RV Newbie

[Sgt_Obvious]

Hey Everyone,

We are new to RVing and are excited to go explore with our 3 kids in our new Reflection 278BH. This is our first fifth wheel and can't wait to take delivery at the end of this month. Advice and wisdom is always welcome.

[Jkwilson]

Congratulations and welcome!

Practice at or close to home for a few nights so you can make sure you know how everything works. Things like water, water heater, furnace and air conditioner are all a little more complicated than a house. Have the dealer show you every function of the RV before you leave.

Don’t leave your awning out if there is the remotest chance of wind or rain.

Don’t turn the battery disconnect off and don’t store the trailer without power available to charge the battery. Solar might do it, but don’t bet.

Slow down. Driving, hitching, leveling, unhitching, setting up etc.. Getting in a hurry leads to mistakes.

[Sgt_Obvious]

You mention the battery disconnect, what is it's intended purpose or what would be an instance when I would use it?

[Country Campers]

You mention the battery disconnect, what is it's intended purpose or what would be an instance when I would use it?

I would never use the factory battery disconnect, I would leave it pushed in and turned so the red handle can not be removed. If you are storing for more than a couple days with out shore power connection then I would remove one of the battery cables from the battery. There are a few draws on the battery at all times and the battery disconnect does not remove all of them.

Welcome to the Forum and congrats on the new bunk house, I am sure the kids are excited. Have a read of our Welcome Letter to New Members as it will help you navigate this site.

Brian

[Jkwilson]

You mention the battery disconnect, what is it's intended purpose or what would be an instance when I would use it?

I think it’s intended purpose is to cause new RV owners to end up with no lights or heat one night.

It does disconnect some of the 12V system, but it doesn’t disconnect all of it. It’s very, very common for it to cause problems for new owners.

Any time your lights inside don’t work, check it.

[Sgt_Obvious]

"I think it’s intended purpose is to cause new RV owners to end up with no lights or heat one night."

🤣

[Sgt_Obvious]

Thanks for the warm welcome!

[Jlawles2]

I would imagine the disconnect is intended for some form of "safety" device similar to the main breaker on a panel.

However it does not truly break the battery circuit or the converter from the trailer completely. This makes it pretty much an obstacle that will get turned off at the most inconvenient time possible leaving you scratching your head because the obvious things work (jacks etc) but the lights and other things are dead.

[Cate&Rob]

This switch seems to be a “throw back” to a time when everything electrical in a trailer went through the main panel. As more modern devices came along with memory or control that had be powered all the time, these circuits were allowed to bypass the “disconnect switch”. I have raised this question with Grand Design and they advise that they build to RVIA requirements. That is where the lack of understanding originates.

Rob

[Jlawles2]

Rob, can you get a set of the standards through GD?

[Country Campers]

I think the main function of the battery disconnect is the removal of power from the slide out control, this would be a safety item to not allow the slide to move when traveling. It would be best to have the disconnect off when traveling but I would make sure that all other items that need power have power, fridge for one.

Brian

[Jlawles2]

Country Campers The fridge is one of the things behind the cut off, also internal radio receiver.

The main things not behind the cut off are: emergency break away, jacks, Gas / CO alarm, and the converter (disconnect separates converter from the battery). There may be a few other things, but these are the known. If the disconnect is in the off position, the battery will DIE due to the small constant discharge from the few items hooked up.

[Sam_Frodo]

Country Campers The fridge is one of the things behind the cut off, also internal radio receiver.

The main things not behind the cut off are: emergency break away, jacks, Gas / CO alarm, and the converter (disconnect separates converter from the battery). There may be a few other things, but these are the known. If the disconnect is in the off position, the battery will DIE due to the small constant discharge from the few items hooked up.

My 12v fridge functions regardless of the position of the battery cut off. I turn it off inside the fridge.

[howson]

My 12v fridge functions regardless of the position of the battery cut off. I turn it off inside the fridge.

On the newest GDRVs this is no longer the way they are wired. Turning off the disconnect will remove power from the frig, as power is routed through the Power Distribution Panel.

[Sam_Frodo]

On the newest GDRVs this is no longer the way they are wired. Turning off the disconnect will remove power from the frig, as power is routed through the Power Distribution Panel.

Looking at my power distribution panel, nothing on the 12v side is labeled as refrigerator. Our camper has been built for just about 5 months and as stated above it does not matter the position of my battery disconnect. The refrigerator remains operational. So, I’m assuming that means it’s not wired through the power distribution panel. Someone took care to label it very nicely.

If it is today’s standard at GDRV for all RV’s to have the 12v fridge wired through the 12v distribution panel, it doesn’t seem like its universal or enforced, or December 2022 didn’t make the cutoff.

Is the corrective action to find where it’s powered, lift that lead and land it on an open fuse location if I want that disconnect to work with the battery switch disconnecting the power?