Battery disconnect

[29BHS ECO]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but shouldn't battery disconnects be on the ground side of the battery to prevent leakage to ground & disconnect anything left on in the tt. Positive side disconnects will shut off any thing left on but will still allow leakage to ground which will kill the battery very fast. just my $.02 Larry

[RVhiker]

My trailer (a Jayco fifth wheel) has three connections at the positive battery cable: one to the converter and interior fuse panel, one to the landing leg jacks, and one to the breakaway switch to the brakes. I believe that there is only one ground wire, to a grounding buss. If you were to put a battery disconnect on the single negative cable, the breakaway brakes and the landing legs would be disabled. So in my case, a battery disconnect on the negative cable is definitely not a good idea. Other trailers may be wired differently.

[29BHS ECO]

rvhiker-- I would only turn the sw to the off position when stored, not when in use. Larry

[tnchuck100]

Placing the disconnect switch in either line will prevent battery discharge. It is most common to have it in the positive line. As the name implies it is a "battery disconnect" switch and should be placed IMMEDIATELY after the positive battery terminal. ALL connections (converter, electric tongue jack, breakaway brake switch) should be AFTER the battery disconnect switch.

[RoyBraddy]

I use a BLUE SEA 9001E Battery Switch in my two battery bank groups which is four position switch to select OFF-BAT1-BOTH-BAT2. I have a second battery bank group wired the same way. Then I have a third four position same battery switch to select which battery group is in use. This gives complete control of which battery in each group that may be used to provide battery for the system. Having the ability to switch any battery OFF also also allows me to do other things with this particular battery like charing separately, doing battery maintenance, or running a separate Inverter that may be needed sofor some other project, etc. Total AHs for this arrangement is only 340AHs but I am just using the cheap Interstate 85AH batteries that the manf like to provide with the trailers.

With ALL switches in the OFF position then all four of my 12VDC batteries are completely disconnected from the trailer system. These Battery switches are in the POSITIVE wiring of the batteries with the NEGATIVE terminal of each battery going straight to frame ground with the same length battery cables.

All cabling is using ANCOR brand 4AWG battery cables and ANCOR brand ring terminals. All other items associated with the two battery groups are BLUE SEA marine products such as fuse blocks and terminal blocks for the 5/16-inch cable ring terminal connections.

This is just the way I have been doing battery banks for years and seem to have good control and access of all my batteries involved.

[Bob Landry]

Originally Posted by tnchuck100

Placing the disconnect switch in either line will prevent battery discharge. It is most common to have it in the positive line. As the name implies it is a "battery disconnect" switch and should be placed IMMEDIATELY after the positive battery terminal. ALL connections (converter, electric tongue jack, breakaway brake switch) should be AFTER the battery disconnect switch.

The break-away switch is connected directly to the battery. Some people tow with the battery switch turned off. I would do it that way. You may remember how it is setup, but you don't want the next owner, if there is one, to get a surprise.