a button/switch that disconnects the battery from everything in the camper except power tongue jack.

It saves the battery from being discharged/killed by small drains from appliances like the propane alarm and electronics.
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Old 10-17-2013, 08:37 AM   #3
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Originally Posted by Bryan2503S View Post
it's a button/switch that disconnects the battery from everything in the camper except power tongue jack.

It saves the battery from being discharged/killed by small drains from appliances like the propane alarm and electronics.
I've never seen the use for this. (thank you for replying)

When docked at home I'm on shore power.
When dry camping I need the batts.
WHen hooked up camping, well we need that too.

So wait, when does someone actually use this feature?
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Old 10-17-2013, 08:42 AM   #4
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Whenever they're docked at home or stored at a storage facility and not on shore power. Like Bryan said, "It saves the battery from being discharged/killed by small drains from appliances like the propane alarm and electronics."
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Old 10-17-2013, 08:44 AM   #5
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When you're in storage without shore power.

Personally, I wouldn't leave my Converter charging the battery all the time when I wasn't using it anyway (in which case you need to use the battery disconnect switch).
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Old 10-17-2013, 08:46 AM   #6
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I don't stay plugged in at home....well, the battery charger is on it about a month at a time. I rotate the charger between the camper and the bike, so the disconnect keeps the CO detector and radio from draining power when I'm not charging. Other than that, I guess the only time I REALLY use it is when I check out everything before a trip. I'll run all the systems on 12V and 110V also to make sure the converter is supplying 12V (if that makes sense), so I kill the battery then. Guess it could be handy when replacing a battery to make sure nothing gets smoked if you accidentally ground against something while connecting.
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Old 10-17-2013, 08:46 AM   #7
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I store my camper in a place with no electricity (unless I run 250ft of cord). Use it all the time.
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Old 10-17-2013, 10:03 AM   #8
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I've never seen the use for this. (thank you for replying)

When docked at home I'm on shore power.
When dry camping I need the batts.
WHen hooked up camping, well we need that too.

So wait, when does someone actually use this feature?
When in storage, my camper will deplete its battery in less than a week's time with the parasitic draws.

Remember, "When docked at home I'm on shore power." - that's not a luxury that we all have. BUT- I've also kept the camper in a campground's storage for a week while we sandwiched 2 beach trips around a week at a beach house. By the end of that week, the camper battery was dead before I installed the battery disconnect.

And, before you think- "just disconnect the battery", depending on the camper, this may not be an easy task. My battery is in a box *under* my storage hatch's floor. That means moving stuff to get to it, unscrewing the box cover (awkward to get to), and then using tools to disconnect one of the wires.
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Old 10-17-2013, 10:39 AM   #9
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Thanks everyone, now I see why it's there!
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Old 10-17-2013, 02:45 PM   #10
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I use our battery disconnect every time we put it back in to storage after a trip.
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Old 10-18-2013, 05:10 AM   #11
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Originally Posted by ependydad View Post
And, before you think- "just disconnect the battery", depending on the camper, this may not be an easy task. My battery is in a box *under* my storage hatch's floor. That means moving stuff to get to it, unscrewing the box cover (awkward to get to), and then using tools to disconnect one of the wires.
Sounds like a great mod waiting to happen. Do all that moving stuff one time in order to access the battery and install a battery cutoff switch. Problem solved.
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Old 10-18-2013, 06:20 AM   #12
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Thanks everyone, now I see why it's there!
You need to becareful of what you store near that switch. When it is on you pull it out and in to disconnect. It's a bad thing. It just happened to me on the way home. something shifted during travel and pushed it in disconnecting my battery. If your battery is not on your breakaway will not engage. Now I now I will have to put some metal protection in front of it so it won't happen again. Now that is a safety issue that they refuse (FR) to deal with. Just a word of warning.........
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Old 10-18-2013, 06:42 AM   #13
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My emergency break away pull cord switch is direct connected to my
batteries. My battery disconnect switch does not disconnect the emergency
switch.
Are you sure yours does??
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Old 10-18-2013, 07:28 AM   #14
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My emergency break away pull cord switch is direct connected to my
batteries. My battery disconnect switch does not disconnect the emergency
switch.
Are you sure yours does??
I'm not sure but I didn't see any wire connected, good point through. I'll have to push the disconnect in and pull the pin and see if it will lock my breaks up.....Thanks...
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Old 10-18-2013, 08:36 AM   #15
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Sounds like a great mod waiting to happen. Do all that moving stuff one time in order to access the battery and install a battery cutoff switch. Problem solved.
Yup- done!

http://learntorv.blogspot.com/2013/0...installed.html
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Old 10-20-2013, 07:24 AM   #16
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You need to becareful of what you store near that switch. When it is on you pull it out and in to disconnect. It's a bad thing. It just happened to me on the way home. something shifted during travel and pushed it in disconnecting my battery. If your battery is not on your breakaway will not engage. Now I now I will have to put some metal protection in front of it so it won't happen again. Now that is a safety issue that they refuse (FR) to deal with. Just a word of warning.........
The button is High up above the panel. I can't see anything going near it.
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Old 10-20-2013, 10:21 AM   #17
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The button is High up above the panel. I can't see anything going near it.
Well that my be true on your unit, but mine is located behind the battery box at the floor level in the front compartment. I really have no idea what you are talking about. I have no panel in my storage area. I own a a 2012 #8289WS 5th wheel. They are all located their with this model and year.
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Old 10-20-2013, 01:36 PM   #18
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Thanks for the link, that happened to me. Fr in there in guinness engineering put a pull on and push in to disconnect. When I questioned FR on the tour in Goshen they told me that they changed it to push in for on and pull out for off. Well my dealer said they called FR last week and they told him that they are still installing this backwards switch. I think it's a safety hazard that people should be warned about. I did not know that my batteries where disconnected until I got home and tried to put my landing gear down. I'm just going screw a plate down in front of it so it can't happen again.....
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Old 10-20-2013, 01:53 PM   #19
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Originally Posted by gljurczyk View Post
Thanks for the link, that happened to me. Fr in there in guinness engineering put a pull on and push in to disconnect. When I questioned FR on the tour in Goshen they told me that they changed it to push in for on and pull out for off. Well my dealer said they called FR last week and they told him that they are still installing this backwards switch. I think it's a safety hazard that people should be warned about. I did not know that my batteries where disconnected until I got home and tried to put my landing gear down. I'm just going screw a plate down in front of it so it can't happen again.....
I was trying to find the image of what I'm seeing in my head, but there are light switch covers that should be able to put on over top. Someone here put them overtop of their slide switches.
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Old 10-20-2013, 01:58 PM   #20
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Thanks everyone, now I see why it's there!
They are nice but when u r pulling you must have it pull so your elec brake works
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