Power draw when power is turned off??

[Rdowns]

So I had my 371 Fuzion sitting for the past 2 months.... which I never have done before, we typically use it every month. Long story short, I went to hook it up to the truck and the landing gear would not move. Check the battery gauge and sure enough... nothing. I had the power turned off at the master switch in the control box.

So my question is when the power is turned off is there some kind of draw somewhere that would slowly drain the batteries? I always check to see if there is anything left on, even after I kill the switch. Second question, how do you control the landing gear if the power is dead? I jumped the batteries off my truck and fired up the generator to do so, but what if you could not jump the batteries? How do you raise and lower the landing gear?

[sw342]

The smoke and CO2 detector is still in use even when the "master" kill switch inside the trailer is turned off. I have a disconnect at the battery and use for whenever the trailer is going to sit for a while. You will need power to use the landing gear. I have a jump box I bring along just in case I run the batteries down or do like you did and jump the genny off your truck.

[Rdowns]

Excellent! Good stuff to know! What kind of disconnect did you use? just a generic one from an auto store?

[Festus2]

Besides the parasitic battery drain from your CO detector/alarm, the stereo system light is usually ON as well. You can either modify the stereo wiring or remove the fuse to eliminate the drain from that system.

Smoke alarms are almost always battery operated so you should not experience any draw from that device.

I have a landing jack crank handle which can be used to raise or lower the landing jacks should I lose battery power. In our unit, there is an access hole located inside the driver's side propane tank compartment. The crank is fitted with a special end which slides onto the landing gear drive shaft (at the motor end). It is a slow process but it does manage to raise or lower the jacks.

[sw342]

Originally Posted by Rdowns

Excellent! Good stuff to know! What kind of disconnect did you use? just a generic one from an auto store?

I forgot, Did your unit come with a flexible tool about 14" long that you could attach to a drill. I believe the square end fits into the motor for the hydraulic pump. That way you could manually retract the landing gear and slides. Still would be easier to jump start the generator than have a drill spin the pump motor. Besides I only carry an electric drill with an extension cord, so I would need the genny anyways to run it. Though I do always pack my little Honda generator so I don't always have to run the 5500 built in


I had a 120 amp re-settable circuit breaker from an early bronco project I threw in there. Push the red button to disconnect power, reset the breaker when I want to power the unit. Its mounted right off the battery. Something like this one.

[dcg9381]

I just bought a surface mount marine battery switch...

[Rdowns]

I found these on Ebay, it looks as though a lot of other people are installing on boats and RV's... so hopefully they work.
Which side is better to put it on? negative or positive?

[dcg9381]

Those will do the job.
Side doesn't matter, although I tend to do the + side. If you have dual batteries you need two switches (one per) and must switch both of them.

[B-O-B'03]

Originally Posted by dcg9381

Those will do the job.
Side doesn't matter, although I tend to do the + side. If you have dual batteries you need two switches (one per) and must switch both of them.

I think you only need to have the switch in line with the power wire going to the camper?

-Brian

[dcg9381]

That will work - although technically you can interrupt the ground to with the same result. Power wire is most typical.

Again, one per battery if you're using the clamp types like above.

[Hoef]

Actually, if you only switch to the one battery that has the frame ground, that is, typically the best route to take. Just my $0.02...

[Ram189]

Food for thought on the dead batteries and no electric lift.

I had this happen once and plugged in my trailer to my truck with truck running for like 5 minutes and had enough to hook up and retract the lifts.

[Barbell]

Our Montana (2014) has from day one run the battery down within 48 hours unless BOTH battery terminals are disconnected. The disconnect switch does not disconnect the battery from whatever is pulling it down. Had it looked at when in warranty and they threw up their hands and gave me a new battery. It's not a big deal to us since we do not dry camp but it still should not be this way.

[dcg9381]

You're talking about the factory disconnect (I think). As mentioned above, it's really just a "disconnect most stuff" - you'd be fine if you disconnected the terminal to that factory disconnect (only one side).

[tank45]

This is what I used:

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Syste...connect+switch

[SteveC7010]

Originally Posted by tank45

This is what I used:

http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Syste...connect+switch

Great choice. Just note that this one (model 6006) is a single battery switch.

If someone needs a switch for dual batteries, use the model 6007. Widely available on Ebay, Amazon, and elsewhere. http://www.powerwerx.com/batteries-c...itch-dual.html

[old timer]

You only need one disconnect if using 2 6 volt batteries. Put it in the ground and do it between the frame and the batteries. If you use 2 12 volt batteries than you need 2 disconnects. Do the same and put it between the ground and the frame. The reason you do it this way is because the ground wire can touch the frame if it should come lose but the hot wire will arch and cause a fire.

[Pmedic4]

Fortunately, our Cougar battery disconnect removes all the parasitic drains from the battery, but the remote operated devices still operate. The odd part about that, one time I had turned off, and removed the 'key' (red plastic piece) from the disconnect, but absent-mindedly went in and turned on the lights, and they worked! For some reason, the built in battery disconnect didn't remove the connection?? Went and tried it again, and this time it removed the power.

Just another one of those quirks to drive you crazy.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by Pmedic4

Fortunately, our Cougar battery disconnect removes all the parasitic drains from the battery, but the remote operated devices still operate. The odd part about that, one time I had turned off, and removed the 'key' (red plastic piece) from the disconnect, but absent-mindedly went in and turned on the lights, and they worked! For some reason, the built in battery disconnect didn't remove the connection?? Went and tried it again, and this time it removed the power.

Just another one of those quirks to drive you crazy.

Sometimes I wonder if individual trailers are wired differently and if there is some "rational reason" for the way the cutoff switch is placed in the circuit. When you think about the remote controlled items, if the remote receiver isn't getting power (parasitic drain) it wouldn't be capable of monitoring for an input from the hand unit. So, even though it's a small drain, the remote receiver is powered up 24/7, even with the battery cutoff switch in the off position.

As a comparison to yours, my cutoff switch removes power from the main lighting, refrigerator, water pump, water heater, converter and TV amplifier, but power remains on the slides, landing gear, awning, front docking light (all of which are on the remote) and also the CO and Propane monitors. The only "switchable light" that operates in the "off" position is the light under the front overhang.

Your comment about some items working one time and not the other is a "puzzle" for sure. I wonder if the cutoff switch may have "stuck" with the contacts making contact? But then, everything should have worked since there is only one set of contacts on the switch used by the factory... A puzzle for sure ??????

[sw342]

Originally Posted by old timer

. If you use 2 12 volt batteries than you need 2 disconnects. Do the same and put it between the ground and the frame.

Interested to know why you would use two disconnects? Is it because if both batteries are still connected together they will run each other down as they discharge?