pbitschura
SE MN
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Hi folks. Another understanding "new school" technology question. Dealership did supply new battery when we picked her up this spring. It's a cheap starter battery, but another time. We have come home from a few trips now and parked it on the drive. I go out in a few weeks and all is dead. I check the front mounted battery and it is dead so on the charger it goes. Let me say that we dry camped with a genny once and had full hookups another time. So the battery wasn't taxed while in the campgrounds, Happened again. Back on the charger Everything dc is running while on the charger. Ok fine. There is some draw while parked, so I should turn off all the breakers. But I notice the onboard stereo is still lit and the thermostat is still lit with all breakers off. Might there be an isolation switch I haven't found? I disconnected the ground on the battery. I'll be upgrading that anyway. Thoughts please.
2020 Braxton Creek 24fb travel trailer
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nickthehunter
Midwest
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Joined: 07/18/2005
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Pretty much normal, there are always parasitic draws on the battery even with everything off (as you have discovered). You need to install a cutoff switch on the positive cable, at the battery.
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MFL
Midwest
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^Yup, need to disconnect at battery to cut all draw.
If you have let battery deplete several times already, you may have shortened it's life.
Jerry
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bukhrn
Lanexa, Va
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I don't know about all RV's, but I thought most, or all newer RV's came with a battery disconnect.
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pbitschura
SE MN
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MFL wrote:^Yup, need to disconnect at battery to cut all draw.
If you have let battery deplete several times already, you may have shortened it's life.
Jerry Upgrading the tinker toy battery furnished is already on the list>.So is a cutoff switch.
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Dutch_12078
Winters south, summers north
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By "breakers" are you taking about turning off the circuit breakers that control the 120 volt outlets and appliances? The 12 volt circuits are usually protected by fuses.
Dutch
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TCBear
USA
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Joined: 10/06/2023
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There are better battery disconnects, but you may get by with an inexpensive knob model -- see "swan battery disconnect." The recommended safe practice is to install it on the negative/black/- terminal, and the instructions may likely mention that. The oversized nature of the shutoff brings it potentially closer to other metallic items, including during a crash. Since the negative terminal is already grounded, that's not a problem, whereas the positive side will start sparking as soon as it contacts anything metallic. It's easy to check for parasitic draws using a $10 Harbor Freight multimeter (volt meter), you can Google that or watch a YouTube video.
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TCBear
USA
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You might look into a small solar panel too for camping. I have a portable 100 watt panel and dearly love it. It will even charge on a modestly overcast day, although of course it takes longer
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pbitschura
SE MN
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TCBear wrote:You might look into a small solar panel too for camping. I have a portable 100 watt panel and dearly love it. It will even charge on a modestly overcast day, although of course it takes longer I'm a fossil fuel guy. Have a Honda 3200i. It sips fuel and is quiet.
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CA Traveler
The Western States
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Joined: 01/03/2004
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My full battery diconnect switch and shunt. It's on the negative post which should always be disconnect first and reconnected last to minimize a possible postive post short to ground. Think using a wrench on the bolts.
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