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11-09-2015, 05:12 AM
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#1
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Ogden
Posts: 638
M.O.C. #13862
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What on earth does the "Battery Disconnect" do?
This is the DUMBEST thing I've seen yet on this trailer! Everything I look at still works. All the lights, the fans the gas detector, the leveling system... This is crazy! When I want to disconnect a battery. I actually want it disconnected! What is the point of it if it doesn't do what everybody actually expects it to do.
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11-09-2015, 06:00 AM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Hanover
Posts: 1,471
M.O.C. #13325
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Supposedly there's safety issues with not having power to some of the detectors & landing gear, but I haven't a clue why your lights & etc. still work. I've added cut offs at the battery on several previous SOBs before and have a fused disconnect box on my current one to disconnect everything if I want to.
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11-09-2015, 06:03 AM
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#3
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Ogden
Posts: 638
M.O.C. #13862
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Given Keystone's track record for craftsmanship on this rig, I'm wondering if it's actually connected at all!
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11-09-2015, 06:08 AM
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#4
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Winfield
Posts: 7,327
M.O.C. #6846
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The easiest way I have found to test it is to use the light in the convenience center for confirmation. I will add that I no longer use it since I put a marine type battery isolator switch in the battery compartment. When I turn it off, all power from the batteries is off.
Bingo
__________________
Bingo and Cathy - Our adventures begin in the hills of WV. We are blessed by our 2014 3850FL Big Sky (previous 2011 3750FL and 2007 3400RL) that we pull with a 2007 Chevy Silverado Classic DRW CC dually.
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11-09-2015, 06:33 AM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Vancouver Island
Posts: 894
M.O.C. #14417
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I also have found this to be a sorry excuse for a Battery Disconnect switch. I will be doing as Bingo has done.
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Lenny and Ros
2012 Montana 3400RL,680 Watts Solar,4xT-105 Trojans,GP-ISW2000-12 Inverter,Trimetric 2020, EMSHW50C
2009 Chevy Silverado 3500 LTZ Duramax 4x4 CC Dually, Banks Speed Brake
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11-09-2015, 07:34 AM
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#6
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Denver
Posts: 1,042
M.O.C. #5329
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On my 2006 2955RL, it turns off everything but the landing gear. Maybe yours was wired wrong from the factory.
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11-09-2015, 10:13 AM
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#7
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Indian Land
Posts: 1,142
M.O.C. #9808
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Mark N.
This is the DUMBEST thing I've seen yet on this trailer! Everything I look at still works. All the lights, the fans the gas detector, the leveling system... This is crazy! When I want to disconnect a battery. I actually want it disconnected! What is the point of it if it doesn't do what everybody actually expects it to do.
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Sounds like you are connected to shore power. Disconnect kills the power to the DC power distribution bus. If you are connected to shore power, the Convert will supply power to the DC distribution bus, so it may appear to now do anything.
As others said, the disconnect is down stream of the batter compartment. Landing gear and slides get their power from Auto-Reset breaker near the battery, and don't go through the disconnect.
If the key comes out, the power is off form the battery to DC distribution panel. Also note, that batter will not be charged when connected to shore power, if the switch can be removed.
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11-09-2015, 10:16 AM
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#8
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: Fort Wayne
Posts: 477
M.O.C. #17609
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On ours it does turn off most items except the landing gear. I haven't done a detailed item by item check though.
__________________
2016 Montana 3160RL w/MOR/Ryde IS and Disc Brakes
855W Solar System, TriStar MPPT-60 Controller, Magnum 2800W Inverter, 6 Trojan T-105REs
2015 Chevy Duramax SRW SB Crew Cab
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11-09-2015, 11:18 AM
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#9
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Montana Master
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Lake Gaston
Posts: 8,773
M.O.C. #12156
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I am glad to have it. Did not have on earlier rigs and had to do manual battery disconnects. It kills any draw on the battery when in storage. Only thing operable on my rig are the slides and LCI leveling system.
__________________
Mike and Lorraine
2002 3655 FL, 2005 3650RK
2010 3665RE, 2015 3910FB
F350 crew cab dually 6.7
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11-09-2015, 11:25 AM
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#10
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Montana Master
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Eugene
Posts: 1,053
M.O.C. #5091
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I just simply disconnect the battery terminal each time I'm not going to use the trailer for awhile.
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11-09-2015, 05:18 PM
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#11
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Ogden
Posts: 638
M.O.C. #13862
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by 7.3Ford
Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Mark N.
This is the DUMBEST thing I've seen yet on this trailer! Everything I look at still works. All the lights, the fans the gas detector, the leveling system... This is crazy! When I want to disconnect a battery. I actually want it disconnected! What is the point of it if it doesn't do what everybody actually expects it to do.
