Battery disconnect switch while on shore power.

[teddyreb]

Greetings!
I have a 2019 Riverstone Legacy 38re. I was told by my service tech at the dealer that when I am hooked up to shore power for extended periods, that I need to throw the battery disconnect switch to keep my batteries from being "overcharged". I also have solar installed as well. I turned the disconnect switch to "off" and everything in the trailer went off, with the exception of the ceiling fan and the fridge. No lights. No a/c. Nothing. Is this normal? I was told that I could do this while hooked to shore power and it wouldn't interfere with the normal operation of the trailer since the converter would keep everything running. Seeking any advice on this. I keep the trailer hooked to full shore power all the time in a permanent spot.

Thanks in advance!
Teddy

[Reverse_snowbird]

Doesn't sound normal to me. When hooked up to full power, everything should work in the rv whether you have the battery 'on' or not.

Do you have a surge protector or EMS connected to the post so that you can see if there is actually power at the post? Edit: full power at the post?

[teddyreb]

yes. full power at the post. I'm wondering if there is an issue with the converter?

Thanks
Teddy

[ejohnson1144]

Batteries are running your lights wich means they are dc leave your battery disconnect on your converter charges as needed. Will not over charge the batteries.
I never shut mine off

[CHICKDOE]

that does not sound normal. it sounds like your converter is not supplying 12 vdc power. you say the ceiling fan and the refrigerator work. i'm assuming they are both 110 vac devices so if they are working you are getting power into the trailer. the a/c needs 12 vdc (which you don't have) to operate the thermostat which is needed to tell the a/c to turn on and run on 110 vac.

do you know what make / model converter you have?

check the 110 vac circuit breaker that supplies the converter to see if it has tripped. go ahead and reset it just to be sure. there are reverse polarity fuses associated with the converter that if they blow will stop it from supplying 12 vdc power. you can pull them and check them with a tester to determine their status (blown or good). absolutely ensure all power is off before you do this!!!!!

as far as leaving the batteries connected to the converter while in storage you will get lots of opinions. much has to do with the actual make / model converter you have.

also, if i assumed correctly that you have a residential refrigerator you may have a standalone converter with a separate inverter or you make have a single combination converter / inverter. if you do not have the manual get it from the manufacturer web site and read the troubleshooting section.

[Flybob]

Miss informed Tech. If you have a newer converter and it is working properly, it will not overcharge the batteries. You should however check the electrolyte levels ever other month just to be safe.

[Wannabretired]

My 2013 coachman does same thing. Leave it alone it works automatically. Like was said ck battery water levels. Dont know how long they will last but I got 5 yrs out of my 4-6volts then had to replace them.

[teddyreb]

Since I am an hour away, I'm not sure the converter/inverter type. I do have a residential fridge. thanks so much for your help!


Teddy

[teddyreb]

Thanks so much!

[teddyreb]

Thanks so much ya'll for your help!

Teddy

[CHICKDOE]

i read the post again and something just doesn't sound right. you are hooked up to 110 vac power and you have solar also, yet it appears the batteries are dead. either the 110 vac through the converter and / or the solar should be recharging the batteries. yet it appears that neither are. i don't know solar or how it is installed. could there be some other switch that is related to the solar that also disconnects the batteries from both charging sources? don't know, just speculating.

[Cypressloser]

The service guy is talking BS, the ceiling fan runs on 120 Volt AC and the fridge runs off of the inverter which is wired directly to the batteries, bypassing the disconnect switch.

Having said that, the RiverStone has a stand alone WFCO 6800 charger plugged into the back of the converter panel that can easily be replaced. I suggest you invest in a Progressive Dynamics or other good quality programmable! 150 Amp charger, especially if you have upgraded batteries, and install it closer to the batteries or run new heavy wiring. This is a very easy upgrade and can be done in less than half an hour and will make a world of a difference.

[GL1800Rider]

X2 what cypressloser said.

