Why did my shore power just quit working?

[dufferDave]

......because the guy's wife turned off the battery disconnect switches and he didn't realize it.......

Why do they even put these switches on the RV? I mean, if they are so critical to vehicle operation, why aren't they labeled better, or located away from other, more useful switches, or explained better in the owners manual? Or left off the RV entirely?

I got bit by one of these too. A completely unlabeled switch on the dash in front of the driver. The mechanic at the shop set it back in the right position and said don't touch it. I couldn't even  understand what he said it was supposed to be used for.

 

[John From Detroit]

Why do they even put these switches on the RV? I mean, if they are so critical to vehicle operation, why aren't they labeled better, or located away from other, more useful switches, or explained better in the owners manual? Or left off the RV entirely?

Multiple answers and comments to that Dave
First If you know what you are looking at.. They are indeed well labeled. Often MAIN and AUX. Main is the chassis battery and AUX is the house.. Mine .. I'd have to look but the switch says USE and STORE  NOt sure what the rest of hte panel says (intelletec BCC system)  ANd it JUST controls the AUX (House) batteries.  which have absolutly NOTHING to do with vehicle operation. Not one watt.  (That's the other comment)  The MAIN (Vehicle) battery is controlled by the ignition switch.

Now.  Since I already had the wire in place I dropped a 20 amp line to the spot where I parked my RV back when I part-timed and left it connectd full time. Let hte Progressive Dynamics 9180+Wizard tend to the battery needs keeping all of 'em full up and ready to boogie.. I also used the house system daily for other reasons I won.t go into here.

But many.. Park and walk away. no piower. for months on end.. During that time you TURN OFF the "Salesman" switch (Store mode) so the battery does not run down..

It's called a "Salesman switch" because on the lot of the dealer they turn off the switch so the battery does not run down. The Salesman will turn it on when he shows the RV and off when you leave.

I also turn it off when buying propane.  (It kills the water heater. The Furnace. The Fridge and all other spark/flame makers)  One switch does it all).

Does this answer your "Why do they put 'em in" question?

A most useful switch.

 

[Old_Crow]

A most useful switch.

If they work. 
When I first got my Bounder, it's got a 12v power point on the firewall, passenger side near the floor.  I was trying to determine if it ran off the chassis battery or the house batteries. 
I turned off the chassis disconnect switch and when I tried to turn it back on, nothing happened.  Cycled the switch multiple times and nada. 
In the process of taking the little panel out of the wall and popping the switch out of the panel, I accidently shorted the aluminum panel across a couple of the contacts on the switch for like a 1/2 second.  The dash sprang back to life!
I put the whole thing back together very carefully and haven't touched those switches again in 2 years.
One of these days I'll get around to fixing it, but I live full time in the coach, so there's no real hurry.

 

[mel s]

It's called a "Salesman switch" because on the lot of the dealer they turn off the switch so the battery does not run down. The Salesman will turn it on when he shows the RV and off when you leave.
I also turn it off when buying propane.  (It kills the water heater. The Furnace. The Fridge and all other spark/flame makers)  One switch does it all).
A most useful switch.

John From Detroit
You are the first person who came up with a use for the so called "Salesman Switch"
(Odd that nobody calls it the "Kill the Water Heater, Furnace, Fridge and all other spark/flame makers Switch").

 

[Utclmjmpr]

I was in the motorcycle business for 21 years,, had a good client with a late Harley Davidson that would not start,, no fire at all.. He replaced the coil,, condenser,, plugs  points,, battery cables,,and finally called me (90 miles away)  I said I can;t do you any good from 90 miles away,, load it and haul it down here..
  He loaded in his pick-up and we unloaded it at my shop.. As usual I kicked the front tire and said "lets go babe",,SWITCHED THE KILL SWITCH TO ON  AND FIRED IT UP!!!    He looked at me with the deer in the headlights look and said  "OH NO !!
  I said OH YES,, DON'T OVERLOOK THE OBVIOUS.>>>Dan  ( So he had a good 90 mile ride back with his wife driving the truck..>>>Dan

 

[mel s]

I was in the motorcycle business for 21 years,, had a good client with a late Harley Davidson that would not start,, no fire at all.. He replaced the coil,, condenser,, plugs  points,, battery cables,,and finally called me (90 miles away) I said I can;t do you any good from 90 miles away,, load it and haul it down here..
  He loaded in his pick-up and we unloaded it at my shop.. As usual I kicked the front tire and said "lets go babe",,SWITCHED THE KILL SWITCH TO ON  AND FIRED IT UP!!!    He looked at me with the deer in the headlights look and said  "OH NO !!
  I said OH YES,, DON'T OVERLOOK THE OBVIOUS.>>>Dan  ( So he had a good 90 mile ride back with his wife driving the truck..>>>Dan

Dan
Why didn't you simply tell him to check the position of the KILL SWITCH.... rather than saying "I can't do you any good from 90 miles away,, load it and haul it down here.."?.....

IMO that's what a "good business" would do for every "client", (good or bad).

 

[Old_Crow]

Dan
Why didn't you simply tell him to check the position of the KILL SWITCH.... rather than saying "I can't do you any good from 90 miles away,, load it and haul it down here.."?.....

IMO that's what a "good business" would do for every "client", (good or bad).

Having done several fixes like that(including one RV where the wife turned off the salesman switches without the guy knowing), it's easy to see the kill switch is turned off when you're standing next to the bike...not so easy on the phone. 
I'd have thought the owner would have checked the kill switch already before he started throwing parts at it, had it been me.