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Old 07-12-2021, 07:26 AM   #21
travelin texans
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I'm new at this so I'm not saying you are wrong but how would shutting the box off drain the batteries ? I know when it's off nothing in the RV works, it appears to kill everything so nothing has power.
It DOES NOT kill everything when off/disconnected! Yes the big items like your lights, fridge, furnace, all the stuff you would easily notice not working won't work, but not the LP/CO detector, radio clocks & slide motors & your batteries WILL be dead in as little as a few days, depending on battery condition, unless the negative cable is removed from the battery or rewire the disconnect to totally remove battery power.
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Old 07-12-2021, 09:13 AM   #22
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It DOES NOT kill everything when off/disconnected! Yes the big items like your lights, fridge, furnace, all the stuff you would easily notice not working won't work, but not the LP/CO detector, radio clocks & slide motors & your batteries WILL be dead in as little as a few days, depending on battery condition, unless the negative cable is removed from the battery or rewire the disconnect to totally remove battery power.



I see what you are saying but with this box off none of the things you have listed have power. Clocks , radio, slides and the detector do not work as they have no power. In command sends a message saying DC is offline. I have had it off for over a week and turned it on this weekend to load things and the battery was fine.


I just wanted to make sure because my dealer told me to turn it it off to disconnect the battery if I was going to store it for a while.
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Old 07-12-2021, 11:28 AM   #23
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Let me try to clarify.

Shutting the battery "off" using the Keystone-supplied disconnect switch doesn't disconnect all the drains. In particular, the propane/CO detector stays powered, and in some rigs, the radio clock. However, the switch WILL prevent the shore-power converter from charging the battery. Result: the battery eventually dies.

Shutting the battery off by disconnecting a terminal, or installing your own shutoff switch at a terminal, will disconnect all charging and discharging. Then your battery is subject only to shelf life, climate, and evaporation issues.
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Old 07-12-2021, 11:46 AM   #24
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Unless Keystone very recently has changed the way they wire the factory disconnect it will not disconnect all parasitic drains & if left in storage for an extended period you will have dead batteries.
Just FYI most of the folks selling RVs have never spent a night in one nor towed it across the street so take their advice with a grain of salt. Most of the folks on this forum have been rving for 40+ years & would take any advice from them as factual from those years of experience.
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Old 07-12-2021, 12:52 PM   #25
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Well, I see a new point of confusion here. The Giggy Box has a battery disconnect switch that isn't the stand-alone paddle key switch that Keystone used to mount. The guy on the video says (twice!) that it shuts off ALL the 12V loads. But does it really, or is he shading the truth like with the old switch? Not having a new Giggy Box, I don't know.
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Old 07-12-2021, 01:20 PM   #26
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When I open the link Chuck supplied the impression I get from looking at the photo looks like it disconnects everything except the breakaway switch and the solar charger. If you look at the main red wire comming into the box (main pos battery cable?) It connects to what appears to be a bus bar. I'm guessing the next wire down is for the breakway switch and below that a larger red wire with an in-line fuse which I'm guessing is the feed from a solar panel.

That would leave all the mini breakers being feed on the switched side of that disconnect switch via a bus bar. This is my impression from what I can see. Obviously without aftual access to one there's no way to verify. From the looks of it I like the neatness and design.
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Old 07-12-2021, 03:07 PM   #27
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I don't believe the new giggy box is like the old disconnects we are used to. Looking at the pictures and watching the video it looks very much like it shuts it all down except the breakaway switch - which means they are doing what so many have wished they would do from the start apparently.
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Old 07-12-2021, 03:32 PM   #28
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Who named it a giggy box?
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Old 07-13-2021, 03:42 AM   #29
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I went to my RV last night to verify and from what I can see it disconnects "Everything" I can test in the RV. None of the outlets work, none of the lights work, none of the appliances work, the green light goes off on the CO2 detector, the light on the incommand panel in the front storage goes off and the incommand goes dark and sends a message to my phone saying it's offline. I have had my giggy box off for over a week and my battery is at 12.6-7 after a week.
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Old 07-13-2021, 03:51 AM   #30
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Originally Posted by travelin texans View Post
Unless Keystone very recently has changed the way they wire the factory disconnect it will not disconnect all parasitic drains & if left in storage for an extended period you will have dead batteries.
Just FYI most of the folks selling RVs have never spent a night in one nor towed it across the street so take their advice with a grain of salt. Most of the folks on this forum have been rving for 40+ years & would take any advice from them as factual from those years of experience.

I appreciate the information and I totally understand what you are saying about the dealers and the people here. The problem is most people here do not have the new disconnect and are just assuming that it doesn't disconnect the power like some of the old controllers. I called Keystone and they verified that the box was designed for an easy way to disconnect during long term storage. I specifically asked if it disconnected any parasitic draw and they confirmed it did. They did mention solar and the disconnect but they said the draw was next to nothing during storage.


