Inverter on or off for storage

[JL428]

We have a 3950BH-R that we’ll be storing. No shore power at the storing location. Owners manual states to turn off the battery switch but doesn’t speak to the inverter. As I understand it, the inverter can be left on to supply power to safety items. The residential fridge is off but want to preserve as much of the batteries as possible.

[tgodrich]

This has been discussed on prior threads. I will fill in with what I know about my 303RLS, and I think the battery disconnect is the same on most of the Grand Design trailers. The battery disconnect DOES NOT disconnect all the 12 volt items in the trailer. There are still several things powered when this battery switch is disconnected. This will drain your battery in a week or so of storage.

One solution is to disconnect the negative battery terminal when in storage. There would be minimal to no battery drain this way.

What some of us have done is add a disconnect switch directly in line with the battery lead. I added a second battery to my rig, so I installed a boat disconnect. It is a large red switch with 4 positions. Battery A, Battery B, Batteries A & B, and Disconnect both batteries. You can find these switches online or at any boat shop. I have a Blue Sea Systems Battery Switch ON/OFF AFD. On Amazon it is $42.90. I also upsized my battery cables when I added the second battery. In my opinion the 12 volt wires from the battery are minimally gauged. I purchase my battery cables from BatteryCablesUSA. These work well for boats and trailers (I have wired both). You can specify gauge, length, color, and connector types and sizes on each end. They are fast and ship to your door.

As far as your inverter question, The above would disconnect the inverter too. You would not want your inverter connected when storing.

There is a caveat here too. Some rigs have solar. In this case, you would have to see where the charge circuit comes in. The intent of solar is to keep the battery charged. Depending on the discharge rate an the size of the panels, you would need to determine if the solar cells can keep the batteries charged if you care just disconnecting with the trailer battery disconnect switch. I would expect that the solar would go from the solar controller directly to the battery, but I do not have this option so only guessing.

Hope this helps.

[howson]

We have a 3950BH-R that we’ll be storing. No shore power at the storing location. Owners manual states to turn off the battery switch but doesn’t speak to the inverter. As I understand it, the inverter can be left on to supply power to safety items. The residential fridge is off but want to preserve as much of the batteries as possible.

Tony did a great job explaining the options. One more item about solar (for you or anyone else reading this thread if they have it): if the battery is disconnected (which turns off the solar controller) the panels should be disconnected from the controller, too. Every manufacturer of solar controller I'm aware of directs in their owner's manual to disconnect panels, then the battery when removing power. When applying power it's battery to the controller first, then the panels.

If your setup does not have a disconnect switch for the panels, and alternative is waiting until it is dark (so the panels aren't generating any voltage) and then removing the wires from the controller, capping them off for safety. (Better is a true disconnect switch.)

Below is a diagram that shows a configuration that provides the most convenience to isolate ("turn off") solar.

Howard

P.S. While Furrion's diagram shows a fuse from the battery to the controller, it is common to see a circuit breaker which is easy to turn on and off.

[JL428]

Thanks. Ours has a solar option but we don’t have panels/charging devices connected. Mainly just wanted to know if I needed to power down the inverter, along with shutting off the batteries, to preserve the batteries. It sounds like I can disconnect one of the battery cables to help preserve but the main concern was the inverter since it continues to aupply even shen the batteries are shut off.

[howson]

... the main concern was the inverter since it continues to aupply even shen the batteries are shut off.

No, that's not quite right.

An inverter takes 12vDC (your battery is 12vDC) and makes 120vAC (or "shore power"). If your battery is disconnected (and your trailer is not plugged in to shore power) the inverter will not function.

The other device that is frequently confused with an inverter is the converter. The converter takes 120vAC shore power and makes 12vDC to charge the battery and power the trailer's 12vDC items.

Howard

[JL428]

Ok. So I just did a check. It’s been temp stored. Battery switch has been off. Inverter light (pictured) was on when we first stored it. Light is now off. Batteries are dead.

[howson]

Ok. So I just did a check. It’s been temp stored. Battery switch has been off. Inverter light (pictured) was on when we first stored it. Light is now off. Batteries are dead.