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Sounds like you are connected to shore power. Disconnect kills the power to the DC power distribution bus. If you are connected to shore power, the Convert will supply power to the DC distribution bus, so it may appear to now do anything.
As others said, the disconnect is down stream of the batter compartment. Landing gear and slides get their power from Auto-Reset breaker near the battery, and don't go through the disconnect.
If the key comes out, the power is off form the battery to DC distribution panel. Also note, that batter will not be charged when connected to shore power, if the switch can be removed.
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That has to be it! I was indeed connected to shore power at the time I tried everything. I will repeat the test with the trailer disconnected from shore power.
My concern is that the level system indeed works with the disconnect activated, and that there is nothing (like a gas detector) drawing off the battery.
Thanks everyone!
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11-10-2015, 01:59 AM
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#12
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Site Team
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Wilsey
Posts: 18,799
M.O.C. #11455
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On ours the propane detector is hot even if the disconnect is activated.
__________________
Dick, Joyce, Diego, Picatso and Gustav
2017 3720 RL, and 2013 HC 343RL
Pullrite Hitch, IS, Disk Brakes, 3rd AC, Winegard Traveler, Bathroom door mod, Dometic 320, couch for desk swap, replaced chairs, sun screens, added awnings, etc.
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11-10-2015, 07:47 AM
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#13
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Box Elder
Posts: 4,689
M.O.C. #12947
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There are two auto-reset breakers in the battery compartment. One of the breakers feeds the electric panel where all the 12 volt fuses are. The other breaker feeds the hydraulic pump for the Level Up system, but if you look, there are some other wires connected to the breaker, that I think feed the propane detector and maybe a couple other things. On our rig, the CO (carbon monoxide) detector and the smoke detector are not wired, just work off of their own batteries inside the detectors. We are full time, so do not store the rig, and have not had a need to turn the red key. I have worked on the wiring inside the battery compartment, so do know there are other wires attached to the breakers.
__________________
Bob & Becky
2012 3402RL
2012 Chevy 2500HD D/A CC 4WD
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11-10-2015, 09:10 AM
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#14
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Chilliwack
Posts: 1,520
M.O.C. #12935
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On my 2012 - 3402RL the Co2 detector does "NOT" receive any power when the battery disconnect is off. Now if you were to check this with the unit plugged into shore power you might think it was getting power from the batteries, however at that point it is supplied from the main 12V panel and not directly from the batteries.
The remote receiver has power to it even when the disconnect is off, that is one of the wires from the circuit breaker, one other one that is connected at all times is the wire to the hot terminal on your RV plug, so even if the battery disconnect is off and you were hooked to your TV you would have some charge going to the batteries, this of course has no importance for battery drain if not hooked up to the TV.
My smoke detector is battery operated with it's own battery so puts no drain on the RV batteries.
Mark N, I am not sure why you are concerned that the landing gear and slides are still connected with the disconnect off. My guess is that it is done that way so that folks will not attempt to run the hydraulics unless the batteries are in line ie: just operating on shore power and the 12V supplied by the converter, would severely overtax the converter.
The remote receiver may draw some minimal current when not in use, one day I will check that. As others have said you can ignore the disconnect and put one right at the battery and you will have no drain, no operation of anything 12V, your choice.
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11-10-2015, 01:49 PM
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#15
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Ogden
Posts: 638
M.O.C. #13862
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Irlpguy
...Mark N, I am not sure why you are concerned that the landing gear and slides are still connected with the disconnect off...
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My trailer is sitting 350 miles from me in winter storage. However, we drive there and stay in it during the winter. It's much warmer in S. Utah than up here in N. Utah! However, we have the storage/RV resort pull it out onto a hook-up spot before we arrive. I would like to be able to disconnect anything that draws any current because of the time between visits. However, I need the leveling system to operate so that the folks that pull it out and put it back away for me can do so. So, in essence, I want NOTHING to work EXCEPT the leveling system.
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11-10-2015, 02:18 PM
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#16
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Ogden
Posts: 638
M.O.C. #13862
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Irlpguy
...Mark N, I am not sure why you are concerned that the landing gear and slides are still connected with the disconnect off...
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My trailer is sitting 350 miles from me in winter storage. However, we drive there and stay in it during the winter. It's much warmer in S. Utah than up here in N. Utah! However, we have the storage/RV resort pull it out onto a hook-up spot before we arrive. I would like to be able to disconnect anything that draws any current because of the time between visits. However, I need the leveling system to operate so that the folks that pull it out and put it back away for me can do so. So, in essence, I want NOTHING to work EXCEPT the leveling system.
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