The only time you should ever turn the battery switch off is you have no other source of power like leaving it at a dealer for service. Many things, including most AC thermostats, require 12 volts to operate. Check your batteries monthly and you will be fine.

[formerFR]

sometimes dealers/salespeople say too much, as they probably rarely 'camp' themselves, or sometimes even own their own RV, but yet because they 'work' at a dealership, they are somehow inclined to tell you what they 'think' is best.

Cutting off your 12v supply, will disconnect you from 12v power - probably NOT what you are wanting while you are camping...

What they 'probably' were referring to was the thought of cutting off your 12v items in order to not pull from the battery when you are NOT camping...which is EXACTLY what it IS for.

Whether the idea that somehow your batteries while get somehow 'overcharged' just because you are plugged into power, whether camping or not, makes little sense, as your convert/Charger is perfectly capable of knowing exactly when and when not to provide charging to the batteries - that's it's job.

For solar, it goes directly to your batteries, thru your Solar controller, which also monitors and limits incoming power if your batteries are already full - that's also it's job.



Dont' worry.... travel, camp, and enjoy... don't cut things off just because someone 'says' you should. We've full timed for much of over 3 years, and never turned ANYTHING off.... no reason to.

[Murbella7]

Originally Posted by teddyreb

Greetings!
I have a 2019 Riverstone Legacy 38re. I was told by my service tech at the dealer that when I am hooked up to shore power for extended periods, that I need to throw the battery disconnect switch to keep my batteries from being "overcharged". I also have solar installed as well. I turned the disconnect switch to "off" and everything in the trailer went off, with the exception of the ceiling fan and the fridge. No lights. No a/c. Nothing. Is this normal? I was told that I could do this while hooked to shore power and it wouldn't interfere with the normal operation of the trailer since the converter would keep everything running. Seeking any advice on this. I keep the trailer hooked to full shore power all the time in a permanent spot.

Thanks in advance!
Teddy

Absolute rubbish. The guy knows nothing. You charger will manage the amount of charging it provides. When the batteries are topped up it will drop to 'float' mode to keep them there. It seems the disconnect switch has been wired to do just that, disconnect the battery. Why would you want that?

[gastan]

X3 what cypressloser says.

Also, the propane and CO2 monitors are wired directly to the battery. Disconnecting the battery will shut off power to them.

I had a WFCO unit as OEM on my TT and it caused nothing but trouble the first 2 years I had it. The propane detector was going off at all hours and I had the TT back to the shop numerous times trying to find a non-existent leak. We had stopped using the stove or the water heater because of it .... just didn't use the propane system. (Turned out that the alarm was going off because the battery voltage was dropping below 7V). And the battery would lose power quickly after being unplugged from shore power. Sometimes in as little as 12-14 hours, nothing 12V would work.

Turns out the converter was not putting out 12V power at all .... but the charger part was putting out so much that it cooked my brand new battery in 2 years.

I put in a Progressive unit 4 years ago and have not had a bit of trouble since.

[MR.M]

disconnecting the batteries should not effect 12v systems if you're hooked up to shore power as the converter will supply all the needed 12v . weather you leave connected or disconnected is debatable either way it should work with out the batteries if the converter is working

[spock123]

I assume you have four six volt batteries. If so your batteries may be hooked up wrong, the dealer installs the batteries. When I brought my Cedar Creek home I found out the dealer had hooked four batteries to where I had two sets of 12 volt batteries so one set of six volt batteries were not getting charged.

[Maxwell D Pratt]

Most of the new converters have built in battery maintainers with regulated DC current. Not like the old converters that were 30 or 50 amp with no regulation . Would put 30 or 50 amps in battery all the time they were hooked to AC. I burned a set of battery’s up before I learned that. Left hooked up at home all winter. They used the battery’s for regulation.

[Maxwell D Pratt]

Leave the battery’s hooked up while camping. They act like a big back up for power. And take up serge’s when using the 12 volt system . They also act as a big filter.