Electrical question - Montana Owners Club

Montana Rog · 10-03-2006, 04:06 PM

My 2003 Montana...a 3670RL has a 12 volt carbon monoxide detector and a 12 volt rechargable flashlight. The cord to feed the flashlight goes in the wall somewhere. It doesn't work anymore, and with the carbon monoxide detector discharges the batteries. I want to disconnect both of them, and get rid of them. Where does the wires go in the wall? I don't want to just cut the wires. I will be getting a plug in monoxide detector..the flashlight is junk. Batteries cost more than it's worth for the flashlight.

Mrs. CountryGuy · 10-03-2006, 04:14 PM

Montana Rog

Cannot answer all your question, but justed wanted to ask you, if you knew that you need to disconnect the coach battery if you are not plugged in for, ohhhh, 3 days or more. As you are finding out that CM detector alone can run down the coach battery in no time at all. Leave the coach unplugged for 7 days or more, and you surely will have a dead battery in the coach.

No insult meant, only assistance.

Carol

Flashlight seems to be one of those things we either hate or love, Al and I don't hate, it, but do enjoy having it "hangin" around and easy to find. So far, 3 years 3 months and it is still working OK, now, that said, I have probably jinxed us, and it will die promptly, according to Murphy's instructions. SIGH

mallardjusted · 10-03-2006, 04:15 PM

There would be nothing wrong with either capping the flashlight wires at the back of the holder/charger, or follwing the wires to their DC source.

Are you sure you want to disconnect the carbon monoxide detector??? I assume the "plug-in" one you are talking about is 115vac? This means you would have no detector working for when you are on the road, boondocking, at rest stops, etc???

If you want to have more control on the 12volt detector, you could add a switch to it, or add a switch at your main battery.

Montana Rog · 10-03-2006, 04:30 PM

I had hoped to find a battery/115volt one like you can have for smoke detectors. Most of the new ones are battery backup..as for the flashlight..the little red light comes on, but I assume the rechargable batteries are no good. Rather than fix it I would just get something else. I suppose I could take it apart and buy batteries...no insult taken Carol..I'm always in the learning mode!! ha!ha!

c5racer · 10-03-2006, 05:56 PM

The wires on mine goes to the fuse panel.

mallardjusted · 10-03-2006, 07:07 PM

Our flashlight only lasted a few weeks after we got our unit. I threw it away and bought a cheap LED rechargeable from WM. Recharges from AC, but I store it in the old flashlight's holder/charger. Last's a long time in between charges.

Like Carol says, disconnecting the main battery can keep the battery from discharging. But I would rather have the switch on the detector, that way if I needed to turn a DC light on, or turn on the furnace, etc, I wouldn't have to worry about getting the main batteries hooked up again.

Broome101 · 10-04-2006, 02:51 AM

All 12-volt wiring go to your 12-volt fuse panel above your AC panel in your rig. you can always just tape them off with electrical tape at the end where you disconnect them fro the device.

Mrs. CountryGuy · 10-04-2006, 03:02 AM

mallardjusted

I am frequently off base with this stuff, but I believe that not only does the flashlight and the CO detector draw from the battery and discharge the coach battery, - - - -

but there is some small draw on the refer as well that will do the same. So, you could unplug the flashlight and you could switch off the CO, but not sure what you could do about that draw with the refer.

Therefore the need to disconnect the battery if you are not plugged into shore power for more than a few days.

And, if I am off base, one of those good MOC people in the know will chance along and tell you the true scoop!

Carol

skypilot · 10-04-2006, 04:05 AM

Carol - you are not off-base at all. The refer circuit requires a 12 volt power source, even when you are hooked up to shore power; had a problem with my converter / battery last summer and found out the hard way

.

However, I am confused; are we actually talking about a Carbon Monoxide detector or the propane detector down by the floor. I have 3 separate items in my current unit - a smoke alarm located on the ceiling, a CO detector located on the wall in the bedroom; and the propane detector located near the floorboard. Only the propane detector is 12V; the other 2 are 9V batteries as I recall (hmmm, I'd better check those

; I don't remember putting new batteries in them!!!).

Mrs. CountryGuy · 10-04-2006, 04:22 AM

skypilot,

OK, ya got me there, let me ask Al.

OK, he says propane detector, which on our coach is near the hot water heater, in the kitchen area, near the floor. It takes 12 volt. This one will run down your coach battery.

