Community Forums

GaryKD · 11-03-2017, 05:10 PM

Hi jlckmj,
To answer your post #3 questions. You are correct ground is ground. Doesn't matter which battery the cable connects to. I do not mess with factory wiring. Even on negative cables the size of the wire matters. I can't see the photos. If you can do it without messing with the factory wiring, go for it.

Craig1960 · 11-03-2017, 05:16 PM

Building race cars it has to be on the positive side due to the rules of NHRA and IHRA anyway. But building hotrods most customers wanted it on the negative side. It will work either way.

jlckmj · 11-03-2017, 06:46 PM

Gary,
Thank you for your response. I figured as much but just wanted to check to be sure.

As for the other issue re: disconnecting positive vs negative, I did not realize I was going to be opening Pandora's box with this.

After checking numerous sites that I trust, several people that work within the automotive and trucking industry, the overwhelming consensus for my situation was to disconnect the negative. (Notice I did not say switch the negative)

The reason it works for me is because I have limited room for the knife switch, there is not enough room on top of the battery to mount it and still use the blade when the battery tray is closed, therefore I have to mount the switch to the back wall of the battery compartment. That allows me to open and close the switch without touching the battery tray itself.

Also, disconnecting the negative actually helps to cleans up my battery compartment and battery wiring, PLUS, if I were to disconnect the positive I would still have a rather large HOT section of the switch mounted on the back wall of the battery compartment, where breaking the negative does not create that issue.

Thanks everyone for your input. Just wait, I will soon bring up best type of oil, best brand of tires, best motor, best fuel additive, and a few others just to get a serious debate going. LOL

Jim

"007" · 11-04-2017, 07:53 PM

Their is no Pandora's box if you want to remove the positive cable with negative still connected go for it and suffer the consequences.
Trust me a RV can get you in a mess if you are not careful when messing around with batteries and their cables.

JIM ,you have it right any switch belongs on the negative post and yes there is not much room to do that on the sliding tray.
You could maybe take the battery ground cable off the chassis frame and place another battery cable on frame long enough to bring both to rear of engine opening and place your switch there.

"007" · 11-04-2017, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twinboat

If I switch off the positive battery cable, like almost every boat on the waters, how would things spark ? The circuit is broken. Both cables need to be connected to use the energy of a battery.

Every circuit breaker on a 12 volt system is on the positive wire. When I turn it off, anything beyond it is dead.

It really doesn't matter which cable you remove. Once the cable is off, the circuit is incomplete.

When I make a post I am talking to two different owners of coach's gas and deisel, your diesel coach may have a battery cut off switch for your positive battery side but maybe some diesel owners do not, like a gas owner never had.

jrwitt · 11-06-2017, 03:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlckmj

Gary,
Thank you for your response. I figured as much but just wanted to check to be sure.

As for the other issue re: disconnecting positive vs negative, I did not realize I was going to be opening Pandora's box with this.

After checking numerous sites that I trust, several people that work within the automotive and trucking industry, the overwhelming consensus for my situation was to disconnect the negative. (Notice I did not say switch the negative)

The reason it works for me is because I have limited room for the knife switch, there is not enough room on top of the battery to mount it and still use the blade when the battery tray is closed, therefore I have to mount the switch to the back wall of the battery compartment. That allows me to open and close the switch without touching the battery tray itself.

Also, disconnecting the negative actually helps to cleans up my battery compartment and battery wiring, PLUS, if I were to disconnect the positive I would still have a rather large HOT section of the switch mounted on the back wall of the battery compartment, where breaking the negative does not create that issue.

Thanks everyone for your input. Just wait, I will soon bring up best type of oil, best brand of tires, best motor, best fuel additive, and a few others just to get a serious debate going. LOL

Jim

Don't forget to add Ford vs Chevy and Spartan vs Freightliner to your list. VERY IMPORTANT SUBJECTS!