Battery Disconnect Switch

ktvaughan · 09-04-2016, 02:39 PM

I have a 2016 Forest River Sierra 377FLIK 5th Wheel.
I noticed that several things still work even when the battery disconnect is OFF.
This includes the bathroom fan and hydraulic slides.
Is this normal?
Are there standard practices about what circuits are included on the battery disconnect and which aren't?
Maybe the hydraulic slides work because that also runs the landing legs.
But the bathroom fan?

ScottBrownstein · 09-04-2016, 02:42 PM

Slides generally go around the switch since they have their own breakers on the frame. Bathroom fan...that is pretty wild.

ktvaughan · 09-05-2016, 11:22 AM

After digging deeper, it seems that most of the 12V circuits still work even after removing the battery disconnect key. All lights/fan in bathroom, the furnace/AC control panel, lights throughout the coach and slides. I am confused?
The reason I'm investigating is that the battery is being drained by something even when I have everything turned off and battery disconnect key removed.
I'm thinking about installing a second battery disconnect right at the battery.

ScottBrownstein · 09-05-2016, 11:44 AM

Are you sure you are removing the key in the OFF position?

ktvaughan · 09-05-2016, 11:51 AM

I think it can only be removed from the OFF position. There's a metal pin that prevents removal when it's in the ON position. Right?

ScottBrownstein · 09-05-2016, 12:05 PM

Perhaps, but is certainly ain't off when you remove the key, or the switch is bad orwired incorrectly.

CHICKDOE · 09-05-2016, 12:06 PM

I have a cardinal but ran into the same situation, battery getting drained even when disconnected. Others sources of 12 volt drain were propane detector, level up system, and slide out remote sensor. I added my own battery disconnect. But there is a reason why certain things do not get disconnected. I was worried about this bypassing the brake pull out switch (no battery power to emergency trailer brakes if towing) but then realized that I could not raise the legs of the battery was disconnected. So I have to connect the batteries to raise legs so I will be ok

ktvaughan · 09-05-2016, 12:11 PM

Yes, I agree that 12V power should be on while traveling. I am only thinking about times when it's being stored and the batteries are draining.

ktvaughan · 09-05-2016, 04:16 PM

I tested the factory battery disconnect and it does work like it's supposed to.
However, I can only see the two large gauge wires it's connected to. I cannot see what circuits are disconnected by this switch and which one's aren't.
As a potential solution, I added an automotive kill switch right next to the battery bank. This is only for use when I'm storing it and don't want the batteries drained. It will be ON when traveling/camping.
Let's see how it affects the batteries.
This all started because I blew a fuse (15A) on the hydraulic system that I suspect was caused by low battery voltage. I'm trying to figure out why I have low battery voltage.
The batteries seem to charge fine when hooked up to tow vehicle or plugged into shore power.

ktvaughan · 09-06-2016, 05:44 PM

I just read on the Forest River Sierra page in this Forum that the battery disconnect switch in the front storage compartment only kills power to the Inverter. This is the Inverter that powers the 120V residential fridge from batteries when traveling and unplugged from shore power.
This opinion is consistent with what I found.
But the labeling of this switch as "Battery Disconnect" is very misleading.
Common sense would be that this kills all 12V power.
Maybe relabel it "Inverter Disconnect Switch"?

You may also like: