A necessity : Battery Cut Off Switch

[MuddyPaws]

If you haven't read of our experiences with electrical fire you'll find it in 'Montana Technical Help, Problems & Problem Solving'.

If not for the $30 cutoff switch I installed we might have lost everything. Because I had one I was able to cut the batteries off and put the fire out before more damage was done. The actual damage from the fire was less than $3000, it was the fall off the tow truck that did the other $17,000.

If you don't have one, get one.

If you've got one make sure it TOTALLY removes the batteries from the circuit. It's recommended that the switch be on the ground side of the battery circuit as close to the batteries as feasible.

We put a smoke detector in the storage cabinet as well. Close to the laundry door so we're more likely to hear it.

Keystone/Montana? Shouldn't you be doing this?

[KTManiac]

Not sure why you would want it on the Negative side of the battery. Wouldn't a direct short to the frame travel down the landing gear to ground and keep the juice flowing through the fault? I'm pretty sure you would want the cut off on the Positive side of the battery.

Maybe I'm wrong??? Any electricians out there care to comment.

Edit:
Now that I think about it, I guess the juice has to ground back to the battery to complete the faulty circuit, at least in a "12 volt only" situation.

A 110V fault would a be different story. I guess then either the circuit breaker would have to save the day, or you would have to be there to unplug the 110V cord.

[bsmeaton]

Actually you can disconnect either post, but technically removing the negative is a safer way of doing it.

When doing engine work, we would disconnect the negative. That way if you accidentally laid a tool across either post and ground, nothing happened. If you disconnect the positive rather than negative, the whole chassis remains a conductor.

Muddypaws - good advice on the smoke detector. We have had one down there since new. How did everything turn out?

[Mrs. CountryGuy]

I believe the new units that have that "fancy dancy one in all service center", electric, water, and sewer area all in that neato package, they have a cut off switch for the battery.

Now, that said, it is not as close to the battery as if you were to install one in the front locker area.

Not sure what year that started, 2008? 2009??

[bsmeaton]

quote:Originally posted by Mrs. CountryGuy

I believe the new units that have that "fancy dancy one in all service center", electric, water, and sewer area all in that neato package, they have a cut off switch for the battery.

Now, that said, it is not as close to the battery as if you were to install one in the front locker area.

Not sure what year that started, 2008? 2009??

2006. Unfortunately it is not a true cut off switch as Muddypaws notes. It does not cut off landing gear, slides, or electric jacks (anything on stand alone breakers that does not go through the 12V breaker panel). Its misleading and shame on Keystone for that. To correct the problem, you have to pull a new pair of cables from the batteries, down under the belly, and back up into the basement behind the convenience center, then rewire the switch so it is a true master switch.

[Clyde n Deb]

I know some people don't think much of them, but the old knife switches have worked well for me. Ran them for several years on the motor home, coach battery and deep cycles. Have had them on the Monty since new, 5th season coming up. Have never had a problem. I do run them on the negative cable, one on each battery.