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Battery shut off switches

Yahoo Message Number: 67436
When parked at a camp site plugged in to 110 V, what is the correct way battery disconnect switches on or off.
Dick 96 Tiara Intrigue 10203

Re: Battery shut off switches

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 67445

Dick

You only turn off the batts when you are storing the coach. You will lose your 12vdc systems.

Dave

aka Billy Byte (trusty hound)
2000 Allure #30443


From: zitrone1000 To: Country-Coach-Owners@yahoogroups.com Sent: Sat, January 15, 2011 7:16:49 AM Subject: [Country-Coach-Owners] Battery shut off switches

When parked at a camp site plugged in to 110 V, what is the correct way battery disconnect switches on or off.
Dick 96 Tiara Intrigue 10203

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Re: Battery shut off switches

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 67447
Hi No signature

Generaly your chassis battery disconnect switch should be off and your coach battery disconnect switch should be on. However I had a 1989 HR coach and if I left the coach batteries on the converter would boil the batteries dry. So beware. If you dont leave the coach battery disconnect on the shore power cannot charge yoyr batteries and they will go flat with time. So Leave the coach battery disconnect on and check electrolite level of coach batteries every few days. If there is no change in electrolite level over time all is well. Chassis off, coach on.
Regards
Peter J

Re: Battery shut off switches

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 67449

Beware single solutions because it depends on how the coach is wired. Our coach has one manual cutoff for the chassis battery and a remote, relay operated from a panel cutoff for the house power. And that isn't exactly right either. If I shut off the chassis battery my entry steps don't work - not sure what else might be wired in there because I've never checked. Bottom line I need to have both controls electrically closed and operating for everything to work, charge, etc.

Bob (rthandren@...)
'05 Inspire 51178

Re: Battery shut off switches

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 67493
Dick,

I see you have a 1996 Intrigue. I believe a CC, of your vintage, was equipped with a Inverter/converter that will not over charge your batteries. They did not however have an echo charger which would keep the chassis batteries charged. Therefore, you could possibly discharge the chassis batteries if you stay in one place for an extended time. If this is you situation and you are concerned, I would suggest you purchase an echo charger. They are relatively easy to install and cost about $100.

Jim E

Re: Battery shut off switches

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 67497
Quote from: pairajays"
Dick,
> I see you have a 1996 Intrigue. I believe a CC, of your vintage, was equipped with a Inverter/converter that will not over charge your batteries. They did not however have an echo charger which would keep the chassis batteries charged. Therefore, you could possibly discharge the chassis batteries if you stay in one place for an extended time. If this is you situation and you are concerned, I would suggest you purchase an echo charger. They are relatively easy to install and cost about $100.

Jim E

Quote from: zitrone1000"

>

> When parked at a camp site plugged in to 110 V, what is the correct way battery disconnect switches on or off.
> Dick 96 Tiara Intrigue 10203
>

>I don't have an Echo charger , but I connected one of these.
http://www.lslproducts.com/TLSPage.html. I installed it a year ago and it keeps my chassis Battery fully charged while plugged in. The cost I believe was around $ 30.00
 

Re: Battery shut off switches

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 67501
The term "charger" in "echo charger" is misleading in the sense that we usually think of a battery charger as being plugged into a 110VAC source and regulating the current going to the target battery. An echo charger is a controlled isolator that under some circumstances allows current to flow from the domestic/house batteries to the start/coach battery. Assuming your coach doesn't have one it is a relatively simple accessory to install but you should read the installation brochure closely and understand exactly how it's supposed to work and its limitations. For example it won't charge your coach battery completely or bring up a really low or bad coach battery. With good batteries all around starting off with all adequately charged it will maintain the coach battery about 1VDC lower than the domestic bank assuming that when stored on shore power and functioning inverter/charger that the domestic bank is being maintained at about 13.7 VDC float status. This means the coach battery will be held at about 12.7 VDC.

If you don't have one already and your main concern is to keep the coach battery charged during prolonged storage it's easier and cheaper just to get a so called "battery minder" charger and hook it up directly to your coach battery and plug it into a 110VAC source. On the other hand once you properly install the echo charger you don't have to "do anything" for it to keep your coach battery up to within 2VDC of your domestic/house bank. It's a good idea to periodically check the voltage on both banks to make sure it's doing what it's supposed to do. One characteristic that's different from what we are used to with regular chargers is that the current flow (amperage) from the domestic bank to the coach start battery with an echo charger is least when the voltage difference is greatest and that the device shuts off when the difference is large. This is the reverse of a conventional charger (I think) where we are used to seeing high amperage reading on the charger when the target battery is low..

You also might want to check how these were installed in CC's. They were installed across the "battery boost" solenoid terminals rather than directly on the battery terminals as shown in the installation brochure. This is OK but you need to understand the installation.

Jim M

'02 Intrigue #11410 ISL 400