New Reflection 260RD questions

[downsc123]

For the tankless water heater, I ended up first blowing it out with air and then ran a ton of anti-freeze through it. After that I pulled the drain plug to ensure pink came out. Then I left a hot water valve somewhere in the rig open slightly for the winter once I got it in it's final parking spot for the winter. Freezing water damage usually comes from the large increase in pressure if the system is sealed vice the formation of the physical ice. I got my current unit last august and went through this past winter with no issues using the above method. As stated above, there is a red hot water heater valve behind the nautilus panel - I have left that one from day one and not touched it.

You can travel with the roller shades down but I stopped doing that when the end caps kept coming off likely due to the shades moving back and forth during movement (they would contact the window and wall below).

I don't bother with the battery disconnect as many of the parasitic loads are bypassed anyways - I just let the solar charge the battery when not in use. I do pull the battery for winter and put it on a tender at home periodically during the winter. Not sure if this is related, but my less than one year old dealer installed LA battery has just failed (done two trips so far this year - worked fine last season). Looks like a failed cell (systems says it's charged but when I put any significant load on it without shore power, voltage drops to 10.8 VDC which is beyond dead.

[grampscamper]

Downsc123, so you just remove the battery and leave the charge controller as is? I would think the charge controller would be live during storage.

I wonder if there is a fuse or breaker somewhere between the solar panel and controller that can be removed/disconnected so there is no power to the charge controller when the battery is removed. I'll have to do some investigating once I take delivery.

I may leave the blinds up while traveling and put them down when stored. Thanks.

[downsc123]

Downsc123, so you just remove the battery and leave the charge controller as is? I would think the charge controller would be live during storage.

I wonder if there is a fuse or breaker somewhere between the solar panel and controller that can be removed/disconnected so there is no power to the charge controller when the battery is removed. I'll have to do some investigating once I take delivery.

I may leave the blinds up while traveling and put them down when stored. Thanks.

Yes I left the solar converter as is and it is still live after pulling the battery. I read the instructions for the furoin MPPT 50A solar converter and there was nothing that said to do anything special for winter storage - the reflection manual says to pull the battery during winter storage with nothing recommended for the solar converter.

[grampscamper]

Yes I left the solar converter as is and it is still live after pulling the battery. I read the instructions for the furoin MPPT 50A solar converter and there was nothing that said to do anything special for winter storage - the reflection manual says to pull the battery during winter storage with nothing recommended for the solar converter.

Obviously it didn’t cause an issue and new trailers are delivered without a battery. It’s odd that in the Furrion manual it shows to connect the battery first. I personally would like to be able to turn everything off, at least for storage.

[terryriddle]

We're taking delivery of a 2023 Reflection 260RD next week and have a few questions.

Does the 50 amp Furrion charge controller have a disconnect or on/off switch? My understanding is the solar panel is live as long as there is sufficient light. I would like to install a battery disconnect so there is no power to the 5th wheel when not in use. Do I have to install a disconnect at the input to the charge controller as well as the output of my battery/batteries?

I understand the charge controller has an option for lithium batteries. Can I just install lithium batteries and change the controller battery setting without any changes to my vehicle or converter? I understand my vehicle or converter will not keep the battery at optimum voltage level but the solar panel should. I don't plan to drive at night or do much dry camping at this time. If I dry camp in the future I would add more battery and solar capacity.

I know that Grand Design is now using Morryde suspension. Does the CRE3000 come with wet bolts?

My understanding is the owners of early on demand hot water tanks had issues when winterizing them. I understand that they have now been updated. I see there is no longer a hot water bypass. Do you just blow them out with air now and winterize with RV antifreeze?

I see all new Reflections come with roller blinds. Presently we always travel with our blinds closed. Is OK to travel with the roller blinds in the down position?

To ensure the solar power ended before the controller, I installed a mini-breaker in the front of the storage area just before the controller. It is important to stop power from the roof solar panels even when you have a battery removed to avoid burning up the controller.

[downsc123]

To ensure the solar power ended before the controller, I installed a mini-breaker in the front of the storage area just before the controller. It is important to stop power from the roof solar panels even when you have a battery removed to avoid burning up the controller.

Are you sure that this is true - there is no mention in either the Grand Design owners manual nor the user manual for the solar controller that you need to take any precautions when you pull the battery out for the off-season.

[terryriddle]

Are you sure that this is true - there is no mention in either the Grand Design owners manual nor the user manual for the solar controller that you need to take any precautions when you pull the battery out for the off-season.

While my unit was prewired for solar, it had nothing but the connector on the roof and wire dropped into the front storage area. I spend hours researching and asking questions on the forum and also with solar companies. More than once I was advised to add a mini-breaker before the controller to avoid damage when the battery is removed or one is doing maintenance on the setup. You can get mini-breakers on Amazon. So when in doubt, a few dollars for a mini-breaker is cheaper than a controller. I also thought about "why do they want the battery connected to the controller before the solar power". If it didn't make any difference, why would they care which was added first? I have also found there are several things that are not in the owner's manual, thus this forum to address what is missing. Enjoy your new 260RD.

Years ago I lost a fifth wheel due to a mechanic who over tighten the bearing and burnt up an axle. Dexter was going to have to build an axle for me and ship it by freight. We were traveling across the country and ended up with a tag-along RV to get us back on the road. After that expensive experience, I carry a set of bearings, pex water lines, fittings, etc. And if you don't have a Tire Management system, get one. I'd also recommend that when you make stops on the road, use a temp gun and hit each wheel between the lug nuts to ensure you do not have a wheel bearing going out. If one wheel is running much higher than the other three over time, you have a bearing issue or a brake issue that should be looked at. The tire management system lets you know if a tire is losing air and the temp of the air in the tire, but it does not let you know one wheel is running hot at the hub.

[grampscamper]

Terry, that's exactly what I was thinking also. I've done a fair bit of research and have found that most manufacturers of charge controllers recommend to hook up the battery first and not to run them without a battery connected.
We picked up our trailer yesterday. I spoke to the service manager at the dealership. He said to just remove the battery for winter storage and leave the charge controller as is. He said they haven't seen any issues doing this.
I think I'll be installing a disconnect between the charge controller and the solar panel so I can power it down over the winter. I can't believe that there wasn't one installed at Grand Design. Where I store my trailer it can get very cold during the winter months. I wouldn't think subzero temperatures would be good for the electronic components in the controller.

[terryriddle]

The purchase and installation of a mini-breaker are simple and cheap. Highly recommend as I do for a tire management system and temp gun. Enjoy your 260 RD. We have only had issues with the frig due to it being on the side. The first issue was the propane line had not been properly installed and it finally kinked the line. Thank goodness for our 7 yr warranty plan. Removal and correction of the propane line was over 800 dollars. Three years later the two fans behind the Norcold double door frig failed and kept blowing the 5 amp fuse on the power board behind the frig. Again the frig had to be removed to replace the burned-out fan. Since 2019, the frig has been our only issue. Call me old-fashioned, but I have never used the auto-level system. I use manual mode with the front and side bubbles.

[grampscamper]

I will also make sure I have all three. Thanks.