Dead Batteries, with disconnect shut off

TMGreen · 09-19-2021, 03:48 PM

OK, I am new to the forum, and I have been looking for information on this and I know it somewhere, but yet to find it. So please forgive a newbie. We just moved up to a Pinnacle 32 from a Coleman toy hauler. I had it at the house for a while and plugged in, but moved it over to storage two weeks ago, and the batteries are dead. Looking at the wiring it is the strangest thing I have seen. Both batteries are connected is series, basely all the Pos and all the Neg are connected. There are three power wires, two go to circuit breakers, and one is direct wired to something. I did not have my voltmeter with me today. Only one wire is connect to the cutoff disconnect. So I guess that Jayco wants to keep some power on some items? But here is my question: since it is in storage, can I add a disconnect to the batteries, cutting all 12v? I know in my boats and in my Coleman I completed shut off the Batteries.

Thanks you for any help
TGreen

RedHorse1 · 09-19-2021, 04:53 PM

If your batt disconnect is a factory switch then it does not disconnect everything. The CO/Propane sensor remains powered and probably a couple of other things. I discovered the same problem and cause on the JOF. This parasitic drain will kill the batt in a couple of weeks. I use wing nuts on my battery terminals which makes the disconnect 100% and requires no tools. I also don’t leave the batt in the 5th when in storage but take it home and put it on the charger periodically.

Vicr · 09-19-2021, 06:10 PM

Your batteries are wired in parallel not series and yes you can install a battery disconnect switch. Blue Sea Systems makes excellent batter selector switches and disconnect switches. I have two battery banks and have a selector switch.

RogerR · 09-19-2021, 06:28 PM

If you want to isolate your batteries and can easily reach them than this one ( on Amazon at about $7 or a lot of other places) is handy. You just unscrew the big plastic nut to disconnect everything and screw it back in to reconnect.
Google battery disconnect switch 12V and it will show several. I like the one that is a piece of brass that connects to battery and has a big round screw / switch

nylyon · 09-19-2021, 07:04 PM

The direct wire is for the generator starter circuit (yours is at least prepped). The 2 breakers… one is the main coach breaker the other for the inverter powering the fridge and a couple outlets. You are correct, the “disconnect” switch really only disables a couple things.

Easiest way to cut the power, simply push the button on both breakers. That will cut 100% of the power to your rig.

Vicr · 09-19-2021, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nylyon

The direct wire is for the generator starter circuit (yours is at least prepped). The 2 breakers… one is the main coach breaker the other for the inverter powering the fridge and a couple outlets. You are correct, the “disconnect” switch really only disables a couple things.

Easiest way to cut the power, simply push the button on both breakers. That will cut 100% of the power to your rig.

He is talking about his batteries (12v DC) going dead, not shutting off his 120v AC system. The inverter can be shut off by pushing a button.

TMGreen · 09-19-2021, 09:31 PM

Yep, parallel not series. Got the batteries charging? And will go over tomorrow and see what connect to what. There is one positive wire that is not fused, if that goes thru the disconnect then all I have to do is trip the breakers and turn the disconnect and all is good. Let you know. Hopping that all works out without any 12v power at all. Redhorse, iam liking your thinking. thanks guys, just very frustrating to buy a new camper and the thing go dead.
thanks
Tgreen

Jagiven · 09-20-2021, 01:50 AM

Seems silly to have a battery disconnect switch that does not disconnect everything. But it is the Jayco way!

Only recently have I heard comments about the co/gas detector not being disconnected. In the past it has been.
That alone will discharge the batteries within a month.

Common items, bypassing the disconnect: auto level controller, BPO/Jaycommand. The controllers has power to remember things, like your hitch height. But it cannot move the front legs. In standby they are consuming a lot of power.

Someone posted a simular post maybe a year ago. They located a posted a picture of the power distribution which was near the disconnect as I recall. You could see what and how Jayco wired it up to bypassed the disconnect.

nylyon · 09-20-2021, 04:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vicr

He is talking about his batteries (12v DC) going dead, not shutting off his 120v AC system. The inverter can be shut off by pushing a button.

Correct, in the battery compartment there are 2 12v breakers, tripping both of them cuts power to the entire coach.

