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Socaltoolguy · 06-25-2020, 07:45 PM

Hi, I hate be that guy who monopolizes the forum but I keep coming up with questions that I can't find the answers for in the book that came with our rig. There appears to be 3 different battery cutoff switches. One small one by the entry door, one for the chassis battery and one for the house batteries. Can somebody please explain them in a rational way so that I know what to do with what switch and when. I installed a battery disconnect today on the ground cable just so that I would know that there is no draw on the chassis battery when it is parked. I also heard that the little switch by the door was more or less called a "salesman's switch" to shut off anything that might have been turned on by a prospective buyer. I have gotten in the habit of turning it off upon leaving the rig. I'm confused as to why if everything is off, the step still operates. I know there is a switch for it also so that it remains out when parked. So many things need a good explanation. The funny thing is, we are not new to RVing. We fulltimed for 3 years with a big Hitchhiker 5er. I thought it had a learning curve but this thing is ridiculous. So far, I have counted at least 4 different fuse panels on board. The one I need to get at, there is no way for a 77 year old guy who is big to ever get around the driver's seat to see the panel under the dash. I guess I'll have to pay someone to do that job. I'm still trying to figure out why the radio stopped working. I have no juice to it. Tomorrow, I'm going to pull it out and use a couple of jumper wires to bypass everything to see if it comes to life. If it doesn't it will find itself in the dumpster. OK, that's my rant. If anybody wants to chime in with some facts, please do. Thanks for your patience. I'm old and crotchety. And my wife is fed up with my complaining. LOL.

deandec · 06-25-2020, 07:51 PM

I did not have a Salesman's cut off switch, so I installed one by the door.

Now, when I open the door in storage, I flip that switch and the steps come out to great me.

Our house battery switch is on the overhead dash. Too high to reach from outside.

Your steps might be powered by the Chassis battery. That would have solved my step problem........

JJTL · 06-25-2020, 07:56 PM

Hi Ray,

I find it easiest to think of them as a 'Battery Cutoff', 'House Battery Disconnect' and 'Chassis Battery Disconnect'.

The Battery Cutoff, commonly refered to as the "Salesman Switch" is an electrical battery cutoff that uses solenoids to turn off most 12V house items. However, it does not turn off some items like the fridge (usually), safety alarms like CO and propane and/or smoke. If you have a factory solar panel this will also continue to charge the batteries with the cutoff switch off. Our inverter charger also continues to charge the batteries, even if the Battery Cutoff is off. Which items remain on will depend on your coach, for example you power stairs still work. I believe our Aqua-hot and ACs might still operate even if the Battery Cutoff is off. You mentioned your radio wasn't working, this is also an item that gets shut off by the Battery Cutoff for us. The main purpose of this is to quickly turn off lights and other items when leaving the coach for a short time, day or 2.

The House Battery Disconnect is a mechanical disconnect switch near the batteries that fully disconnects all 12V house power from the battery. Likewise, the Chassis Battery Disconnect fully shuts off all 12V chassis power from the battery. These are the switches you use when storing the coach for longer periods, or when working on the electrical systems of the coach.

Note: This is how my coach is setup, and I believe it to be how Monaco setup most models. But I could be mistake, and some coaches may differ.

Hope that helps!
Josh

l1v3fr33ord1 · 06-25-2020, 08:01 PM

Ray-

1) Don't bother with the house battery cutoff switch at the door. Leave it on. The less you touch it, the better.

2) The steps are fed from the chassis battery, through the chassis disconnect switch.

3) If you are not going to use the coach for a couple of days, and it is plugged into shore power, leave the chassis and house battery disconnect switches on, and the charging system on. Note: If shore power goes off for a few days, the batteries will die.

4) When you are not going to use the coach for a couple of days, and it is not plugged into shore power, turn off the chassis and the house battery disconnect switches.

5) If you are not going to use the coach for more than a couple days, and it is not plugged into shore power, charge the batteries to full, and then remove the ground cables from both battery banks.

The Monaco manual describes how the house battery cut-off and disconnect switches work, pages 293 and 294.

Your coach's chassis two fuse panels as it came from the Workhorse factory to Monaco. See page 313 in the Monaco manual. In its gas coaches of 2004 era, Monaco added two fuse panels. One is inside the forward-most storage compartment on the driver's side. See page 305 in the Monaco manual. The second is often found in the rear of the coach, near the 120V panel. See page 305 in the Monaco manual. So, that makes four fuse panels.

l1v3fr33ord1 · 06-26-2020, 07:29 AM

Ray-

Sorry about the "directive" tone in the above post; I didn't mean to come off as curt or irritated. If I had gone into the "whys and wherefores" and other details the post would have been too long. Besides, the manual covers the details fairly well.

The first sentence of the last paragraph should read:

"Your coach's chassis has two fuse panels as it came from the Workhorse factory to Monaco."

Socaltoolguy · 06-26-2020, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by l1v3fr33ord1

Ray-

1) Don't bother with the house battery cutoff switch at the door. Leave it on. The less you touch it, the better.

2) The steps are fed from the chassis battery, through the chassis disconnect switch.

3) If you are not going to use the coach for a couple of days, and it is plugged into shore power, leave the chassis and house battery disconnect switches on, and the charging system on. Note: If shore power goes off for a few days, the batteries will die.

4) When you are not going to use the coach for a couple of days, and it is not plugged into shore power, turn off the chassis and the house battery disconnect switches.

5) If you are not going to use the coach for more than a couple days, and it is not plugged into shore power, charge the batteries to full, and then remove the ground cables from both battery banks.

The Monaco manual describes how the house battery cut-off and disconnect switches work, pages 293 and 294.

Your coach's chassis two fuse panels as it came from the Workhorse factory to Monaco. See page 313 in the Monaco manual. In its gas coaches of 2004 era, Monaco added two fuse panels. One is inside the forward-most storage compartment on the driver's side. See page 305 in the Monaco manual. The second is often found in the rear of the coach, near the 120V panel. See page 305 in the Monaco manual. So, that makes four fuse panels.

Thanks Mark, what I have found is a fuse panel under the hood in the engine compartment, another one under the dash on the driver's side. Total inaccessible for me any way. Then there is a fuse panel in the forwardmost storage compartment just behind the right front wheel, another panel in the battery compartment and the fuse panel in the bedroom up where the breaker panel is located. I pray I never have to troubleshoot any of those fuses because none of them are marked that I can see. I think my radio fuse is on the panel under the steering wheel but I can't get to it without removing the driver's seat. No way for someone my age and condition. Maybe a midget could do it. Thanks again for your help.

Solo_RV_Guy · 06-26-2020, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Socaltoolguy

Thanks Mark, what I have found is a fuse panel under the hood in the engine compartment, another one under the dash on the driver's side. Total inaccessible for me any way. Then there is a fuse panel in the forwardmost storage compartment just behind the right front wheel, another panel in the battery compartment and the fuse panel in the bedroom up where the breaker panel is located. I pray I never have to troubleshoot any of those fuses because none of them are marked that I can see. I think my radio fuse is on the panel under the steering wheel but I can't get to it without removing the driver's seat. No way for someone my age and condition. Maybe a midget could do it. Thanks again for your help.

Rent a grand-kid?

The best things I've found - my cell phone front camera, and the $40-$60 'bore scopes' from Amazon, Northern Tool or Harbor Freight. Between them I can usually get some kind of useful image (eventually) that does not involve me standing on my head while folded up like an envelope.