battery disconnect switch?

[mikhett]

ON my 2008 FOUR Winds Chateau 31 F there is a battery disconnect switch by the entry door.Its a single toggle switch.UP says "connect".Down says "coach disconnect". Am I to assume then i dont have a chassis batery disconnect then?BY the way the light never goes out.

[FW28z]

Sounds like the same thing I have on my 2011 Four Winds 28z.



Sorry for the poor quality - I pulled it from my walk through video.


When you depress the switch up or down (and it is a momentary switch), you should hear a big clunk somewhere. That is the battery disconnect. The switch then is a remote control for the battery disconnect.

When you press the switch up, the battery is connected... down, and the battery is disconnected.

Unfortunately, there is no indication of whether the contactor (battery disconnect) is engaged or not.

The LED is on anytime either the battery switch is pushed UP (to connect the batteries to the coach), or if 120VAC is plugged in and the inverter is working.

In that regard, the LED provides status of 12VDC to the coach rather than if the battery disconnect is engaged or not. The led will be on if either the battery or converter (via 120VAC) is supplying 12VDC.

Anywhoo, that is how my switch works. The only issue is that (I think but have not electrically confirmed) that if the up position on the switch is not depressed (closing the contactor) when using 120VAC (and the converter is supplying 12VDC), your batteries will not get a charge from the converter.

So the only true way to determine if the battery is getting a charge when on 120VAC is to push up on the switch and listen to the clunk.

Unfortunately the manuals are about worthless.

[mikhett]

THe dealer give me the dime tour in nov/13 when i bought my 08 FW 31F and im still learning.My problem has been chassis batt discharge.I dont hear a solenoid clunkwhen i depress connect (up).The isolator solenoid i think is on my pass side inner fender behind the chassis battery.Im in the process of ts ing with an ampmeter.Thanks Buddy!

[FW28z]

If you find the solenoid, let me know where it is... one of these days I need to locate where mine is, but I have other projects on the RV more important right now.

I was able to get an electrical layout drawing from Thor, but it was no help in locating the solenoid.

[mikhett]

Is on my passenger side inner fender right behind the battery.It will have a red 8 gauge wire about 8 inches long going from pos batt post.Basically a ford starter solenoid.

[petef]

Originally Posted by mikhett

ON my 2008 FOUR Winds Chateau 31 F there is a battery disconnect switch by the entry door.Its a single toggle switch.UP says "connect".Down says "coach disconnect". Am I to assume then i dont have a chassis batery disconnect then?BY the way the light never goes out.

That switch is for the coach battery only.

[steelerr]

Hi everybody. While trying to understand the functioning of the battery disconnect switch myself, I saw in the Four Winds Owner's Manual that the disconnect solenoid is under the hood. Sure enough, a large solenoid is on the firewall in the engine compartment, just in front of the driver.

Unfortunately, that is not the battery disconnect solenoid, I think. I am not yet sure what this solenoid does, but it was added by Thor, and not original to my Ford E-450 chassis, I believe.

The battery (or chassis) disconnect solenoid was found under a panel beneath the foot of the bed, behind the AC converter/fuse box. When disconnected from shore power, the solenoid gives a very audible 'clunk' when the disconnect switch is activated in either direction. The solenoid has two 5A fuses directly on the device. There are two large cables connected, as well as two coil wires.

[FW28z]

The solenoid you found under the hood should be the emergency start switch that uses the house batteries to start the engine should your engine battery be.dead.

[rvcruiser]

If your battery disconnect switch does not "clunk" (activate solenoid)and your coach is in the 6 to 7 years old range, then what has probably happened is the battery ground cable has lost contact with the frame of the chassis.
In most cases batteries were put in aftermarket for inverters, etc, and the frame coating was not removed where the bolt hole was drilled. Over time
the contact thru the bolt hole has lost contact with the frame and the circuit
is interrupted.
The solenoid on a Four Winds is under the bed on the left side front. It's kind of hidden but if you look you will find it. If your batteries are showing correct voltage check solenoid with a volt meter. There should be 12+ volts going in and 12+ volts going out. If there is no voltage on incoming side then your
problem is definitely the ground cable from the last battery.
Remove cable, sand frame to bare metal, reconnect and your battery connect switch will "clunk" and all your 12 volt devices will now operate.

