My wife and I did it,bought our first Fifth. 2016 Montana 3711FL and also made our first mistake. Got it home,no problem and being a previous boat owner thought if I use the battery Disconnect and shut off the breakers batterie will be fine, but next morning went out to turn some lights on and take some pics to send to family and no power. Called dealer(camping world) and they were no help so I called Keystone and they told me fridge drained battery and that it can't be shut off. Now I'm wondering do I pull battery, charge it and wait to get 50amp service installed or maybe go to solar? We thought we did our homework but I guess not enough, first lesson learned! Sorry to sound so dumb and really appreciate the advice we have gotten from you all in previous posts.2015 Chevy Silverado 3500 ( so impressed with how well this truck pulled Montana home two hours away)

If you used the battery disconnect, it should not have drained the battery......As for the fridge not being able to shut off, I dont believe that.

Welcome to the forum!Not a mistake, just part of the learning curve. I did something similar, found the drain from the backlight on the radio discharged battery over a couple week period. I installed a battery disconncet switch similar to this one on the negative cable of the battery. Three years later (with monthly use of the trailer), never another problem.Enjoy, and safe travels.

Poncho62At first Keystone told me there was a switch for the fridge in line with the disconnect,then she came back and told me she was misinformed and that there is no shut off. I'm going to go out and put a meter on the battery then go from there,any other suggestions, thank you

Then that is not a true battery disconnect switch. I'd install my own, one that sits on one of the battery terminals and really does disconnect the battery. The fridge can't be shut off? Wanna bet??? Maybe not with THEIR faux disconnect switch.But hey, any day you learn something is a day well spent.

Thank you all, I guess my thinking when I used the disconnect and shut off breakers was not as dumb as I thought but now I got to figure out what happened? More to learn than expected:)

First and probably not last mistake | Good Sam Community

Toolguy5
Explorer III
Jun 06, 2015
I don't understand that you can't turn fridge off. If it is a residential fridge it runs on 110 volts. If you are not plugged into shore power how did it drain battery, there is not any power to turn it on.
2oldman
Explorer II
Jun 06, 2015
Refrigerators must be a lot different now. I'm familiar with the ones that have a "0" setting on the temperature control, meaning "off."

In a home, I guess the Snowbirds would have to either unplug it, or find its breaker before leaving for winter.
Curlida
Explorer
Jun 06, 2015
AZT&T and 2oldman,
My wife and I went through the fridge again and inside at top there three PB for freezer (ice off, power freeze,& freeze and on other side Fidge,to set temp.,e saver, power cool) no on, off that we can find. I did however find the inverter power switch and the receptacle it is plugged into. So I'm still researching.
rskeans
Explorer
Jun 06, 2015
My Samsung does not have an OFF button.
RoyF
Explorer
Jun 06, 2015
"Breakers" switch off AC power, not DC power. Like they said, a disconnect switch should be the first thing that the cable from the battery goes through.
2oldman
Explorer II
Jun 06, 2015
AZ T&T wrote:
why cant you just turn the fridge off?
Yeah, and apparently there's nothing in it anyway, so why is it on?
AZ_T_T
Explorer
Jun 06, 2015
What am I missing here? I have never owned a RV with a residential refrigerator, so bare with me. Why cant you just turn the fridge off? Isn't there a control panel somewhere on the door or inside the refrigerator compartment?
Curlida
Explorer
Jun 06, 2015
2oldman,
I was informed that Manufacturer does not install battery, the dealer does. Also when I checked,a positive cable was loose as was the (I will call them secondary) terminal connectors on the lid of the battery. I will check the Inverter wiring and read some more of the many many manuals I got and keep learning.
2oldman
Explorer II
Jun 06, 2015
A residential with one battery? That's how they come from the factory?
rhagfo
Explorer III
Jun 06, 2015
TomHaycraft wrote:
Welcome to the forum!

Not a mistake, just part of the learning curve. I did something similar, found the drain from the backlight on the radio discharged battery over a couple week period. I installed a battery disconncet switch similar to this one on the negative cable of the battery. Three years later (with monthly use of the trailer), never another problem.

Enjoy, and safe travels.

I would agree with the install your own! I Have installed in the positive side of the battery at a location out side the battery box. This makes it a simple reach into the front compartment an turn a nice switch that is clearly marked. We TRY to get out every month, but this year work :M got in the way, fiver sits at a storage yard without power, after three months and a couple visits to do work to (run out slides without connecting to TV), batteries still almost fully charged. I could still run out slides, and run absorption refer overnight.

CW Battery Disconnect Switch

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