Main battery disconnect not working?

[Dreinig]

Hello. I am a new RV owner. I picked up my 2018 Four Winds 28Z on 3/21. During the brief demo (due to coronavirus was hard to really go though in tight quarters) the tech had to replace the house battery due to no power. Brand new battery installed. We drove to the campsite we rented, I turned off the main battery (by entrance steps). A week later we went to check on the RV and load some stuff. Now we started the engine and we had lights etc. We left after 2 hours - and we were not plugged into shore. Yesterday I went to the RV and had no 12v power. The campsite had moved our RV into its spot, but they only drove it and did not turn on inside lights etc. The red light was on the disconnect switch. Our switch is a simple button you push to turn on and off. I pushed the button and the light went off for about 10 seconds, then came back on. Do I need to actually disconnect the battery each time I leave the RV or is it that the disconnect switch just isn’t working. Being the battery was dead when I picked it up I know it wasn’t just an old battery issue. Any help would be appreciated. This is my first RV.

[16ACE27]

Your RV has a 12 VDC buss for house loads.
Attached to that buss in the 120 VAC to 12 VDC converter/charger. It supplies the loads and charges the batteries IF the batteries are also connected to the buss.
The light by the battery disconnect (also called the USE/STORE switch or salesman switch) lights when there is 12 VDC on the buss. It is NOT an indication of the state of the latching relay which connects the house batteries to the 12 VDC buss.
The latching relay connects the house batteries to the 12 VDC buss and is controlled by the battery disconnect switch.

BUT; if your batteries are too dead, the latching relay will NOT connect the house batteries to the 12 VDC buss as the power to operate the latching relay comes from the batteries. In this case you must charge the batteries externally to operate the latching relay.

[cavie]

with your converter breaker off and a 12 volt light on you can tell if the battery disconnect is on or off. If the converter breaker is on you will always have 12 volts on. Unplug from shore power and turn on a 12 volt light and you will know if the disconnect is on or off.

[Dreinig]

Thank you. It could just be that there’s enough small items like carbon monoxide, etc drawing the power even with the disconnect off. It sat for a week without anyone being there. If that’s the case, we need to unplug cables when not using. As of May 1st we’ll have shore power so we won’t need to rely on batteries, but I still need to figure out what’s going on so when we boondock or leave it stored for a week at a time.

[bry899]

the battery will drain overtime if not plugged in, even with the use/store switch in the off position.
If you can't keep the RV plugged into 120 AC, you can disconnect the battery or add a battery disconnect switch.
another option if stored outdoors are solar panels.

[taylorbob1]

Originally Posted by Dreinig

Thank you. It could just be that there’s enough small items like carbon monoxide, etc drawing the power even with the disconnect off. It sat for a week without anyone being there. If that’s the case, we need to unplug cables when not using. As of May 1st we’ll have shore power so we won’t need to rely on batteries, but I still need to figure out what’s going on so when we boondock or leave it stored for a week at a time.

It hasn’t been said in this thread, but said many times in other battery-related threads on this Forum...
The only way to completely eliminate that “parasitic draw” from the carbon monoxide sensor (or on Class A’s the Axxera Radio) is to add a battery disconnect switch like this one...

https://www.amazon.com/Post-Battery-Master-Disconnect-Switch - $10.95

[Mr.Good]

It's odd that many posts on this subject say that putting the Use/Store switch does not stop the parasitic current draws from things like radio, smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector.

On our 2017 Thor Citation Sprinter, when the switch was toggled to STORE, everything was shut off. No 12v house lights, no radios (including Axxera in dash), back up cameras, indicator lights on CO and smoke detectors were off). After learning the hard way, I always put it in STORE when parking the MH in the storage lot and never had any issues.

Chassis battery had its own disconnect right above the accelerator pedal(had to wait 10 min. after engine shutoff for the ECM to shut down), which cut off parasitic current draws from the remote keyless system, dome lights, ECM, etc.

[cavie]

Originally Posted by Mr.Goodbar

It's odd that many posts on this subject say that putting the Use/Store switch does not stop the parasitic current draws from things like radio, smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector.

