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Old 12-29-2014, 01:02 PM   #1
davvalh
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Battery Disconnect

Hello everyone
I recently purchase a 2014 Springdale 253 fifth wheel.
Does anyone know if it has a factory battery disconnect on it?
The dealer told me they did not think so. The LP detector and the stereo light stays on all the time. Draining the battery in a couple of days in storage.
Plan on installing a disconnect if it does not have one.
If I forget and plug it in with the battery disconnected will it do and harm?

Thanks in advance.
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Old 12-29-2014, 01:05 PM   #2
chuckster57
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No harm, but the battery won't charge.
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Old 12-29-2014, 01:54 PM   #3
JRTJH
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No, the Springdale line doesn't have a battery disconnect switch. I installed one in mine that I bought from Tractor Supply and adapted it to a gray plastic utility box that I bought at Lowe's. Total cost for the parts was about $25.

The only "other way" to keep the battery from discharging is to disconnect it when in storage, otherwise the "parasitic drains" (radio dial, CO detector and Propane detector, etc) will discharge the battery in short order.

Here are a couple of pictures of my installation. The front compartment of your 253 is the same as my 242.
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Old 12-30-2014, 05:09 PM   #4
Larry1013
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You can get a simple battery disconnect at Wal Mart for about $5.00. You attach it to your Negative (-) post for safety. Then you use a bolt and nut to attach the Negative (-) eyelet cable to the end. You unscrew the green noble (can be removed completely for safe keeping).

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Everstart-...nnect/16006670
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Old 12-30-2014, 06:26 PM   #5
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I found a $7 disconnect where a red plastic "key" enables or disables the power from the battery/ies. I mounted the 'chuck' which the "key" fits into, in the battery box lid.
However, the radio and gauges found a body ground and continued to work so I had to move it to the POS batt terminal. I believe I'm not the only one who's had this issue.

Pic of a similar unit attached.
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Old 12-30-2014, 08:45 PM   #6
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audio1der,

That's the same type of switch I used, only I mounted it in a gray plastic utility box from Lowe's. It's a strange beast you've got there that won't disconnect power on the negative terminal ???? There's got to be some "negative magic" going on there somewhere ?????
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Old 01-01-2015, 05:45 AM   #7
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The positive or negative location of battery switches has been argued on many forums ad nauseum. I work in the marine industry and have never seen a battery switch installed anywhere but on the positive side. I have also never seen one OEM installed anywhere else on a RV. I grew weary of being constantly argued down about it by the armchair electricians and finally decided that it wasn't my problem.
The reason for putting it on the positive side is that both 12V ground and AC ground are tied together. It's possible for a 12V device to pick up enough of a ground to create a parasitic drain while not actually enabling the 12V device to work. By breaking the 12V source there is no question that 12V has been removed from everything.
There will still be those who insist on doing it their way. Good luck with that, but that is the rationale behind it.
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Old 01-03-2015, 05:11 AM   #8
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Hi Bob, does your better half call you Walter? I'm beginning to think that is my real name!
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Old 01-03-2015, 05:45 AM   #9
Bob Landry
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Hi Bob, does your better half call you Walter? I'm beginning to think that is my real name!
I guess that one went over my head.
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Old 01-03-2015, 06:01 AM   #10
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Originally Posted by Bob Landry View Post
I guess that one went over my head.
He might be referencing Walter Mitty
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Old 01-03-2015, 10:01 PM   #11
Jabber2Jake
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My battery has the pos and neg cables connect to terminals with wing nuts. I just unscrew the wing nut on the neg terminal and pull off the cable. It takes maybe 5 seconds. Not as fast as flipping a switch, but don't cost nothing.
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Old 01-04-2015, 05:14 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Landry View Post
The positive or negative location of battery switches has been argued on many forums ad nauseum. I work in the marine industry and have never seen a battery switch installed anywhere but on the positive side. I have also never seen one OEM installed anywhere else on a RV. I grew weary of being constantly argued down about it by the armchair electricians and finally decided that it wasn't my problem.
The reason for putting it on the positive side is that both 12V ground and AC ground are tied together. It's possible for a 12V device to pick up enough of a ground to create a parasitic drain while not actually enabling the 12V device to work. By breaking the 12V source there is no question that 12V has been removed from everything.
There will still be those who insist on doing it their way. Good luck with that, but that is the rationale behind it.
Bob
A big 10/4 on what you just said 👍
You are right on!

I worked in the electric motor , power generator industry for many years

The cardinal rule was "always break the power line when switching"
For the exact reasons you described

BTW
You will never see your home switches wired to break the neutral (ground) line
(I hope) 😀
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Old 01-04-2015, 02:22 PM   #13
Javi
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Originally Posted by Fishhawk View Post
Bob
A big 10/4 on what you just said ��
You are right on!

