What powers our radio?

[ErikB]

As of last November, we are new to a 2013 Jayco Greyhawk. I've noticed that the Clarion radio stays on even when the motor is shut of and key removed. So,...if we leave the radio on when the motor is not running, what battery(ies) is powering the radio if we are not connected to shore power? Would the house battery drain? Or would the truck battery drain? Or both? What's the purpose of enabling the radio to stay on even when the motor is off and the key is out?
Just so you can listen to the radio withour having to have the key in and turned to accesories? What safeguards are there against one or both batteries draining completely if the radio were inadvertantly left on when not connected to shore power?

Thank you for your responses.

[pconroy]

We're in a 2016 so it might be the same - our radio is powered by both batteries - engine and house.

[Grumpy]

Originally Posted by ErikB

Just so you can listen to the radio withour having to have the key in and turned to accesories? What safeguards are there against one or both batteries draining completely if the radio were inadvertantly left on when not connected to shore power?

You would only drain the house batteries. There are diodes behind the radio that prevent the chassis from providing power unless the key is on.

[dvspl]

It works just the way that Grumpy and pconroy have said: When the key is on, the radio is powered from the chassis battery/alternator, the way it would be in a car. When the key is off, the radio is powered by the house battery/converter, the way it would be in a non-motorized RV like a travel trailer. This allows you to use the radio (infotainment system) while you're camped.

[white2833]

I have a 2020 Melbourne Prestige and see this same behavior, which I believe is by design. I’ve since replaced the miserable Soundstream deck with a Sony AX-AV8000 head with a Kicker 10” sub between the seats (I put a manual switch on the sub power so when camping it isn’t always on, draining the house battery). The only oddity is that when I turn the Mains on the radio turns on. Drives my wife crazy, especially if the last used setting was semi-loud. ;-)

[dxrobertson]

Also, understand there are actually 2 power feeds to these stereos; the familiar "power" that you use when the stereo is "on" and playing or "off" and not playing. This feed is generally wired to both camp and cab batteries as mentioned by others.

There is also the "memory" power feed that is always powered. This powers the stereo memory functions that remembers what ever it needs to remember such as programmed stations. On my 2021 Entegra, this feed is wired to the camp battery disconnect solenoid, and is always powered as long as the camp battery is connected. Doesnt matter if the battery disconnect switch is off, the power is off a fuse connection on the solenoid that is always powered from camp battery.