Factory battery disconnect does NOT disconnect all loads

NJKris · 02-10-2019, 07:00 PM

New Rockwood Geo Pro G19FD. Wife just went outside and said she heard weird noises coming from inside trailer. A combination of beeping sounds, and animal like screeching. Investigation revealed the following: The furrion stereo was blinking on and off making weird screechy sounds. I could not get it to stop, so I removed it from the cabinet and disconnected the plug supplying power. That stopped. Still hearing a quadruple quick beeping. Opened smoke detector and removed 9v. Still beeping sounds. At least now I know smoke detector is not hard wired. Moved some stuff around blocking view of gas detector, and noted it was beeping and blinking red. Pulled from under dinette, to discover there is no back-up battery going bad, and wires are hard crimped to power. Then I discovered the reset test button, and beeping stopped when pushed and went back to green LED.

I also noted the DC plug for the TV has a red LED, which was glowing red, indicating power present. Unplugged that.

This trailer comes from the factory with a battery disconnect. It is in disconnect position, confirmed by nothing else working in trailer. Why doesn't this disconnect everything???? Stereo was getting power, TV was, CO alarm was.

Fortunately, I've kept a smart charger connected to my 2 6v batts since parking it, and batteries are fully charged as indicated by LED charge controller for the rooftop solar panel.

As for the beeping CO alarm, I did notice one of the stove burner control knobs was on, which I must have done while making a tight squeeze past the stove 2 days ago. Even though the tanks are off, maybe residual gas escaping from lines set off CO alarm?

Bottom line and lesson learned: The factory battery disconnect is not disconnecting the above mentioned loads. I will be going into battery box in near future to disconnect a battery lead. I'm glad I had a charger on, or I would have ruined a pair of expensive new batteries.

**Herk7769** · 02-10-2019, 07:08 PM

This is actually a "feature"; not a "bug".

The battery is hot wired to several items and bypasses the shutoff so that the propane leak detector and other "life protection" items stay powered. This is required by RIVA regulations as a default.

Also, the radio is trickle powered to keep the time and stuff like station presets from clearing.

The depleted battery was causing all your symptoms.

Should you be willing to accept the danger of bypassing the safety of life and convenience items (like landing gear/tongue jack and radio), you can just move those wires off the battery terminal and connect to the cold side of your disconnect switch.

NJKris · 02-10-2019, 07:15 PM

Thanks Herk, I get it about the CO alarm, but didn't know why the cig lighter plug for TV was still hot, or why stereo was going crazy. Weird thing is, the batteries were never depleted. They have been on a CTEK smart charger all winter, so even if they did start to go down, the charger (25 amp) would have kicked in.

NJKris · 02-10-2019, 07:18 PM

Good advice about moving stuff to cold side of disconnect switch. I'm wondering if they didn't throw TV and other stuff on same circuit as CO alarm to save wire or something. Since the main purpose of a disconnect is for storage, and I wouldn't use it otherwise, dead should be dead.

**Herk7769** · 02-10-2019, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJKris

Good advice about moving stuff to cold side of disconnect switch. I'm wondering if they didn't throw TV and other stuff on same circuit as CO alarm to save wire or something. Since the main purpose of a disconnect is for storage, and I wouldn't use it otherwise, dead should be dead.

I agree with both those statements.

dbledan · 02-10-2019, 07:32 PM

Not sure about regulations but the only thing that bypasses my shut off is the trailer emergency brakes and the solar connection. Everything else shuts off.

CHICKDOE · 02-10-2019, 08:19 PM

in addition to the devices already mentioned we have a lippert level up system with a remote to control the jacks, slides, and outside lights. this is wired directly to the batteries and is not disconnected.

pgandw · 02-10-2019, 08:28 PM

Since A-frames and PUPs don't come standard with disconnects, you get to put one in yourself. Most of us put it near the battery terminals and ensure EVERYTHING is disconnected from the RV battery by the switch. This allows the disconnect to set the camper up for storage without having to connect a charger or plug in the camper. The disconnect is a lot easier than getting a wrench out and lifting a wire off the battery terminals.

In both my A-frames, the stereo noises were caused by using an automotive stereo in a non-automotive environment. A car stereo has 2 + power wires - one goes to the ignition relay, and the other directly to the battery. The direct wire to the battery saves settings and memory, while the ignition relay controls primary power. Forest River ties both + wires to a convenient 12V circuit. So whenever there is a voltage change (plugging in the camper to shore power, starting/stopping a hooked up tow vehicle, throwing the disconnect, etc), the stereo turns itself on.

To get rid of this annoyance, I installed a separate power switch to the stereo to turn the stereo power completely off/on. The downside is that the memory presets do not hold - but I rarely use my stereo, and I never use the radio presets. The default power-up for the fader/bass/treble controls is good enough for me.

just my experiences
Fred W
2019 Flagstaff T21TBHW A-frame
2008 Hyundai Entourage minivan
camping Colorado and adjacent states one weekend at a time

babock · 02-11-2019, 01:28 AM

My battery disconnect disconnects the battery from everything except the solar. This includes brakes and tongue jack. I don't want the solar powering 12V devices in my trailer with the disconnect off so it goes directly to the battery side of the switch. I do have a solar disconnect if I want it off too.

nomad297 · 02-11-2019, 05:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dbledan

Not sure about regulations but the only thing that bypasses my shut off is the trailer emergency brakes and the solar connection. Everything else shuts off.