Thanks again for your input as a new RV I appreciate the help.
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Old 07-13-2021, 05:24 AM   #31
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I appreciate the information and I totally understand what you are saying about the dealers and the people here. The problem is most people here do not have the new disconnect and are just assuming that it doesn't disconnect the power like some of the old controllers. I called Keystone and they verified that the box was designed for an easy way to disconnect during long term storage. I specifically asked if it disconnected any parasitic draw and they confirmed it did. They did mention solar and the disconnect but they said the draw was next to nothing during storage.


Thanks again for your input as a new RV I appreciate the help.


Yes, the giggy box throws some curves vs what everyone is used to as a disonnect in an RV. Used to RVs didn't have a disconnect, then they did but left all the parasitic draws. As much as I'm in and out of RVs I was not aware of the giggy box.(but didn't know to ask either).

Sounds like the description you gave is exactly what this box is supposed to do and I suspect it will be a welcome advance. I tried to run down a "release" date but best I could do was maybe somewhere around March (Feb.?) they put it out so yes, it is just now getting into owners' hands and most have not seen it. I will be finding my service manager so we can compare notes on them as they sound like a good deal (I hope).
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Old 07-13-2021, 06:30 PM   #32
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I specifically asked if it disconnected any parasitic draw and they confirmed it did.
Disconcerting, just like all of the vaccine/masking 180°s we've seen this year.

I mean, I like this implementation. I think it's the way things ought to be.

But doesn't it mean that all the excuses we've been fed up until now about "leaving the detector powered is a saaaaaafety thing," and "the lawyers demanded it in case of hobo infestation," were... well, crap?
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Old 07-14-2021, 01:59 AM   #33
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Disconcerting, just like all of the vaccine/masking 180°s we've seen this year.

I mean, I like this implementation. I think it's the way things ought to be.

But doesn't it mean that all the excuses we've been fed up until now about "leaving the detector powered is a saaaaaafety thing," and "the lawyers demanded it in case of hobo infestation," were... well, crap?
Maybe, maybe not. From what I recall on the subject I think it's been said many times that no one "has inside info" so we tend to go with what's the logical reason it was made that way. Happens all the time in life. So just as "we didn’t know then", we "don't know now" why the change. I could think of several "possabilities" The advertising states it's in response to customers wants so that's all we have to go on, unless you have some "confidential Keystone internal memos" that you'd like to share.
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Old 07-14-2021, 02:58 AM   #34
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Well, I've always said that my opinion was that a turn off switch ought to turn things off. Maybe Keystone does in fact listen to the way I prefer to use my camper.
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Old 07-14-2021, 03:24 AM   #35
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Well, I've always said that my opinion was that a turn off switch ought to turn things off. Maybe Keystone does in fact listen to the way I prefer to use my camper.
If they do can you pass along the few hundred suggestions the rest of us have?
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Old 09-27-2021, 01:03 PM   #36
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New 2021 220RD owner - noted ours didn't come with the shutoff. After reviewing the above, I'm just going to buy a nice big Moroso shutoff like I use on my race car and fab a mount. Done.
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Old 10-08-2021, 03:25 AM   #37
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I have a giggy box on my new trailer. I'm currently researching this to find out if the solar prewiring is fused, and it looks like it is as I have the solar wire connected to the options #5 (think that is the number) in the box. So I don't have to put the inline fuse between the battery/controller as it looks like an auto reset automotive fuse is in place in the box itself.



I found this video more complete than others. There seems to be only 2 continuous connections to the trailer with the power shutoff.


1. the emergency brake

2. the solar connection


https://m.facebook.com/KeystoneRV/vi...2enEbn5dPl0Ph6
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Old 10-08-2021, 05:34 AM   #38
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That's a really basic video LOL.

I've requested a wiring diagram of our trailer so I can get a better view of how they have things hooked up. Gut feel is that to add a second battery and insure proper charging, I'm likely going to have to carry the output of the converter/charger all the way to the front battery mount, or buy a charge management device to insure both batteries charge properly.

All the "solar" on this trailer is the SAE plug. If I add solar, I'm going to wire it as a completely independent system including panel(s) and mounts, MPPT controller, wiring, fuse/breakers, etc.
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Old 10-08-2021, 10:32 AM   #39
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I just posted the video as it seemed to answer some of the 'I think' answers in the thread and seems to be the only single source that I could find that answered them. If you get a wiring diagram for the giggy box it would be great.



I can tell from dissecting what is visible that the shutoff does have a 'bypass' for the brakes as well as the solar connection. The solar connection in my case is not the new solarflex, but the pre-wired OTG package for zamp equipment. This has the battery to compartment wiring as well as the compartment to root cap connector for the panels in addition to the little solar SAE connector, which I have but will not use/connect to.


For this the standard starting kit just comes with a 30A controller and with 2 12V batteries in parallel it will just be one large battery. You are correct in you would have to bypass this if you got a dual battery controller. (which I do not have currently).
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Old 10-08-2021, 05:06 PM   #40
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Keystone says the 220RD comes "solar prepped" and customer service says its based on the Zamp products. There is no other wiring I can find on the unit, other than the SAE connector. Nothing on the roof, nothing in the pass through. No prep for an inverter, nothing. The SAE goes right into the Giggy box.
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