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Thread: Battery disconnect questions
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03-08-2021, 08:44 AM #11
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Lucky you, but the so-called "parasitic draws" you've read about are certainly not a myth.
Maybe your travel trailer is wired differently, but on our fifth wheel we had a draw of close to an amp - measured with a top-quality meter - when the battery "disconnect" switch and everything in the trailer was turned off. For some reason - even smart people here couldn't explain it - that draw was measured at close to two amps in very cold Canadian winter weather.
Like many others who have had a similar problem I reconfigured the battery-related wiring when I replaced the factory "disconnect" switch and now have zero draw when the battery disconnect switch is turned off. As it should be. It has been speculated that GD wires/wired many of its trailers with devices such as alarms and brakes always-powered to protect itself from possible lawsuits.Mark - 2018 Solitude 310GK - 2017 F-350 diesel SRW short box - Pullrite Superglide hitch
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03-08-2021, 08:58 AM #12
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03-08-2021, 09:18 AM #13
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03-08-2021, 09:35 AM #14
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03-10-2021, 03:25 PM #15
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From all reports 2 rigs on the assembly line can have different wiring. The electrical plan from the factory is "more like guidelines."
My propane sensor is after the disconnect but the front legs, storage lights, solar input, and the brakes are beforehand.
Don't ever get in the way of the trailer brakes! Not even a fuse.Rick
2019 Reflection 150 273MK
2015 Ford F350 CC SB Lariat Powerstroke
PullRite Superglide
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03-10-2021, 05:33 PM #16
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I'm curious. Are you driving with the trailer brakes disconnected from the battery so in the event of a breakaway situation the brakes would not apply? I don't imagine there would be any draw from the brakes when they were not activated.
Personally I'm OK with the CO/LP alarms and the brakes still being connected when the the battery is "disconnected."2021 Imagine XLS 17MKE
2020 F150 XLT V6 EcoBoost SuperCrew 4x4 w/Max trailer towing package
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03-10-2021, 06:50 PM #17
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From what I’ve been told the CO/LP detector has a big draw and will drain the battery if left connected for any appreciable amount of time.
I installed a battery cutoff drectly to the positive battery output. The only time I turn off the battery is when the trailer is in the storage yard, unoccupied.Jerry & Linda
Emma & Abby our Mini Golden Doodles & JR our Amazon Parrot
2017 Reflection 337RLS, Build Date 01/2017, Titan Disk Brakes, Goodyear G614s 235/85/16 G Rated tires
2022 F-450 King Ranch Ultimate, 4,868 lb Payload, Bedrug Bedliner, Andersen Ultimate II Aluminum 5th wheel hitch
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03-10-2021, 08:19 PM #18
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Absolutely not, that would be foolish.
I cannot hook up to our trailer for travel without using the landing gear to raise and lower it onto the hitch. Therefore the battery disconnect switch must be turned on, and landing gear and brakes and everything else powered or available to be powered, when we are starting travel. The switch remains on until we're finished using the trailer and it's going to be sitting unused for days / weeks / months at which point I turn off the battery disconnect switch.
You can be "personally OK" with whatever you like! The fact is that our previous trailer (2018 Reflection) and our current one had a constant low drain on the battery even when the factory battery "disconnect" switch was turned off. The trailer sitting for a few weeks would kill a typical dealer-installed battery dead flat.
Do that once and the battery's capacity is reduced, do it a few times and the battery is junk. I personally don't like that, so I reconfigured things including installing new switches so that our battery has zero load on it when the battery disconnect switch is turned off. Many others have done the same thing. But you can personally be OK with whatever you want to be OK with.Mark - 2018 Solitude 310GK - 2017 F-350 diesel SRW short box - Pullrite Superglide hitch
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03-10-2021, 10:07 PM #19
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I personally have found no use for the factory battery disconnect switch (not what I had expected). I keep mine always in the closed position. You are correct that if it is open, you don't charge the batteries from shore power. With it open, I have about 1/2 amp (6 watts) parasitic load that other have explained. I installed a marine battery switch for the rare occasions that I'm not on shore power, mostly when the unit is at the RV dealer for service.
Yes, the 7-pin connector will supply power to the battery directly. My wiring has the 7-pin connector power connected to the RV 12V power grid through a 20 amp auto reset fuse. It is the only way to operate the jacks after the dealer drains your batteries (lesson learned).
The Furrion solar port was wired directly to my batteries in my unit. I have read that others had the wires not connected but folded beside their batteries from the dealer. I think there is a 10 amp fuse in line between the connector and the battery, so be aware that power delivered or extracted is limited. I think the connector is rated for 20 amp so the fuse can be changed out if needed.
Hope this helps.Bill & Marsha
2020 Reflection 320 MKS
2018 2500HD Silverado 4x4
Not All Who Wander Are Lost
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03-11-2021, 05:21 PM #20
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Our 2021 GD Imagine 2400BH- when you shut the disconnect off everything goes off CO & smoke detectors (not sure about the brakes or breakaway)
The right stuff
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