2017 Momentem 348 electrical parisitic draw on Monior Panel

[Azhoppy]

We recently bought a 2017 GD 5th wheel Model 348 and love it. When i got it home everything was fine. I whent to check it out at the RV yard and found the two new 6v batteries drained because the isoloation switch was left on by mistake. Thank god it was left on, becuae I charged the 6v DEAD batteries to full change and when I installed them found a 3A parisitic draw on the monitor panel. Has anyone expericened the samething? or can anyone direct me to where i can get a wiring schematic for my coach? Any help or troubleshooting tips would be helpful, thanks.

[Hoopy Frood]

Not an uncommon event. Many, perhaps most, Battery Disconnect Switches don't completely disconnect the battery/ies from loads. So parasitic draws are common, although 3 amps is quite a bit when the Disconnect switch is Off. You can track down and move the offending circuits so the Disconnect switch actually works, unbolt the negative battery cable from the battery, or install an aftermarket Battery Disconnect Switch.

FWIW, reliable wiring schematics are basically non-existent due to the fact that the trailers are not assembled exactly the same, and wiring is done very haphazardly.

[bjlakatos]

A buddy has a 2021 Reflection 340RDS. Shortly after he took delivery I was helping him root cause his 2nd dead battery (kill switch confirmed “OFF” position both times) I was astonished to find many active circuits when his switch was in the OFF position.

This included the propane detector, external leveling touch pad, basement lights, front cap/hitch Light and the light at the sewer connection.

The propane detector would drain the battery over a period of a few weeks alone. If a light was left on it would be much quicker.

This makes no sense to me. OFF position should mean no loads right?


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[CoChris]

We recently bought a 2017 GD 5th wheel Model 348 and love it. When i got it home everything was fine. I whent to check it out at the RV yard and found the two new 6v batteries drained because the isoloation switch was left on by mistake. Thank god it was left on, becuae I charged the 6v DEAD batteries to full change and when I installed them found a 3A parisitic draw on the monitor panel. Has anyone expericened the samething? or can anyone direct me to where i can get a wiring schematic for my coach? Any help or troubleshooting tips would be helpful, thanks.

If you use the search function (upper right on every page) you will find a lot of discussions on this. The bottom line is the battery disconnect switch does NOT totally disconnect the batteries. Most people either remove one of the battery leads (preferably the negative) from the battery or install a true disconnect switch for storage. With the battery connected (switch on - you can not remove the key) 2.5~3 amps draw is what I see in our trailer with everything "off". There are a lot of little loads that add up. With the switch disconnected (you can remove the key) I see around 1/2 amp draw. there are a few items that (stock) are always powered, like smoke & LP detectors, radio, etc.

Hope this helps

Chris

[WhittleBurner]

By law there are some items they can't shut off. Like the propane detector, the emergency brake and the levelers. That is why people have to install their own true battery disconnect.

[Hoopy Frood]

By law there are some items they can't shut off. Like the propane detector, the emergency brake and the levelers. That is why people have to install their own true battery disconnect.

No offense, but I'd like to see this "law". There may be company CYA's that assert that some components should be connected, but I've never heard of such a law. My OEM Battery Disconnect Switch truly disconnects all loads from the battery. There are some things that are still connected, but they draw no load.

[huntindog]

By law there are some items they can't shut off. Like the propane detector, the emergency brake and the levelers. That is why people have to install their own true battery disconnect.

There are laws that legislators make, and then there are laws that are established by lawyers suing and winning large judgements. In the first case, it is written by statute, code etc. In the second case, it usually isn't written anywhere, except in court judgments setting pecedents..
And yes companies DO pay attention to both types of "laws" as it protects their profits, and even their ability to stay in buisiness.

[Hoopy Frood]

Thank you for putting that "laws" you're referring to in parentheses. That would indicate they aren't laws as such and are not enforceable by the local LEO.

[huntindog]

Thank you for putting that "laws" you're referring to in parentheses. That would indicate they aren't laws as such and are not enforceable by the local LEO.

That would be technically correct. But the end effect is the same. Companies CARE about the bottom line.

Case in point: My company is open to the public to shop it's products. Sometimes people slip and fall on a liquid that another customer spilled. Sometimes those customers sue for damages. Over the years and cases liability has been established that if a buisiness does a floor inspection every hour and logs it, verifiable by video monitoring, that the bussiness is not negligent for the spill being present, and that every customer entering a public bussiness must shoulder a reasonable share of the risk. This is not a statute or code written anywhere. It is just years of precedents
Some years ago, we decided to do inspections twice an hour in certain areas just to be sure that we did not miss an hourly one. Some lawyer got wind of it, and tried to make the new standard 30 minutes... We prevailed in that case. But you will no longer find this in writing anywhere in our bussiness,even though that is what we try to do... It is unofficial.

[Hoopy Frood]

"Companies CARE about the bottom line."

Everyone knows that, it's why CYA's are printed on everything from "Don't use this lawnmower to trim your hedges" to "Don't drink the contents of your car battery". Shakespeare had it right.