Info on battery switches

[hitchikerman]

I need to install a battery switch on my trailer nothing fancy just looking for a single battery switch. There's one on E-bay for around $23.00 I believe the brand is called Blue sea. Any help would be appreciated.

[JRTJH]

Harbor Freight, $10, mount it in a plastic outdoor electric box from HD or Lowes. total cost less than $20. Use 4 or 6 gauge wire for connections.

Switch: http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-d...tch-66789.html

Box: http://www.lowes.com/pd_10029-223-E9...nfo=CARLON|PVC

Just drill a hole in the box to mount the switch, run the cables, connect, screw cover with switch installed to the box, put one key where you won't lose it and the other in your battery box and you're set to go.

There are a lot of opinions on which side to put the battery switch, positive or negative. I have mine on the negative side of the battery. If you check the current Trailer Life (May 2012) there is a very good article on batteries for RVing. In it, the author states to "always remove the negative connection first" So, switch on the negative terminal "removes that connection first"

Hope this helps

[f6bits]

I used one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Syste.../dp/B00445KFZ2

It’s surface mount, as it is its own box. I mounted mine on the front crossmember right behind the battery tray and it’s under the front end of the trailer out of harm’s way. It’s survived several big rainstorms.

[SteveC7010]

The Blue Sea product line is considered some of the best available by those that do professional installations on all kinds of public safety vehicles. Personally, if there is a Blue Sea product available for whatever application I might be working on, I'll use it rather than anything else.

[halfprice]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Harbor Freight, $10, mount it in a plastic outdoor electric box from HD or Lowes. total cost less than $20. Use 4 or 6 gauge wire for connections.

Switch: http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-d...tch-66789.html

Box: http://www.lowes.com/pd_10029-223-E9...nfo=CARLON|PVC

Just drill a hole in the box to mount the switch, run the cables, connect, screw cover with switch installed to the box, put one key where you won't lose it and the other in your battery box and you're set to go.

There are a lot of opinions on which side to put the battery switch, positive or negative. I have mine on the negative side of the battery. If you check the current Trailer Life (May 2012) there is a very good article on batteries for RVing. In it, the author states to "always remove the negative connection first" So, switch on the negative terminal "removes that connection first"

Hope this helps

This is what I did also. Works great.


Jerry

[bartletts]

The argument about which connection to disconnect is kind of a strange one. The reason you remove the negative connection first on an automobile battery is because the negative terminal is grounded to the chassis, and if you drop a wrench while unscrewing the positive terminal, you are less likely to short it out since the system should be dead when you take the negative terminal off. Also, when using jumper cables, you are supposed to make and break the connection to a ground point away from the battery, so if you have any hydrogen gas built up you are less likely to light it off from the arc. (Lead-Acid batteries emit hydrogen and oxygen when charging)

However, on a trailer, there is reason to put the switch on the positive side- the brake breakaway switch usually connects directly to the battery through an extra wire right at the terminals (at least the two trailers I've owned do). If you switch the negative side, you open up the battery and have no power to the brakes when the tow vehicle is disconnected. If you tow it with the switch left off and have an accident, you have no breakaway power to the brakes. I'm pretty sure most electric brake systems don't warn you if the breakaway power isn't there.

[Bob Landry]

You will never go wrong with any electrical product made by Blue Sea, Ancor, or Marinco. They are marine products an made to withstand the harshest conditions. They are a few dollars more than Harbor Freight or Lowes, but worth every penny in reliability.

As far as where to locate them, the above explanation above refering to the operation of the breakaway switch is one of the best I've heard for putting it in the positive side. ABYC specifies that it be put in the positive side on marine craft, and that's where I install them. Also, every new boat from the factory that I have been on has it done this way. If you want to do it another way, that's your choice and I'm sure you have your reasons based on what you have read or been told. It's not a point worth argueing because no one's mind is going to be changed in one thread.

[SAABDOCTOR]

HI Go with the blue sea or any good marine product. the contacts are better and the way they are mounted is much better than the harbor frieght which may fall appart with vibration. i used the blue sea on my racecars when i did that sort of thing. and put it on the positive cable on your trailer as was stated in bartletts post.

[campingcpl]

I used one like this and put it right inside the door of the camper. It really makes it convenient for turning the power on and off when the trailer is in storage. I put mine on the positive wire coming into the power center from the battery. With it being inside the trailer I don't have to worry about someone turning it on or off if they are messing around the outside of the trailer. This one cost less then $20.00 and was easy to install.

[hitchikerman]

Thanks for all the great info...looks pretty much straight foward. I ordered the Blue sea switch off E-bay and will install it. One other question though...the battery wire gage looks alittle small to me it's either 10-12 gage wire is this normal on most rv's?

[2011 keystone]

Originally Posted by campingcpl

I used one like this and put it right inside the door of the camper. It really makes it convenient for turning the power on and off when the trailer is in storage. I put mine on the positive wire coming into the power center from the battery. With it being inside the trailer I don't have to worry about someone turning it on or off if they are messing around the outside of the trailer. This one cost less then $20.00 and was easy to install.

Where did you find this switch?
It looks like it would work perfect on my trailer.

[SteveC7010]

Originally Posted by hitchikerman

Thanks for all the great info...looks pretty much straight foward. I ordered the Blue sea switch off E-bay and will install it. One other question though...the battery wire gage looks alittle small to me it's either 10-12 gage wire is this normal on most rv's?

I just ordered wire to add a second battery to the Cougar. The existing cables from the battery to the main circuit breaker and to ground are both 6 awg stranded so I stuck with that size for battery #2. There's a seller on Ebay that sells tinned, stranded marine wire by the foot for $1.24 a foot in various colors.

10 to 12 awg is way, way too small for a primary battery cable in an RV and in almost any other application that uses a group 24 or larger battery.

[SteveC7010]

Originally Posted by 2011 keystone

Where did you find this switch?
It looks like it would work perfect on my trailer.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Battery-Disc...item3cc2b74811

[campingcpl]

Originally Posted by 2011 keystone

Where did you find this switch?
It looks like it would work perfect on my trailer.

The one I used, I was able to get through my work. But the one posted was from ebay. Steve posted the link to it.