Disconnect Switch

[ruggets]

Does the disconnect switch, (when shut off,) still draw juice from battery ?
Is it best to disconnect ground wire from battery ?

Thanks--Winston

[rebeltown]

I believe all newer trailer's cut off switches kill all power but there might be exceptions I'm not aware of. You can't go wrong by making the ground strap an easy disconnect to make it a simple job.

[RACarvalho]

Both my previous 2016 23IKSS and my current 2909WS kill switch completely separates the battery from the trailer, therefore no power consumption whatsoever.
Depending on the battery chemistry, you may have a battery " internal rate of discharge"....
In my boat I had an AGM battery that would spend the entire winter w/o any trickle charge and it would not discharge but I think the lead/flooded types would slowly discharge.....

[rockfordroo]

The disconnect switch doesn't "draw juice." It's just a switch - ON/OFF. On some rigs, when it's turned off, a couple things with their own switches will remain available; the most obvious being the electric tongue jack, if you have one. Sometimes the slides may still have power available. But these are things with their own ON/OFF switches that don't draw power unless you use them.

So no need to disconnect the ground.'

But if you're winterizing, you might want to take the battery inside and put it on a Battery Tender.

[Arctic Wolf]

In my trailer with residential fridge the inverter for the fridge is not on the disconnect switch and still draws power from the battery.
I consider that a major design flaw

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by Arctic Wolf

In my trailer with residential fridge the inverter for the fridge is not on the disconnect switch and still draws power from the battery.
I consider that a major design flaw

X2. Don't know why they did that!

[lmiken]

Look at the switch and the battery side. Mine has 2 wires on the battery side so when the switch is off 2 items are still on. One is the co/lp detector and I think the other is the Genesis entertainment system (still not sure). So best to remove the line off the battery (or move the other 2 wires to the other side of the switch)

[Playtime III]

Not standardized in the RV world. Prior owners might have ran a bypass wire to allow the radio to keep its station/clock memory running. Most driveables (Class A,B,C) also wire the safety stuff bypassed (C02, LP detectors, etc.).

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by lmiken

Look at the switch and the battery side. Mine has 2 wires on the battery side so when the switch is off 2 items are still on. One is the co/lp detector and I think the other is the Genesis entertainment system (still not sure). So best to remove the line off the battery (or move the other 2 wires to the other side of the switch)

Originally Posted by Playtime III

Not standardized in the RV world. Prior owners might have ran a bypass wire to allow the radio to keep its station/clock memory running. Most driveables (Class A,B,C) also wire the safety stuff bypassed (C02, LP detectors, etc.).

I may stand corrected.

[ruggets]

Just talked to my RV dealer and he says the disconnect switch still draws power when off.
Recommends to remove negative wire on battery if storing RV for if not using unit from fall to spring.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by ruggets

Just talked to my RV dealer and he says the disconnect switch still draws power when off.
Recommends to remove negative wire on battery if storing RV for if not using unit from fall to spring.

You may call this semantics, but just to be clear: the "disconnect switch" is NOT "drawing power when off." As I said earlier, it's just a switch, like one in your house - ON or OFF.

What he means to say is that whatever is "drawing power" is connected directly to the battery and NOT through the disconnect switch.

I can guarantee you that whatever is powered through the disconnect switch is OFF and is not "drawing power" through the switch when it is turned OFF (unless the disconnect switch is broken and is not turning off).

[NMWildcat]

First thing I do on all my rigs is install a true disconnect switch between the neg battery post and the frame ground. Don't have to mess with removing any cables.