12 volt questions
1. Is this Convertor OK? 2. What is this Black thing to the lower left of my thumb? 3. What is the loose yellow connector for? I noticed the wire is loose. 4. What is the 5amp fuse...
Forum Discussion
As Trackrig said, that is a battery isolator relay. It connects the chassis and house batteries together, probably based on when the engine is running (and possibly also controlled by an "emergency start" button or switch.
The battery disconnect switch in 5 I would suspect connects the house battery to the 12V distribution panel (typically via a latching relay). Usually these are momentary center-off switches, though, which this does not appear to be. I would be rather surprised if the isolator is manual on this vintage of a motorhome.
If you're parked for a few months, you definitely should either disconnect the battery (once its charged) or have some arrangement for keeping it charged while connected, such as plugging the RV in to shore power so the converter is on or having some solar charging setup. If it's not cold winter weather, you should periodically charge the battery even if its disconnected due to self-discharge. Self-discharge rates vary greatly with temperature changes; in freezing temperatures, it takes months to self-discharge the same amount that happens in a week or two of hot weather.
There's no way to tell what the fuse is for without tracing the wires or removing it and seeing what no longer works. One possibility might be the CO and propane detectors.
The battery disconnect switch in 5 I would suspect connects the house battery to the 12V distribution panel (typically via a latching relay). Usually these are momentary center-off switches, though, which this does not appear to be. I would be rather surprised if the isolator is manual on this vintage of a motorhome.
If you're parked for a few months, you definitely should either disconnect the battery (once its charged) or have some arrangement for keeping it charged while connected, such as plugging the RV in to shore power so the converter is on or having some solar charging setup. If it's not cold winter weather, you should periodically charge the battery even if its disconnected due to self-discharge. Self-discharge rates vary greatly with temperature changes; in freezing temperatures, it takes months to self-discharge the same amount that happens in a week or two of hot weather.
There's no way to tell what the fuse is for without tracing the wires or removing it and seeing what no longer works. One possibility might be the CO and propane detectors.
