Battery Disconnect

[Bob K4TAX]

Although I installed a battery disconnect switch on our trailer, I installed it in the line from the battery and very near the battery. The way it is wired, ONLY the break-a-way switch is powered if the battery is OFF. But even then, on shore power, the converter will power the 12 volts system inside but it will not charge the battery. With no shore power, there is nothing in the trailer powered.

I view the disconnect switch is an emergency disconnect if and as needed. Otherwise, it stays ON all of the time. Our trailer is kept at our house and thus always has shore power.

It just depends on how the system is wired.

Bob

 

[JKLines70]

On our 2018 Hathaway the disconnect, disconnects everything except the leveling systems and solar.

I'm curious, do you have a more traditional RV refrigerator? Mine has a residential refrigerator so that might be the difference. My inverter is wired directly to the battery and the only thing powered by the inverter is the refrigerator. The inverter is probably the highest current draw and is the reason I've drained my battery on more than one occasion. Keep forgetting to turn the inverter off ... but also at one time assumed when battery was disconnected by the disconnect switch, everything was disconnected like in my previous coach.

 

[dalford]

Totally agree and that was part of my point. I previously had an old 1981 Prevost. The battery disconnect switch was next to the battery and truly totally disconnected it. There were two sets of batteries and the disconnect switch worked the same way for both.

When I traded Prevost for Cedar Creek, I at first assumed it was the same type of deal and I also felt the terminology on the label was confusing. It really should be labeled "Battery Connect". I logic a 1 is on and means true ... so logically labeling it "Battery Disconnect" and then having "On" should mean the battery is disconnected ... but that isn't the case. So I absolutely agree with you.

It should be labeled just Battery… cross out disconnect. So Battery is “On” or Battery is “Off”

 

[tomkatb]

My 2018 Hathaway has a traditional gas electric fridge.

The residentials were the standard that year.

Unfortunately the inverters use ,1-2 amps per hour on standby. Thus a shutoff located in the rv is a necessity.

Then to inverters are only 80% efficient. Thus the residential fridge draws a lot of amps. Probably double a 12 volt fridge or more.

We can easily go two days without charging. I have a cpap. Sort of a big user. We have 4 gc2 batteries. When they die I am getting 400 amps of lithium. Maybe 600. We have a 300 watt inverter I have not used in four years.

The wife discovered Harvest Hosts. We now boondock more than I thought we would.