Power draw while in storage

[Jarnae]

I have a 2016 321 RSTS and something in the RV is pulling power from the batteries while I have it in storage. I turned the battery switch to off, the one located near the power inverter and I thought that basically prevents everything from pulling power from the batteries with the exception of the jack system. That doesn't seem to be the case though.

I stored the unit for 2 weeks and when I went to hook up the batteries had been completely drained. That doesn't seem right to me and it doesn't seem healthy for the batteries. Does anybody know if this is normal, if I'm going to store for 2 weeks should I disconnect the batteries from the cables? I would think that sitting there it shouldn't pull any power?

[Griswald One]

At the very least your CO2 detector continues to draw even with the main power turned off. I don't know your specific rig but there may be other parasitic draws as well.

If you are going to be longer then a week, then yes, disconnect your battery. On both of my TT's I installed battery disconnect switches to make it quick and easy to do.

[Jarnae]

Originally Posted by Griswald One

At the very least your CO2 detector continues to draw even with the main power turned off. I don't know your specific rig but there may be other parasitic draws as well.

If you are going to be longer then a week, then yes, disconnect your battery. On both of my TT's I installed battery disconnect switches to make it quick and easy to do.

I'll probably install battery disconnect switches also, it just seems odd that I need to install another disconnect switch when there is one that is supposed to be doing this job already installed on the trailer. Very weird.

[Griswald One]

Originally Posted by Jarnae

I'll probably install battery disconnect switches also, it just seems odd that I need to install another disconnect switch when there is one that is supposed to be doing this job already installed on the trailer. Very weird.

Because you have propane powered features inside the "home" the full time CO2 detector is a legislated safety requirement. I would guess it is because CO2 is odourless and colourless so the monitor is your only way to know there is a problem. So the reality is when you add the cutoff switch you are defeating a "Safety Feature". With that in mind... It is a good idea (One I must be honest I do not follow myself) to open the door and vent the trailer for several minutes before entering if you are going to defeat the monitor.

[bedrck46]

As was posted earlier "At the very least your CO2 detector continues to draw even with the main power turned off." Its done that way to protect you. Not Very Weird
Add a disconnect at the battery and then you won't have to use the one in the RV and you will be 100% certain ALL power is off and the battery will maintain its charge much longer. My TT is in storage about 80 miles away but only 2 miles from the campground. When I place it in storage I will remove the battery and place it inside the TT. Longest time has been a month and when I take it out of storage and put it in service I still have plenty of power available.

[Jarnae]

I think the weird part is that it's on when I'm clearly not using the trailer. I would think that when I use the factory installed switch that it would also turn off the CO2 detector because why would a person be in their trailer when all power is cut off?

If we step through this, its actually more dangerous to have the battery drain down to dead because when I do come pick the trailer up, turn the factor installed switch to on, walk in my trailer I have no power hence the CO2 detectors wouldn't be working.. whereas if my batteries were not drained and I turned the switch to on, the CO2 detectors would turn on and alert me of a gas problem in the trailer before I walked in.

It's interesting to think about, either way I have to do something about the batteries. It's not good for them to full discharge every time I'm done camping with the RV, it just surprises me that the cut off switch that they provide really doesn't cut the battery off. I'm not even really sure of it's purpose now to be honest.

[bedrck46]

You do have a few options available to you.
! install a shut off switch at the Battery.
2.Disconnect the leads to the Battery.
3. Put the battery inside the RV when in storage as that will also prevent or at least
slow a thief down.
4. Rewire the 12V supply to the CO2 detector so the power is removed when you turn off the 12 V supply.
5 or just live with it as that is how it came from the factory.

[bankr63]

One other option, add a small solar panel and controller to trickle charge your battery in storage. We have a 40W panel on the roof, and my battery shows full charge when I arrive to get the trailer.

[norty1]

I would get out a volt meter and find out if the co2 detector is powered when the factory cutoff switch is opened. Then you will know which way to go.

On my rig, when I operate the battery disconnect switch, that is exactly what happens. If not then what is the purpose of having it?

