Battery Disconnect/Outlet questions???

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bnb1023

Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2005
Posts
8
My 1998 Bounder has a panel with two rocker on/off switches for a "Battery Disconnet". None of my manauals cover this feature. What is it, and when do I use it?

Also, I can use one or two of my outlets, but many of the others are not working. I've reset all of the breakers. What else do I need to do?

 
A "battery disconnect" does exactly that - disconnects the battery(s) from the electrical system.  This can be a useful feature when storing the rig for awhile - disconnecting the battery reduces the "phantom" electrical loads that can drain a battery quickly.  Phantom loads are things like controller  circuit boards  and stereos that may drain tiny amounts of power, even when "off".  Since you have two switches, I'm guessing one os for the "house" batteries and the other for the Chassis (engine starting) battery.

If some of your outlets are not working and the breakers are OK, chances are one of the outlets is a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) and it has tripped its internal breaker.  This will affect all outlets wired downstream of the GFCI. Look for an outlet (typically in the bath or outside) that has a tiny "Reset" and "Test" button in the center between the two outlets. Press reset and see if that helps. But if you hear an immediate CLICK when you press reset, then there is a ground fault (wiring problem) in the circuit thtwill need to be repaired.  Let us know if thathappens and maybe we can help you find and fix it.
 
A battery disconnect rocker switch inside the motorhome usually disconnects one of the batteries via a relay in the battery bay. This saves getting out and opening the bay to disconnect. Sounds like you have two disconnects, so one might be for the chassis battery and the other for the house battery. My coach has only one disconnect rocker - for the house battery. I wish I had one for the chassis battery because when I put the coach in storage, I sometimes can't open the battery bay door to manually turn the batteries off.
 
Gary,

He probably has the same setup in his 98 Bounder that I have in my 93 Pace Arrow, there is a panel in the small cabinet over the door that contains two rocker switches. One is marked Main for the chassis battery and the other is marked Aux for the two coach batteries.
Since my LP Gas Detector is powered by the chassis battery it is a constant drain. I now leave the coach plugged into shore power at home so I don't have to disconnect it.

Woody
 
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