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  • Battery Disconnect Switch

    Why does the battery disconnect switch not shut all power down during storage? I thought that`s what it was for? Now I am going to have to install another one at the battery.
    Bryan & Shelia
    2008 chevy 3500HD Crew Cab 6.6 Duramax
    2021 GD 376THS MM

  • #2
    campman Good question, along with why is it in the pass through compartment on 5ers especially. I know some of the circuits powered are the jacks, battery breakaway (this one actually makes sense), and CO/Gas detector. I think the clock on the radio is also powered along with the refer if its a gas / electric model.
    Joseph
    Tow
    Vehicle: 2024 GMC K3500 Denali Ultimate Diesel
    Coach: 303RLS Delivered March 5, 2021
    South of Houston Texas

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    • #3
      Originally posted by campman View Post
      Why does the battery disconnect switch not shut all power down during storage? I thought that`s what it was for? Now I am going to have to install another one at the battery.
      That is a very good question for EVERY RV manufacturer. I'm going to guess so the CO sensor and smoke detectors work. ??? Either that or it is just easier to do it that way.

      I disconnect my battery when in storage. If I won't be using it for longer than a couple of weeks I bring the battery home and put a Battery Tender on it to maintain the charge.
      Mike & Lisa
      Central Florida
      2021 Imagine 2970RL
      1996 Chevy K3500 Crew SRW 7.4L Gas

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      • #4
        It is for sure the propane detector. This is governed by the RVIA and probably another organization or 2 that require an RV to have specific items. The RV manufactures also power the radio so owners do not have to keep setting their stations, if that is important to you. It is a pain but that is how they need to be manufactured.

        Brian
        Brian & Michelle
        2018 Reflection 29RS
        2022 Chevy 3500HD

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        • #5
          It was one of the questions they asked Don (the CEO) at the rally. I think he passed it into Jerry (the VP of service), but Brian is right on, their answer was they are required by law to power certain items all the time when it leaves the factory. What you do after that is up to you...
          Forum moderators are not GD employees--we are volunteers and owners presumably just like yourself. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, we have nothing to gain should you choose to purchase a product or engage a service we discuss on this forum.

          Neil Citro
          2018 Reflection 28BH Pepwave
          2019 F350 6.7L Long Bed Crew Cab

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          • #6
            Well i won`t get in a debate about it but the last 5th wheel i owed 2019 year model and not a GD the disconnect shut everything off.
            Bryan & Shelia
            2008 chevy 3500HD Crew Cab 6.6 Duramax
            2021 GD 376THS MM

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            • #7
              I've re-routed the main wire that feeds the rig so the switch cuts all power. Even the jack is disabled which makes the rig a little bit more secure from theft since it sits in a storage lot. We do not use the mostly worthless Furion unit (lacks blue ray) and look at our phones for the time in addition to using them to stream music to a Bose unit.

              At a minimum, GDRV should have a label near the switch that explains how the rigs are wired. Many have destroyed batteries after running them down only then to discover the wiring logic.

              Jim
              Last edited by Guest; 09-07-2021, 06:49 AM.

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              • #8
                "
                Originally posted by MidwestCamper View Post

                At a minimum, GDRV should have a label near the switch that explains how the rigs are wired. Many have destroyed batteries after running them down only then to discover the wiring logic.

                Jim
                Jim - that's a good point. Many folks have shared about dead batteries after the rig has sat at home or at storage or at the dealer usually in that 1-2 week time frame. Very destructive for batteries not too mention the high level of frustration or worse, aggravation.

                Rig specific labels could share that certain things (and list what they are) required by RV electrical (or other) and/or installed by GDRV to NOT be disabled even when the battery switch is in the "OFF" position. I do not think any of this is covered in Owners Manuals......not in ours anyway or others I have looked at on the GDRV site.

                This has been an evolutionary thing for builders in recent years I suspect including GDRV. It has been communicated about for several years elsewhere and a little on this forum as well. Our very early build 303 (built in 10/13) along with many other early GDRVs has a battery switch that does turn everything off. We store our RV indoors over the wither for 7 months with simply the battery switch in the "OFF" position and have done so for 7 winters. We still have the original battery. When we take the RV out of storage, the battery has had the "normal" battery discharge for just "sitting" still indicating about 3/4 charge. Front jacks, lights, etc work just fine.

                Rob's Cate&Rob 303 even a 2015 may be the same or maybe that's when changes started to occur. Possibly Rob will chime in.

                Dan
                Dan & Carol
                2014 303RLS Reflection #185 (10/2013 build)
                2012 Silverado LTZ Crew Duramax 2500HD - 2700/16K Pullrite Superglide

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                • #9
                  Canyonlight
                  Hi Dan,

                  Our 2015 Reflection 303RLS, built less than a year after yours, is wired so that the many things discussed do bypass the "battery"switch. The landing gear, the propane sensor, the radio memory, etc. One of the first things that I did was to install a true battery isolation switch. In my case, this was part of adding a second battery and I used a marine Batt1 / Batt2 / Both / Off four way switch. I moved both wires to the same terminal of the factory switch . . . so that it can't screw anything up unexpectedly.

                  Rob
                  Cate & Rob
                  (with Border Collies Molly & Angel + Kitties Hazel & Elsie)
                  2015 Reflection 303RLS
                  2022 F350 Diesel CC SB SRW Lariat
                  Bayham, Ontario, Canada

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                  • #10
                    Well i know everyone can`t do this but with my last rv and as well as this one i plan to power it up when in storage once a month and run my generator. This will keep my batteries charged as well. plus this helps maintain my generator.
                    Bryan & Shelia
                    2008 chevy 3500HD Crew Cab 6.6 Duramax
                    2021 GD 376THS MM

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by campman View Post
                      Well i know everyone can`t do this but with my last rv and as well as this one i plan to power it up when in storage once a month and run my generator. This will keep my batteries charged as well. plus this helps maintain my generator.
                      Even with that I'd still recommend pulling the battery cables or a master kill switch. I'd bet in a month with the factory switch the batteries would be depleted an unacceptable amount. Any more than a week I'd want them disconnected.

                      Forum moderators are not GD employees--we are volunteers and owners presumably just like yourself. Unless specifically mentioned otherwise, we have nothing to gain should you choose to purchase a product or engage a service we discuss on this forum.

                      Neil Citro
                      2018 Reflection 28BH Pepwave
                      2019 F350 6.7L Long Bed Crew Cab

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Yeah you`re probably right. on one rv i owned i had to install a master switch.
                        Bryan & Shelia
                        2008 chevy 3500HD Crew Cab 6.6 Duramax
                        2021 GD 376THS MM

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