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Old 10-26-2015, 08:24 PM   #1
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Check your rig's DC disconnect switch and main fuse

This is let everyone know to check your rig's DC disconnect switch if equipped and the main fuse in the battery compartment. The main fuse (ours is a 30 amp) only turned the power off to the landing gear and wardrobe slide and not power to the entire rig. The DC disconnect switch wouldn’t turn anything off that I could tell.
So with the fuse pulled and the DC disconnect switch off the load center was energized from the battery, which means that there was no fuse protection.
Just because it the rig is new or use it needs to be checked.
The amount of nights we have stayed in our rig and the summer trip to Oregon our lives were in danger.
It was discovered last weekend when we got home from camping. The rig was scheduled to go back to the dealer for some other issues so I thought that I wouldn’t unhitch. I unplugged the truck from the rig and didn’t connect shore power. When I thought we done unloading I turned off the DC disconnect switch, but later my wife and I went back in the rig to retrieve some other things when my wife noticed the radio back light was still on. So I thought it was just a bad DC disconnect switch, so I pulled the fuse and was surprised that there was still power in the rig.
I called Jayco on Monday and got a call back from a Technician and told him the issue, he was going to walk me though the repairs but I told him it was going back to the dealer anyway and to let them fix it.
I also said how unsafe it is and the dealers a left to clean up after the factory.
How many other RV’s are wired like this?
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Old 10-26-2015, 09:52 PM   #2
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I don't have a disconnect switch and occasionally leave my batteries connected if it's only going to be a short time before we use our TT again. In fact, right now it's sitting in storage for this week with batteries connected waiting for me to get it on Thursday. I never considered this dangerous, but essentially with your miswired disconnect you are essentially doing the same thing -- help me understand what I'm missing, why is this so dangerous?
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Old 10-27-2015, 01:54 PM   #3
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I grew up around boats and spent many, to many years rigging boats. A lot of boats have master switches to help keep the batteries charged between uses, also to ease your mind when away from the boat, so it's the same I guess with TT's.

There may be a lot of TT's out there with dodggie wiring, ours has a strange setup. With the switch off all is off until we plug in the truck. Then everything is powered with the switch still off, but the batteries do not get charged by the truck.

I plan to disconnect the truck power circuit from the 120 to 12 volt power converter and run it direct to the batteries. Also plan to put the 30amp fuse after the switch and connect the genset starter to the switch.

That is unless someone can point out the errors in my thinking.
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Old 10-27-2015, 02:37 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by KiwiBruce View Post
I grew up around boats and spent many, to many years rigging boats. A lot of boats have master switches to help keep the batteries charged between uses, also to ease your mind when away from the boat, so it's the same I guess with TT's.

There may be a lot of TT's out there with dodggie wiring, ours has a strange setup. With the switch off all is off until we plug in the truck. Then everything is powered with the switch still off, but the batteries do not get charged by the truck.
Hmmm, sounds like the charging wire from your truck is connected to the wrong side of the disconnect switch. IOW, truck is powering the trailer when the switch is off, but power is not allowed from the truck to the battery.
Just a thought.
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Old 10-27-2015, 03:23 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by DanNJanice View Post
Hmmm, sounds like the charging wire from your truck is connected to the wrong side of the disconnect switch. IOW, truck is powering the trailer when the switch is off, but power is not allowed from the truck to the battery.
Just a thought.
Well, actually it is not on the "wrong" side. Yours is wired with the disconnect right off the battery posts. With the switch off, the batteries are fully disconnected from both the truck and trailer. However, when the truck is connected, you still have a connection to the trailer. I think what you described is normal and I would just travel with the switch on. If you want to charge with the switch off, you would have to move the charging wire to the other side of the switch or directly to the battery.
Clear as mud?
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Old 10-27-2015, 03:33 PM   #6
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When I want to make sure all power is dead, I turn off the switch and remove the leads from the battery. No power sneaking in and now dead batteries!
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Old 10-27-2015, 03:43 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by clubhouse View Post
I don't have a disconnect switch and occasionally leave my batteries connected if it's only going to be a short time before we use our TT again. In fact, right now it's sitting in storage for this week with batteries connected waiting for me to get it on Thursday. I never considered this dangerous, but essentially with your miswired disconnect you are essentially doing the same thing -- help me understand what I'm missing, why is this so dangerous?
I think the OPs main concern is lack of a fuse between the batteries and the rest of the trailer (as least no fuse upstream of the converter). In theory a dead short of the main battery wire running to the converter could cause battery damage, battery explosion, or a fire.
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Old 10-27-2015, 07:25 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clubhouse View Post
I don't have a disconnect switch and occasionally leave my batteries connected if it's only going to be a short time before we use our TT again. In fact, right now it's sitting in storage for this week with batteries connected waiting for me to get it on Thursday. I never considered this dangerous, but essentially with your miswired disconnect you are essentially doing the same thing -- help me understand what I'm missing, why is this so dangerous?
You open the DC disconnect it thinking that the load center or other equipment is de-energized and isn’t and you don’t check voltage you could start a fire if something shorts out.
With no main fuse (protection) inline between the DC disconnect and the load center any short to trailer chassis on that line would melt this wire at full battery current and most likely would develop into a fire.
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Old 10-31-2015, 07:30 AM   #9
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When installing two additional batteries in my NorthPoint 377 found load by arc on the positive terminal. I then took the factory installed disconnect board and found 4 additional loads on the battery side of the disconnect. Brakes LCI etc. I added a second disconnect.

To the original poster. You do not have any Bussman short circ. blocks installed? Before I modified my disconnect there was a bussman short circ. block from the main + lead of the battery to the trailers + cable. Now it goes + post of battery to one side of newly installed disconnect to Bussman short circ. block to camper.

Now to Cover my hind side for those that might make this modification.

When installing second disconnect (which is easier than modifying existing wiring) You must tow with at least the newly installed disconnect on. For the following reasons.

1. Emergency brake has power
2. Tow vehicle can charge batteries.

I installed the second disconnect because of experience of others finding batteries dead on units after being in storage for two plus weeks.



Picture of disconnect attached.
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