Same here.

Bruce

bedubya · 02-11-2019, 05:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pgandw

To get rid of this annoyance, I installed a separate power switch to the stereo to turn the stereo power completely off/on. The downside is that the memory presets do not hold - but I rarely use my stereo, and I never use the radio presets. The default power-up for the fader/bass/treble controls is good enough for me.

I installed my disconnect in the negative cable at the battery box. Radio station presets have no value, anyway, unless you are always camped in the same area.

NJKris · 02-11-2019, 07:59 AM

Wife just came in from cleaning snow off car and said it is beeping again. Now I gotta go out in snow and unclamp a battery lead. Still don't know why it is beeping with fully charged batteries.

emjayuu · 02-11-2019, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJKris

New Rockwood Geo Pro G19FD. Wife just went outside and said she heard weird noises coming from inside trailer. A combination of beeping sounds, and animal like screeching. Investigation revealed the following: The furrion stereo was blinking on and off making weird screechy sounds. I could not get it to stop, so I removed it from the cabinet and disconnected the plug supplying power. That stopped. Still hearing a quadruple quick beeping. Opened smoke detector and removed 9v. Still beeping sounds. At least now I know smoke detector is not hard wired. Moved some stuff around blocking view of gas detector, and noted it was beeping and blinking red. Pulled from under dinette, to discover there is no back-up battery going bad, and wires are hard crimped to power. Then I discovered the reset test button, and beeping stopped when pushed and went back to green LED.

I also noted the DC plug for the TV has a red LED, which was glowing red, indicating power present. Unplugged that.

This trailer comes from the factory with a battery disconnect. It is in disconnect position, confirmed by nothing else working in trailer. Why doesn't this disconnect everything???? Stereo was getting power, TV was, CO alarm was.

Fortunately, I've kept a smart charger connected to my 2 6v batts since parking it, and batteries are fully charged as indicated by LED charge controller for the rooftop solar panel.

As for the beeping CO alarm, I did notice one of the stove burner control knobs was on, which I must have done while making a tight squeeze past the stove 2 days ago. Even though the tanks are off, maybe residual gas escaping from lines set off CO alarm?

Bottom line and lesson learned: The factory battery disconnect is not disconnecting the above mentioned loads. I will be going into battery box in near future to disconnect a battery lead. I'm glad I had a charger on, or I would have ruined a pair of expensive new batteries.

Sorry to hear this but tell me how it would have ruined your batteries?

aceinspp · 02-11-2019, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJKris

Wife just came in from cleaning snow off car and said it is beeping again. Now I gotta go out in snow and unclamp a battery lead. Still don't know why it is beeping with fully charged batteries.

Are you sure your batteries are in full charge. Have you checked other than looking at charging light. Charger could have over charged or a you may have a bad cell in the battery. Later RJD

NJKris · 02-11-2019, 08:15 AM

If the parasitic loads continually drained the batteries, they would discharge to the point of damage. You don't want to go below 50% state of charge for the health/longevity of the battery.

NJKris · 02-11-2019, 08:17 AM

RJD, the smart charger should indicate any fault or failure to hold charge. Right now it is showing full charge. Also, the factory solar setup charge controller is showing full charge.

CHICKDOE · 02-11-2019, 08:34 AM

there was a comment earlier about the emergency brake switch being directly wired to the batteries. they are probably done like this in all towables. i don't know if it is a regulation or not, but you must have battery power for the emergency brakes to activate. when people say to disconnect a battery lead do they leave the brake away switch still connected to the battery? do they have a failsafe mechanism that ensures they reconnect the battery cable before they tow? in our case i have a disconnect switch on the negative side that completely removes the battery to frame negative cable connection. my failsafe is that i must have electric power to raise the trailer legs while hooking up. it would be impossible to get the legs up without reconnecting the batteries. so i know there is power to the brake away switch before i tow. and leaving the switch connected to the batteries while in storage will not drain the batteries as it is a simple on/off switch. of course, you could pull the pin but then you would have other problems.

TitanMike · 02-11-2019, 12:38 PM

When I turn off my Battery Disconnect switch EVERYTHING is off. I added my own switch that is direct from the battery to ALL 12 v loads including the CO/LPG alarm. When I shut off my switch there is no "life" in my trailer to protect and the propane supply is shut off as well.

Can't see the benefit of having an alarm drawing power to warn people who aren't in the trailer and can't be heard outside.

When I'm using the trailer everything gets powered up and batteries are being charged from either park power, solar, or generator. At those times I could care less about a few milliamps of draw from an alarm.

Scottnweeze · 02-11-2019, 02:07 PM

...
This trailer comes from the factory with a battery disconnect. It is in disconnect position, confirmed by nothing else working in trailer. Why doesn't this disconnect everything???? Stereo was getting power, TV was, CO alarm was.

NJ: as you know we have the same trailers...Just to be sure... you said the disconnect was in the "disconnect position". You mean you pulled it out, disengaging it right? The red handle does turn but you need to pull it out... just verifying, as I've not seen those symptoms.

Adrian Gordon · 02-11-2019, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herk7769

Should you be willing to accept the danger of bypassing the safety of life and convenience items (like landing gear/tongue jack and radio), you can just move those wires off the battery terminal and connect to the cold side of your disconnect switch.

Should you choose to do this, when you eventually sell the unit please rewire it properly or at least let the buyer know. He might not be as willing to die in his sleep from a gas leak.

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