Progressive PD9160ALV 60Amp install

[orbiker]

Circuits were one of my least favorite classes in college - fluid flow, mechanisms, physics...all that made sense to me. Below is my 12v bus in the front compartment of my 303 as wired from the factory. I've used Mark B's picture and others in various threads to try to identify what is where but I also recognize wiring color coding is different and the way components are hooked up is different from rig to rig and model to model. Here are my questions: 1) What is the purpose of the copper strap? Clearly one CB isn't connected to the other 4 CBs. I'm thinking that has to do with the fact that the battery disconnect switch doesn't remove power from all components so what is tied to that particular CB (pass-thru, front compartment lights, etc.) remains powered by the battery regardless of the position of the battery disconnect? 2) The battery + is connected to the top left CB and copper strap. Doesn't this make the first 4 CBs and all components tied to them on the bottom of the CB hot? 3) The red battery disconnect is connected on the bottom left CB. The black battery disconnect is connected at the bottom right CB. Clearly I don't understand how this works because I don't see how the disconnect would isolate anything since each of these 5 CB are individual and unconnected, right? I apologize if these are obvious to everyone else but it's just not clicking with me. Thanks.

Attachment 45639

I'm pretty sure that everything connected to that power strip are always powered up.
The battery disconnect somethings, but not very much.

KEN

[jlspence99]

I should add, since this thread started out talking about increasing wire size when upgrading the converter, If you decide to add a second wire from the battery to the converter, be very careful where/how the connection is made. Since the battery disconnect is wired between terminals #1 and #5 , if you were to run a second wire directly to the battery or to terminal #1 , you would effectively bypass the battery disconnect switch.

No worry there. I wired in a separate battery disconnect switch that isolates everything. I don't use the factory switch.

[jlspence99]

I'm pretty sure that everything connected to that power strip are always powered up.
The battery disconnect somethings, but not very much.

KEN

The factory switch does cut off everything but the the front compartment lights, the pass-thru lights and some other parasitic draws. I added another cutoff myself that isolates everything on 12 volts.

[ajg617]

The factory switch does cut off everything but the the front compartment lights, the pass-thru lights and some other parasitic draws. I added another cutoff myself that isolates everything on 12 volts.

Just a caution based upon another thread discussion in the forum. I added a BlueSea which also cuts off everything -including the breakaway switch. In the event I or someone else should pull the trailer and forget to turn the master disconnect to ON, the breakaway switch will not activate. I am going to re-cable to correct this.

[orbiker]

The factory switch does cut off everything but the the front compartment lights, the pass-thru lights and some other parasitic draws. I added another cutoff myself that isolates everything on 12 volts.

I think it depends on the day that the rv was made. Some cut off power for hydraulic pump and some don't.

I too installed a "master" switch, to turn off everything. Also a master switch for solar input.

KEN

[ajg617]

I think it depends on the day that the rv was made. Some cut off power for hydraulic pump and some don't.

I too installed a "master" switch, to turn off everything. Also a master switch for solar input.

KEN

I will be adding one for solar input - still debating whether it needs to be before the controller or after. Also possibly one for battery heaters after seeing how they operated this past winter.

[orbiker]

I will be adding one for solar input - still debating whether it needs to be before the controller or after. Also possibly one for battery heaters after seeing how they operated this past winter.

I did some of my solar install and AM Solar did the rest. They put a on/off switch before the controller. I just have a little system for the residential frig and a night or 2 in a FS campground.



KEN

[jlspence99]

I should add, since this thread started out talking about increasing wire size when upgrading the converter, If you decide to add a second wire from the battery to the converter, be very careful where/how the connection is made. Since the battery disconnect is wired between terminals #1 and #5 , if you were to run a second wire directly to the battery or to terminal #1 , you would effectively bypass the battery disconnect switch.

Just a little more information on what I found on my 2019 303, when I dropped the belly to trace 12v 6 gauge wire, I found the two wires going from the front bay 12 volt bus bar to the pass-through disconnect are EACH 11 feet long. They exit the bottom street side, loop across the top 1/3 of the black and gray tank, come up on the curb side corner, go up and over to the disconnect switch. On the black wire to the DC distribution panel, it seems to go pretty straight diagonally to the panel so that's another 10-11 feet. Add another 3-4 feet between the PD 9160 charger and the DC distribution panel. So to charge the batteries, it's over 30 feet of 6 gauge wire. First thing I'm going to do is remove the pass-through disconnect, cut those wires to length and install the switch in the front bay above the DC bus bar.

[jlspence99]

Update: I removed the factory disconnect in the pass-thru, installed a new disconnect in the front bay and, in the process removed 17 feet of 6 gauge wire from the factory charging loop.