12V key in 'control center'

[twindman]

I was installing a new 12V light above the stove. So to be safe, I went out and removed that key. Guess what - the lights still worked. Also, when I tried to pull in the slides, they started ok, but got slower and slower. As soon as I reinserted the key and turned it, the slides worked fine.
So does it sound like the key is wired to the wrong side of things?

[Carl n Susan]

It sounds like you didn't disconnect the shore power and the converter was providing 12V power. That would account for the light working and the degradation of the slide (the converter doesn't have enough amps, it needs a battery). I bet the switch is wired correctly.

[rohrmann]

If you totally wanted no 12 volt power inside the rig, in addition to operating the battery disconnect switch so the key can be removed, which removes battery power, and you also needed to either turn off the 120 volt breaker inside the interior panel that feeds the converter or just turn off the main breaker inside that same panel. Normally, there really isn't any reason to operate the battery disconnect switch, except when you are doing some maintenance work like you were doing.

[twindman]

Thanks guys. I was thinking the switch completely shut the 12v down even with the 120 hooked up.

[rames14]

Tom, they call it a battery disconnect, but it doesn’t even do that. While the switch is live hydraulics and things like propane detector are still live. That’s why so many people who store their RV’s with that switch off are surprised to find batteries dead. Hope the light got installed without any shocking revelations.