TMGreen · 09-21-2021, 01:12 PM

I was wrong, there are not three wires to the batteries only two. Karl (Nylyon) was correct that third wire I was talking about is part of the generator prep. It is unfused 12v to the battery. The other two are on circut breakers. and from the breakers only one has a shut off. So having the batteries connect in parrallel, they both will drain. So you could trip the breakers and all power is off. but I think I will put in another shutoff switch. and I will disconnect the the line that is unfused for the generator prep. Good news is the batteries are charged back up.
Thanks
Terry g

TWP723 · 09-21-2021, 01:31 PM

I never keep my batteries connected to the RV. And remove them if it'll sit for a while.

JimD · 09-21-2021, 02:45 PM

Many people say the battery disconnect doesn't disconnect the propane/CO2 detector. In my 2017 Greyhawk I can state with 100% certainty that it DOES disconnect my detector. When I activate the switch I can see the detector light go off. When powering back up I can watch the detector go through a start up sequence where the light blinks for awhile.

The moral of this story, if there is one, is that the disconnect will only disconnect what that particular coach was designed to disconnect. The only way to guarantee 100% battery isolation is to install a batter disconnect ON THE BATTERY or simply disconnecting a lead. I believe in most cases there are multiple positive cables connected to the battery and probably only one ground cable. Easier to disconnect the one ground cable.

I have 2 batteries in my rig and have a disconnect on each battery. This is great for troubleshooting or for working on things when you have to kill the battery. Also, if I ever have problems with one battery I can easily just take that one out of the circuit.

nylyon · 09-21-2021, 04:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMGreen

I was wrong, there are not three wires to the batteries only two. Karl (Nylyon) was correct that third wire I was talking about is part of the generator prep. It is unfused 12v to the battery. The other two are on circut breakers. and from the breakers only one has a shut off. So having the batteries connect in parrallel, they both will drain. So you could trip the breakers and all power is off. but I think I will put in another shutoff switch. and I will disconnect the the line that is unfused for the generator prep. Good news is the batteries are charged back up.
Thanks
Terry g

If you pull off the panel where the “disconnect” switch is, inside is a wiring description as to what is switched and what is not. From what I gather the disconnect switch prevents the levelers from operating when disconnected, everything else gets power. I suppose you could add another disconnect if you like which would cut all power but you would likely need 2, one for the coach and one for the inverter.
For the generator, believe it or not, it is wired as intended. When I installed mine, I put it on the protected end, made feel better, but if you don’t have a generator disconnecting is probably better.

hikerjohn7 · 09-29-2021, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TMGreen

OK, I am new to the forum, and I have been looking for information on this and I know it somewhere, but yet to find it. So please forgive a newbie. We just moved up to a Pinnacle 32 from a Coleman toy hauler. I had it at the house for a while and plugged in, but moved it over to storage two weeks ago, and the batteries are dead. Looking at the wiring it is the strangest thing I have seen. Both batteries are connected is series, basely all the Pos and all the Neg are connected. There are three power wires, two go to circuit breakers, and one is direct wired to something. I did not have my voltmeter with me today. Only one wire is connect to the cutoff disconnect. So I guess that Jayco wants to keep some power on some items? But here is my question: since it is in storage, can I add a disconnect to the batteries, cutting all 12v? I know in my boats and in my Coleman I completed shut off the Batteries.

Thanks you for any help
TGreen

I had the same problem so I installed a marine type battery cut-off switch into the negative line going between the batteries and the coach's frame ground.

I switch it off when I store the RV and it can go weeks without running down the batteries. Of course, it's always good if you can get to your RV at least every month to run the engines and all the appliances.

Rgruber · 09-29-2021, 12:23 PM

I had this problem on my 355 MBQS. I installed a marine battery shut off switch, and have not had any problems since. I would not rely on unscrewing anything or using those those gate switches (tried that first). Sooner or later, you will create a loose connection and that too will drain the batteries.

Welcome to the forum, and enjoy the Pinnacle!

crmillsjr · 09-29-2021, 12:50 PM

I left my batteries in while stored. Came back to no batteries.
Added a lock on the door for the battery compartment and now keep them at home. Added a lock to the propane door as well, but was advised that I would get a nasty ticket if a cop saw it. Has to be unlocked due to fire possibilities.

Leon · 09-29-2021, 10:18 PM

When I turn off main power switch on my motorhome that doesn’t work if I want to store it a while.
Got make sure to turn the AC inverter off which also stops the electric fridge
The inverter will drain the batteries itself because it uses up power to converter to AC
Also the electric fridge will drain battery too
So when in storage I plug mine in to shore power every couple of weeks to keep the batteries up even in the 🥶winter seems to work

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