|
07-09-2022, 02:55 PM
|
#1
|
Member
Join Date: Sep 2021
Posts: 36
|
House and engine batteries...
The last time we put our 2006 Sea Breeze LX into storage, all the batteries were dead. (First time this has happened in 5 or 6 storage terms) We got the engine battery jumped by AAA and drove it home, plugged it in and charged the house battery with a trickle charger. I guess, I must have left something on... Everything is fine now.
Since then I have found out that there is a battery disconnect switch on the control panel by the door. Does that also disconnect the engine battery? Is that pretty much the "one switch to rule them all" if you accidentally leave something switched on?
Why would *all* the batteries be dead if I left something on? Do the house batteries and the engine battery work together if one gets low on juice? If the house batteries go dead, does the RV look to the engine battery to keep 12v things (left accidentally) on?
Just trying to get a little info on how this system works so I can avoid needing to call AAA next time.
|
|
|
|
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
07-09-2022, 06:34 PM
|
#2
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Full time RV'er
Posts: 5,124
|
Find an appropriately sized wrench, and put it in the battery bag along with gloves. Whenever you park the RV for more than 3 days, just disconnect the grounds. No more worries.
Even with the switch off, there are still phantom loads on the batteries. Tranni, engine, radio memories all are 'stay powered' even with the switch off. Then there are all the safety circuits like propane and CO detectors, than of course most leave the steps powered.
|
|
|
07-09-2022, 06:58 PM
|
#3
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 35,317
|
Your engine battery should be isolated from the house batteries so they don't both run down together. Being a used unit, who knows what previous owners may have done.
Although each system is separate, there are slight current draws on each system. The disconnect switch by the door only turns off the house things, and sometimes not everything.
Many motorhomes don't have chassis disconnects so adding one is best for long term storage without power.
If you let the batteries sit dead more then a few times, they will fail in a year or two.
|
|
|
07-10-2022, 08:56 PM
|
#4
|
Member
Join Date: Sep 2021
Posts: 36
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim_HiTek
Find an appropriately sized wrench, and put it in the battery bag along with gloves. Whenever you park the RV for more than 3 days, just disconnect the grounds. No more worries.
Even with the switch off, there are still phantom loads on the batteries. Tranni, engine, radio memories all are 'stay powered' even with the switch off. Then there are all the safety circuits like propane and CO detectors, than of course most leave the steps powered.
|
I just bought a pair of battery disconnects for $25. Thanks!
|
|
|
07-10-2022, 11:14 PM
|
#5
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Full time RV'er
Posts: 5,124
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by BZLuck
I just bought a pair of battery disconnects for $25. Thanks!
|
I used to look at those switches on the regular years ago and then one day, I noticed they didn't change size or weight or price but suddenly jumped from 100 amp rating to 200 amp rating. Being an electronics professional, it struck me as odd that that could happen. Seemed more like an marketing scheme rather than a sudden magical jump in rating. Since I was retired, I decided to just be suspicious of that upgrade in current rating rather then testing it.
At a thrift store, the wrench would be $0.50, and a box of Nitrile gloves at a dollar store, $2 for a pack of 10 pairs last time I checked. So, $2.50 vs $25. (And, of course, along with those switches will be the expense of heavy wire pigtails to interconnect things. Not always needed, but usually are.)
I enjoy saving money.
|
|
|
07-12-2022, 12:38 PM
|
#6
|
Member
Join Date: Sep 2021
Posts: 36
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jim_HiTek
I used to look at those switches on the regular years ago and then one day, I noticed they didn't change size or weight or price but suddenly jumped from 100 amp rating to 200 amp rating. Being an electronics professional, it struck me as odd that that could happen. Seemed more like an marketing scheme rather than a sudden magical jump in rating. Since I was retired, I decided to just be suspicious of that upgrade in current rating rather then testing it.
At a thrift store, the wrench would be $0.50, and a box of Nitrile gloves at a dollar store, $2 for a pack of 10 pairs last time I checked. So, $2.50 vs $25. (And, of course, along with those switches will be the expense of heavy wire pigtails to interconnect things. Not always needed, but usually are.)
I enjoy saving money.
|
While I totally respect and understand your position, I also have a perspective of "the next person" or even more closer to home, my wife.
I'm a tech geek. When I "upgrade" something I always try to keep in mind that someone other than me has to use or operate it. It can be cool as heck, but it has to work, and it shouldn't have to be explained more than once.
Although I could show my wife the wrench/negative thing, these two little $12 switches make it a 5 second explanation.
"Lift this step, flip those 2 switches, close the step. Done."
Not, "OK, so here is the wrench for the house batteries, since they have top terminals. This is the wrench for the starter battery because it has side terminals... the black lead is the negative, disconnect them one at a time, but make sure they don't touch anything else..."
Same thing goes for some other things I've done on this RV. For instance the sewer hose had to be fed a very specific way to fit through the port on the floor of that compartment area so the door could be closed. It would go, but it was a pain and could get messy.
20 minutes, $15 a Dremel and some Dicor, and I now have a 5" marine port instead of the standard 4" port. Problem solved for me, or anyone else struggling with it, ever.
Cheers!
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|