Battery Hook-up Question

Running your RVs 12 volt electrical system with the battery disconnected IS NOT a good idea. Items like slide out motors can draw more than the circuit is able to provide.

Hi,

Some older converters required a battery to be "in the loop" to even out the voltage.

Unless the rv is going to be plugged in for several weeks I'd let the converter do it's job.

Yes, the 12v items will still be powered by the onboard converter while on shore power, in most cases. Some RV's will need the batteries in the circuit to power the 12v system correctly, they buffer the output of the converter's power supply.

Your stand-alone charger will work with batteries disconnected by the switch if you have the charger's leads connected to the (+) and (-) terminals of the batteries. Hooking the leads into any other wires while the ground is interrupted, will not complete the circuit so no charging will take place.

12 volt side of life

I have read a lot on how the onboard charger from the factory is not a 3 way charger and how it won't charge properly. I can't afford to upgrade the inverter this year so I was just going to use my 10amp battery tender to charge it when we are camping.

Why would you want to disconnect the batteries when on shore power? Some of the on board chargers(converter) will carry the 12V systems; however, for most it is better that they see a battery. A separate charger would need both its + and - connected to the battery bank.