Battery quick disconnect

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colorocky

Member
Has anyone installed a quick disconnect to disable batteries while rig is in storage? I have a 26RKS and it a pain (literally, to the fingers) to remove battery case strap to undo battery cable and then replace it when we're ready to go on the road.

I could remove the fuse for radio, propane detector, etc., but like the absolute disconnect idea better. After earlier slide problem, we think we have identified all mismarked fuses, but can't be absolutely sure I'd disable all latend energy users.

Thanks for any ideas.
 
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Rrloren

Well-known member
Just installed one on mine. Easy , all you need is a disconnect switch , of your choice and one battery cable. I mounted mine on top of the battery vent box .
Less than $25 total cost.
 
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Smokeyfl

Senior Member
I put in an A / B / OFF / ALL battery switch purchased at a boating supply. I can shut everything off, or isolate one battery bank so I will always have juice to start the genset. Cost is about $50.00.
 
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dieselengineer

Charter Member
Another idea is to install a low voltage breaker with manual reset. You can get them at a good boating supply house. I have a 150 amp breaker install good for the set of 6 volt powerhouse batteries and adds some protection in case a cable rubs or something shorts out.
 
caissiel

caissiel

Senior Member
I bought a Ground post disconnect for less then $10.00 and I connect all 3 Batteries in Parrallel to the same battery and disconnect the coach main battery ground. This completly disconnect any grounding and preserve the batteries also. I disconnected my batteries last fall in early October and the 10 June I reconnected then to operate the front legs to hook on the truck, and the voltage was up after spending all the time in storage with -40 F most of the winter in Northern Canada.
 
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wyleyrabbit

Well-known member
I installed one of these for the battery, and another one for the inverter. Picked it up from the local West Marine store for about $30, if I remember correctly. Works perfectly!

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caissiel

caissiel

Senior Member
How did you wire the inverter to the panel, I am thinking of installing a line to a new breaker, and only have my slide Breaker on to supply power to my toys.
 
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wyleyrabbit

Well-known member
I cheated. I didn't wire the inverter to the panel at all. I have the inverter in the basement along the front wall beside the battery compartment, with the + and - wires going to the battery, and a ground wire going to the metal frame of the trailer. Then I have a short M-F cable that plugs into the inverter, goes through the hole, and has a female 3-prong plug. When we need to use the inverter (which hasn't happened yet, but it will!), we run a 15A extension cord from there, under the trailer to the big 50A cable that the trailer came with. Essentially, the trailer gets plugged into itself.

I turn all of the breakers off, and only turn on the ones I need on. No need for converter, central vac, etc. etc. In the testing I've done so far, this works great.

Chris
 
SilverRhino

SilverRhino

Well-known member
Power or Ground - Which to disconnect

caissiel said:
I bought a Ground post disconnect for less then $10.00 and I connect all 3 Batteries in Parrallel to the same battery and disconnect the coach main battery ground. This completly disconnect any grounding and preserve the batteries also. I disconnected my batteries last fall in early October and the 10 June I reconnected then to operate the front legs to hook on the truck, and the voltage was up after spending all the time in storage with -40 F most of the winter in Northern Canada.
Click to expand...

I'm confused....I thought when you install a switch or disconnect on the battery (s) you do it on the power side. :confused:

Which is the proper way?
 
caissiel

caissiel

Senior Member
When I work on my vehicles I always disconnect the ground side because the electronics are protected against any power source that might come in contact with the vehicles. Most Isolation switch will Kill the power for sure on anything else behound the switch but the batteries are left exposed to grounding. I use to disconnect the power side of my batteries too, but they were dead after a while and I had to plug the trailer in for a few days in the middle of winter. Just my experience of owning a camper and leaving the batterie to freeze fully charged. My friend stores his batteries in winter and they don't last no time. I park 3 cars for the winter months and always disconnect the ground side and in 5 winters my Mustang still has the 2000 original battery, every car after parked for 9 months started on their own power without charging, it must be good, because it works for me.
 
wagenman

wagenman

Active Member
This topic just happened to come up last weekend at the Michigan Rally. And one thing Jim B. told me to remember is that if you install this battery switch (and it is recomemded) to not forget to turn in back on when in tow.. if your master switch is in the off position and for some reason your trailer comes un-hitched your e-brake will not work on the trailer!! Just something I did not think of that makes perfect scense!

And of course this only applies to after market one's.. the trailers that came with them from Heartland have a bypass built into them that the brake will still activate..
 
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