[DanNJanice]

It is time to get out the meter and do some troubleshooting. You need to find out what is causing the draw and how much of a draw you are seeing. My trailer, with everything turned off, except the disconnect, draws about 1/3 amp. My old trailer had about the same parasitic draw. If you see a parasitic draw much more than 1/2 amp, start looking for something you left on. Lights, antenna amp, radio, refrig, etc. The other day, I noticed my trailer was drawing a little more than I expected. I tracked it down to the light in the pass-thru being on.
At that rate, in just a couple of weeks my battery would be dead, without the disconnect.

[RAurand]

I put a simple ON/OFF switch in line with my CO2 detector. When we are done camping and the trailer is empty. We turn off the power to the CO2. When we start loading for camping, The CO2 gets turned on again.

[Mustang65]

Originally Posted by Jarnae

I turned the battery switch to off, the one located near the power inverter and I thought that basically prevents everything from pulling power from the batteries with the exception of the jack system. That doesn't seem to be the case though.

Can you take a picture of the disconnect switch and the connections to it for us

Don

[John7349]

I simply put a wing nut on the main negative cable and remove it. About a 15 second job.

[jwmercer]

I have the 2016 RSTS 321 as well. I have installed a battery monitor, it tells me the current draw with the battery disconnect switch disconnected is .92A

[John7349]

Good to know J J.
THANKS

[BuddyRay]

This is becoming such a common topic that we may need a sticky post.

I had the same problem on my Eagle HT 26.5. Turns out it WAS NOT the CO2 detector. That unit is fed off my power panel and is turned off then the disconnect switch is off.

The problem is that leveling system you mentioned. They draw power even when they are "off". So do the Front slides on my unit - which was powered directly from the hot side of the cutoff switch. Both the leveling system and the slide have intelligent controllers that are never off and together draw enough power to drain a battery over a week.

I wrote a long post (skip to the end if you want) that explains it all with photos of how I rewired.

http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f6...tml#post424500

[Jarnae]

Originally Posted by BuddyRay

This is becoming such a common topic that we may need a sticky post.

I had the same problem on my Eagle HT 26.5. Turns out it WAS NOT the CO2 detector. That unit is fed off my power panel and is turned off then the disconnect switch is off.

The problem is that leveling system you mentioned. They draw power even when they are "off". So do the Front slides on my unit - which was powered directly from the hot side of the cutoff switch. Both the leveling system and the slide have intelligent controllers that are never off and together draw enough power to drain a battery over a week.

I wrote a long post (skip to the end if you want) that explains it all with photos of how I rewired.

http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f6...tml#post424500

Wow, thank you for the post. Like you I'm really surprised that people aren't making a bigger deal about this. I'm picking up my trailer tomorrow for the weekend and I'm planning an extra 20 minutes to jump the batteries so that I can hook up. To me, having to do this is a defect that apparently is effecting a number of other people too.

I can put in a battery disconnect switch at the battery, but I shouldn't have to do that. Honestly, it's unclear to me why the batter disconnect that comes from factory is even there.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by John7349

I simply put a wing nut on the main negative cable and remove it. About a 15 second job.

This is what I do. But I have wing nuts on both posts and remove the battery completely and take it home to sit in my garage on a Battery Tender float charger. I plan to put two batteries on at some point, so this task will arguably become much more arduous, but I'm willing to accept that to have the extra capacity of 2 batteries and the added security of my batteries being at home in my garage where they can be maintained and will not "grow legs".

To the OP's point, I agree that a "Battery Disconnect" should do exactly that. If it doesn't completely disconnect the battery, then what's the point indeed?

[Griswald One]

Originally Posted by Jarnae

I'm picking up my trailer tomorrow for the weekend and I'm planning an extra 20 minutes to jump the batteries so that I can hook up.

I get that you are upset by this. But you need to take steps to protect your battery. Every time you let your battery completely discharge, you are damaging it. Eventually boosting won't make a difference and you will have no power period.

[GScott]

I am in the process of installing a disconnect switch on my two 6 V batteries as we speak. This will solve the problem I hope.