I worked in the electric motor , power generator industry for many years

The cardinal rule was "always break the power line when switching"
For the exact reasons you described

BTW
You will never see your home switches wired to break the neutral (ground) line
(I hope) ��
Big difference between alternating current and direct current..
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Old 01-04-2015, 02:59 PM   #14
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Big difference between alternating current and direct current..
True,
But when isolating a power source (cut off switching)
, the same principal applies to both a/c and d/c
Unless my old worn out brain isn't remembering my training properly


😀
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Old 01-04-2015, 03:30 PM   #15
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Coming from the automotive side of things, I'll continue to disconnect the negative side of the battery. In more than 50 years of working on cars, trucks, and heavy equipment I have never disconnected the positive cable first.

One of the very first things I was taught, disconnect the negative cable first.

I'm thinking RV's are much closer to car, trucks and heavy equipment than they are to boats when it comes to the battery circuit.

I think the thing folks is missing is that there are two completely different 12 volt systems in an RV, one from the battery and the other from the converter. The converter will continue to power the 12 volt system in the RV without a battery as long as there is a 120 volt source connected to the converter.

If you disconnect the battery from the ground or from the positive side really makes little difference if the purpose is to remove the battery power source and any drain from that battery. If you disconnect the battery cable itself then you should disconnect the negative side first to prevent an unintentional arc. Failure to do so is risking a explosion, should your wrench make contact with the frame or other metal body part while removing the positive cable.

It really is that simple and personally if I'm concerned with the parasitic draw on my batteries I'd just remove them from the RV and store them at home.

But since I have a power source available in the storage facility I just plug the RV in and switch off all non-essential breakers, leaving only the convertor/charger circuit live. I then monitor the battery condition and check the water in the cells every couple of weeks.
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Old 01-04-2015, 03:33 PM   #16
Javi
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Originally Posted by Fishhawk View Post
True,
But when isolating a power source (cut off switching)
, the same principal applies to both a/c and d/c
Unless my old worn out brain isn't remembering my training properly


��
Sorry, I grew up in a time where the 120 AC didn't have a ground wire.. only a neutral. In which case it didn't matter which side you interrupted the current flow on..
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Old 01-04-2015, 04:11 PM   #17
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Links to Battery Disconnect Switch Installation Instructions:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...82001339,d.aWw

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...82001339,d.aWw

http://www.eastwood.com/battery-shut...tructions.html

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...82001339,d.aWw

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/su...a/instructions

http://www.sears.com/gama-electronic...-SPM1708495914

Above are 6 links to installation instructions for battery disconnect switches. They are all published by the manufacturer of the specific switch. If you click on the links, read through the information (sometimes 3 or 4 pages of boring drivel) you'll come to a part that says something like, "Disconnect the negative terminal..." or in other links, you'll see, "Disconnect the positive terminal..."

My point is simply that even the manufacturers of the switches don't (or can't, or won't) agree on whether the switch should be installed on the positive or the negative terminal.

So, if the people who make the switches don't agree, who are we, to argue the point?

I submit to each of you that's "hard over" either positively or negatively, that you're right, as long as you do it your way, to heck with what others might think...... Case closed ???? I doubt it... but until next time, remain positively negative, or is it negatively positive ?????

Oh, not that I could remain completely "neutral" on the issue, Ford, in the owner's manual, instructs to disconnect the negative battery terminal when storing the vehicle for an extended period of time.

Cheers,
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Old 01-04-2015, 04:19 PM   #18
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Old 01-09-2015, 02:05 PM   #19
Edlees
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2014 Cougar 277RSLWE Fifth Wheel - Battery Disconnect

I have a battery disconnect on my rig ( in side compartment) and I don't believe it is totally shutting off all power. My batteries went dead after being in the off position for 3 months.
I was contemplating installing an additional disconnect on the positive side in the battery compartment.
Anyone else had this issue and did you resolve it?

Thanks
Ed
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Old 02-01-2015, 05:21 AM   #20
PerryB
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Edlees View Post
I have a battery disconnect on my rig ( in side compartment) and I don't believe it is totally shutting off all power. My batteries went dead after being in the off position for 3 months.
I was contemplating installing an additional disconnect on the positive side in the battery compartment.
Anyone else had this issue and did you resolve it?

Thanks
Ed
The LP detector stays on and the memory keep-alive wire for the radio stays on, at least it does in my 2010 Mountaineer. I ended up installing my own switch that kills everything.
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