He says there is another detector, up by the bathroom, takes a 9 volt battery, so, is not hard wired. Probably a smoke detector, but I am not going out in the monsoon to check it!

So, next time I go out there I am gonna check for smoke and/or CO.

Sorry for the misleading posts, thanks skypilot for the correction!

Al also reminds me that if you leave that humidity switch on (refer again) it will really drain the coach battery in a BIG hurry!!

(if this rain does not stop soon we will be retrofitting Tana with pontoons and floating to Texas this winter! GULP!

)

Carol

OntMont · 10-04-2006, 04:47 AM

I think that you have it covered now Carol. I would opt for the main power switch option if you want to kill all the 12 volt drain.

(And Carol, we agree on the rain. We are about ready to float away! - at least the rally was not anywhere near this wet. It is supposed to clear up and be nice for the weekend, which is Canadian Thanksgiving weekend).

315RLS · 10-04-2006, 05:07 AM

Montana Rog we had the propane detector going off after leaving the trailer for any length of time just drawing off the battery when not hooked to shore power so put a toggle switch for the propane detector right next to it and added the following at the battery.

Mrs. CountryGuy · 10-04-2006, 05:58 AM

OntMont,

Off subject - - 1.5 hours later, we have had several bouts of rain that appeared they were monsoon in nature, even tho monsoons are not normal here (aren't they an Southern hemisphere thing??)

Now, the sun is trying to come out. Go figure, weather changes every 5 minutes.

And, yes, sure glad we did not have this amount of rain at the Rally! GROANN.

John and Donna and all our other Canadian friends - - - HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
Carol

Thunderman · 10-04-2006, 06:48 AM

Montana Rog,
Regarding the propane detector, can't you remove the fuse?

skypilot · 10-04-2006, 11:06 AM

You are getting the rain we so desperately need (although not all at once the way it seems you are getting it). It is so dry here (and been so dry) as well as unseasonably hot, that crops are not doing well at all (I'm not a farmer but everything around here revolves around the AG industry that it creeps into all discussions!!). Oh well, back to topic.

Thunderman asked about removing the fuse for the propane detector -- I looked at mine at lunch and it appears to be wired direct -- i.e. no fuse that I see. May be a circuit breaker type circuit - will have to do some more looking when I have some time. Interesting the things we find on here that we normally don't think about until.........

Montana Rog · 10-04-2006, 02:07 PM

I think you are right about the propane detector. I just assumed it was carbon Monoxide detector. I will pull the fuse if I unplug for long periods. With the fridge off, propane detector off,there should be nothing using power, right?

Mrs. CountryGuy · 10-04-2006, 02:26 PM

Montana Rog

Turning the frig off does NOT eliminate the draw on your coach battery by the electronics in the frig, or by the humidity dryer if you happen to have it on and not even be aware that it is on.

It is a propane detector, not CO. Yep!

If you are NOT going to have power (electric plugged into shore), you have to shut that battery off somehow, or you will drain the coach battery. That is a given, a for certain and a yepper!

That is why so many of us have installed battery disconnects. Yes, the newer units with the all in one command center have a built in battery disconnect, but your 2003 does not, so you need to manually disconnect that battery or, it will be, sadly, DOA in about a week.

So, you have 3 drains on the coach battery: propane detector, flashlight and frig. Again, turning OFF the frig does not eliminate the draw on your coach battery.

I probably confused the works with my previous comments about the CO detector, SORRY, and no, there is no such creature in our Tana.

mallardjusted · 10-04-2006, 05:25 PM

Mrs Country Guy, re: "Turning the frig off does NOT eliminate the draw on your coach battery by the electronics in the frig"

Are you sure on this? What would require power in the fridge if you have it turned off???

Mrs. CountryGuy · 10-05-2006, 02:56 AM

mallardjusted

Yep, sure, it is a 12 volt electronics board, somewhere in the deep dark recesses of the works of your frig.

And, that humidity dryer thing, it is 12 volt, and does not turn off when you turn off the frig.

Al is answering these questions, he is retired electrician, if that makes you feel more secure.

Neither of us is sure, wonder if this info is in the user manuals on the frig??

kdeiss · 10-05-2006, 05:46 AM

I have found 3 things that draw current, The propane detector,Humidty element for Ref that has it own switch and if I remember correctly draws a lot of current and the TV Booster.

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