[calgary40]

resurrecting an old thread..

I just acquired a 2005 Four Winds 32R and have similar symptoms. The circuits that are dead are all 12v lights, slides (but not the slide locks), fridge, etc.
The gen works and fridge etc works as well, but not the slides.
The coach switch lights up (red), the chassis (green).
New batteries front and for coach
clunk from the front, but not the rear with coach switch.
under the bed, there are the fuse panels, the inverter, and a large box that looks like a cross over area with the three power source inputs.

I also unbolted, sandpapered and reconnected the battery to chassis gound underneath.

Am I staring at the coach battery solenoid? I can't seem to identify it. Any help would be appreciated as my wife is loosing patience with my inability to find a solution...

thx!

[calgary40]

I dropped off the RV this morning for the out of province inspection - the guys there, who don't normally do coach problems, thought it might be the inverter.

I would not have thought the inverter would be at play when running off of the batteries. They said they would give it an hour today and see what they could find, but any guidance would be appreciated.


(By the way, my previous post may be misleading - the fridge works with the generator, but not off of the 12vdc/propane)

[gmc]

Originally Posted by calgary40

I dropped off the RV this morning for the out of province inspection - the guys there, who don't normally do coach problems, thought it might be the inverter.

I would not have thought the inverter would be at play when running off of the batteries. They said they would give it an hour today and see what they could find, but any guidance would be appreciated.


(By the way, my previous post may be misleading - the fridge works with the generator, but not off of the 12vdc/propane)

Some mixing of terms in the thread...

The inverter supplies 110V from 12v when NOT on shore power... An RV (non-residential) fridge would typically not be connected to the inverter at all - as it is intended to run on 12v/propane if 110 isn't there...so this should not be in play.

The converter/charger supplies 12v from 110v - either supplying 12v when it isn't present otherwise (coach batteries disconnected) or charging the coach batteries... If coach batteries are present and charged - this would not affect fridge operation.

The fridge on generator would be running off the 110v (fridge switch on AC or Auto)... When 110v isn't present, the fridge should run off 12v/propane (fridge switch on Gas or Auto).
There should be an indicator that the fridge is running on Gas (mine has a light showing gas is the source...)

If no light when not plugged in and switch set to Gas or Auto - try plugging in to shore power and manually setting fridge to Gas... If that works - the fridge is getting 12v from the converter, but not direct from the batteries... Check the main fuse by the battery - and the fuse in the 12v distribution panel to the fridge (on my rig - panel in bed base).

You seemed to indicate other 12v wasn't working - so I would suspect the main fuse at the batteries... Assuming as you stated that the batteries are good/charged.

[dankrall]

Everyone keeps referencing this but I can not find it. I have a 2013 Fourwinds 31A. I have changed the battery disconnect solenoid and put in a brand new converter and still can't charge batteries. Batteries were bought this year. They are dead.

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by dankrall

Everyone keeps referencing this but I can not find it. I have a 2013 Fourwinds 31A. I have changed the battery disconnect solenoid and put in a brand new converter and still can't charge batteries. Batteries were bought this year. They are dead.

It's not a fuse, it's a DC breaker and it looks like:

[dankrall]

Ok that is interesting but the bigger question is where is it? That is the real picture I need.

[Bob Denman]

If it's not in your battery compartment: try following the wires into the coach.
Mine is attached to the outside of the compartment...

[lazinskm]

Look for somthing like this! In mine it is next to my sink in bathroom. . That button is the breaker. It is on the opposite side of the wall from my fuse box. The solinoid is below it in a compartment next to toliet.

[dankrall]

The installation picture was a huge help. When I finally found it I was surprised by how small it was and even more surprised by how small that tiny little black reset switch was. That little bugger caused me a new battery disconnect solenoid and a new converter ($300). I can't complain too much about the converter because it is a 4 stage charger and much better than the 1 stage charger that comes with it.

[Bob Denman]

In that case: Congratulations on a wise upgrade!

[Gary A]

Originally Posted by lazinskm

Look for somthing like this! In mine it is next to my sink in bathroom. Attachment 12015Attachment 12017. That button is the breaker. It is on the opposite side of the wall from my fuse box. The solinoid is below it in a compartment next to toliet.

FW 28z, this is where yours is located. I, too, have a 28z.