That's because the inverter is wired to the battery before the red-keyed (and misnamed) "battery disconnect". I have no idea why GD chose to wire it this way.

The workaround, as mentioned in your owner's manual, for long term storage is to disconnect the negative lead from your battery.

[JL428]

Thanks for the clarification. In my owners manual however, which is a combination of Solitude and Solitude S-Class, doesn’t mention the negative lead.

[howson]

Thanks for the clarification. In my owners manual however, which is a combination of Solitude and Solitude S-Class, doesn’t mention the negative lead.

Hmmm...are they not including full versions of the Owners' Manual with trailers delivered now? Back in '18 (when I bought mine) there was a full-blown paper copy.

The electronic versions are available here: https://www.granddesignrv.com/owner-...owners-manuals

On page 110 of the electronic version of the '21 Solitude manual you'll find this entry:



While it does state "cables" (so both the negative and positive), to effectively isolate the battery only the negative needs to be removed.

[acoleman43]

Tony did a great job explaining the options. One more item about solar (for you or anyone else reading this thread if they have it): if the battery is disconnected (which turns off the solar controller) the panels should be disconnected from the controller, too. Every manufacturer of solar controller I'm aware of directs in their owner's manual to disconnect panels, then the battery when removing power. When applying power it's battery to the controller first, then the panels.

howson, I never thought about that. Do you have a switch between you panels and controller? If you do, where did you place it?

[howson]

howson, I never thought about that. Do you have a switch between you panels and controller? If you do, where did you place it?

Yes--right next to the SmartSolar controller (which is mounted in the front closet of my 315RLTS).

[steve&renee]

...

There is a caveat here too. Some rigs have solar. In this case, you would have to see where the charge circuit comes in. The intent of solar is to keep the battery charged. Depending on the discharge rate an the size of the panels, you would need to determine if the solar cells can keep the batteries charged if you care just disconnecting with the trailer battery disconnect switch. I would expect that the solar would go from the solar controller directly to the battery, but I do not have this option so only guessing.

...

Consider this first hand experience: If you disconnect your factory (not quite everything) switch and depend on your solar to keep up with the parasitic draws over the winter, you might be surprised when you check out the system come spring. I found I had a deeply discharged battery bank, because the china-bomb solar charge controller I use to own failed on me. No charge controller, no charge to the battery bank -- but still those nasty parasitic draws on the battery that will deplete the bank in two weeks or less. I think I almost lost my entire battery bank. (They were AGMs at the time, and they really don't like deep discharge. I worked for some time with a high end repair charger to get back to 100% SOC.)

I now have a Victron controller, but I'm still careful about depending on it when I'm away from the trailer for a long period.

-Steve

[malco1]

We have a 3950BH-R that we’ll be storing. No shore power at the storing location. Owners manual states to turn off the battery switch but doesn’t speak to the inverter. As I understand it, the inverter can be left on to supply power to safety items. The residential fridge is off but want to preserve as much of the batteries as possible.

I don't know what your inverter is running. On my Solitude I have a residential frig and an inverter just for the frig. The only time I have the inverter on is when I want to run the frig when not on shore power like when I am traveling. Otherwise the inverter is always off. I would not leave the inverter on while in storage, it will run down the battery pretty fast.

[Dodgeboy64]

OK...I have a 2022 GD M-Class 381M. I have the full GD solar kit. 300w up top an 2000w inverter. I can't get the system to power the rig? Am I missing something. I have 2 battery disconnects and both are on. I have a switch that turns on the inverter next to them and that's lit up. I have my cell with the app, it shows the solar panel output, but no load.

[Country Campers]

OK...I have a 2022 GD M-Class 381M. I have the full GD solar kit. 300w up top an 2000w inverter. I can't get the system to power the rig? Am I missing something. I have 2 battery disconnects and both are on. I have a switch that turns on the inverter next to them and that's lit up. I have my cell with the app, it shows the solar panel output, but no load.

If you have the "R" version with the residential fridge the fridge is the only thing powered by the inverter.

Brian