Battery Cut Off Switch - Montana Owners Club

ChiefKB · 09-30-2014, 04:50 AM

When the battery power switch is set to the OFF position, does the battery still receive a charge from the converter if the shore line is plugged in?

dieselguy · 09-30-2014, 05:41 AM

I don't have your answer without experimenting with my volt/ohm meter, but curiosity is weighing heavy on my mind... why would you want to switch off the battery hooked to shore power?? Having 3 stage chargers in our units, there is minimal likelyhood of boiling over your battery.

jcurtis934 · 09-30-2014, 05:45 AM

One would think that they would wire it so that this would be the case. But it is also possible that the factory didn't do it that way. Easy to check by reading the voltage at the battery with a meter while plugged in. If 13 or higher, then answer is that it still gets a charge. Haven't tried what they did on my monty, but maybe I should. Of course, this will only tell us what they did on my trailer and not necessarily any other. John

rohrmann · 09-30-2014, 05:53 AM

At the rally yesterday, the rep from Progressive Dynamics said that the converters are designed to work all year, even in storage when the rig is plugged in. He said, if you can leave the rig plugged in, it will make the batteries last longer, even in winter, so you don't have to remove the batteries for storage. I haven't taken the time to figure out the switch, in two years, haven't seen a need to operate it.

dieselguy · 09-30-2014, 01:41 PM

Checked your question out on my 2011 ... the battery does not receive a charge while hooked to shore power when the disconnect is in the off position. As eluded to earlier ... seldom are two fivers wired exactly alike ...

ChiefKB · 10-02-2014, 06:32 AM

Thanks for the replies. I actually did get this answer from Keystone Support:
"... if you are looking to disconnect the battery the switch needs to be in the on position and at that point the battery will not charge if you are looking for the unit to charge then you would have to have the switch in the off position".

rohrmann · 10-02-2014, 07:23 AM

Now, that is really funny. We have had our rig over two years now and the battery switch has been in the ON position from the start, and the batteries are charged fine.

Irlpguy · 10-02-2014, 08:06 AM

Typical of an answer from Keystone from someone who knows not of what they speak. The battery disconnect has two position, ON and OFF. In the OFF position you are able to remove the key, this position disconnects the battery from the converter and supplies no voltage to the interior of the unit and it does not receive a charge. In the ON position you are connected to the converter and the battery will charge and the 12V then used in the trailer comes from the batteries, augmented by the converter depending on the current drain on the batteries.

The slides and level up will work in both positions because they are fed by the first of the circuit breakers and are not in line with the battery disconnect.

This is very confusing to many people and it is high time Keystone addressed the labeling, and their information people were educated in the workings of the cut off switch. I have confirmed the above with my own unit, however since I do not use the switch it matters little to me. I see no real need for the switch other than if one was replacing the converter or working on it at which time you would want to eliminate voltage from the battery.

1retired06 · 10-02-2014, 09:39 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by ChiefKB

Thanks for the replies. I actually did get this answer from Keystone Support:
"... if you are looking to disconnect the battery the switch needs to be in the on position and at that point the battery will not charge if you are looking for the unit to charge then you would have to have the switch in the off position".

Not so. Not in any of our four Montana units.

dieselguy · 10-02-2014, 10:40 AM

So much for technical support's vast knowlege ... heck, their quote doesn't even sound right saying it out loud!

jsmitfl · 10-05-2014, 06:25 AM

Agree with Ed

7.3Ford · 10-05-2014, 06:42 AM

Ed,

Is right on the money, forget ON/OFF labels, if the Key can come out, the power is off. The disconnect only stops the power to the DC bus (where all the fuses are). The converter feeds the DC bus, and thus the battery if the key is turned clockwise (key can't be removed).

There Remote Control circuit is still getting power from the battery, as Ed said, slides and jacks will still operate in either position, and can drain the battery if the battery is left connected without some charging from time to time.

Also as winter approaches, remember fully charged battery will not freeze (unless you get below -92 F). A battery at 20% of fully charge they freeze at +19 F.

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