On our 2017 Thor Citation Sprinter, when the switch was toggled to STORE, everything was shut off. No 12v house lights, no radios (including Axxera in dash), back up cameras, indicator lights on CO and smoke detectors were off). After learning the hard way, I always put it in STORE when parking the MH in the storage lot and never had any issues.

Chassis battery had its own disconnect right above the accelerator pedal(had to wait 10 min. after engine shutoff for the ECM to shut down), which cut off parasitic current draws from the remote keyless system, dome lights, ECM, etc.

Smoke dect is not on the battery. Self contained battery. Here is a test. Unplug the shore power, Turn off the salesman switch. Go spray some air freshener in front of the lp and CO detector or push the test button.

[Dreinig]

Well I bought a battery disconnect switch. As of May 1st I’ll have shore power. It has to be something simple. As I said, the battery was replaced the day we picked up because it was dead during the demo. I just figured it was an old battery. Then when it went dead on us, figured there was an issue. I know the switch was set to store the first time, i figures it out when my husband couldn’t get the radio to shut off when he killed the engine. The first time when I hit the switch the light went out and all the power shut down. Then a week later, no lights or power except for engine battery still worked. Noticed the switch light was on so tried turning off ( put into store position) and light would go out and then come back on again in 5 seconds. I want to figure it out because it’s driving me nuts and this is my first RV so of course I’m learning all the little bugs about it

[cavie]

The light just tells you that 12 volts is present. Not wither the switch is on or off. To determine on or off you must disconnect from shore power. Turn on an interior 12 volt light, then turn the battery disconnect on or off. Mark the switch when you figure out which is on or off.

[gmc]

Originally Posted by Mr.Goodbar

It's odd that many posts on this subject say that putting the Use/Store switch does not stop the parasitic current draws from things like radio, smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector.

...

Definitely a ‘your rig may differ’ item.
Like you, my 2014 Hurricane, the use/store is a complete disconnect. No CO/propane detector or radio draw. Can easily go a month with no issue.

We don’t seem to be in the majority of those reporting. Lol

[UT-1]

I have a 2017 Thor Chateau 22E. Your latch relay ( master battery disconnect) is stuck in the USE position so the Use/Store momentum switch is activating the relay but the relay will not stay in the off position. . Since your latch relay is stuck in the on position that is why your light will temporarily turn off and then turn right back on and why you had a dead new battery when you thought the master battery disconnect relay was off.
Also the store switch should shut off all parasitic load - even the LP CO monitor - the green/red light should go off. That is the purpose of the relay. In your case since it is defective you can bypass it with your own master disconnect switch but make sure you have bypass the relay ( rewire the battery positive at the relay) otherwise if the relay ever gets stuck in the off position you will not have 12VDC power even with your master switch on. Hope this helps. I had the same problem.

[UT-1]

Originally Posted by gmc

Definitely a ‘your rig may differ’ item.
Like you, my 2014 Hurricane, the use/store is a complete disconnect. No CO/propane detector or radio draw. Can easily go a month with no issue.

We don’t seem to be in the majority of those reporting. Lol

I agree with you. The Use/Store switch is a main disconnect switch that does kill all parasitic load in the coach. In the OP's case his relay was not working (stuck in the USE position) so it drained his new battery. That's why the coach light went off but came right back on when he hit the momentum switch. It sent power to the relay and activated the magnetic to pull the little metal rod inside the relay to one side but since it is a momentum switch the temporary current when it went off was not sufficient to keep the metal rod off so it we nd back on and hence the lights came back on. My relay when I took it apart was rusted and would not swing freely so I passed/replaced it with a 100 amp 12volt circuit breaker that I happened to have extra. So now I flip the breaker on/off instead of the "salesman switch".

[gibbyid]

I have a 28z simple with shore power unplugged turn on the lights above the use/store switch, if they come on the switch is on. hit the use/ store switch and if the lights go off the switch is off and on mine the battery's are good at least a month. Turn on switch before plugging in or driving so the battery will charge. Being doing this for the last 4 years or so winter and summer.

[cavie]

Originally Posted by gibbyid

i have a 28z simple with shore power unplugged turn on the lights above the use/store switch, if they come on the switch is on. Hit the use/ store switch and if the lights go off the switch is off and on mine the battery's are good at least a month. Turn on switch before plugging in or driving so the battery will charge. Being doing this for the last 4 years or so winter and summer.