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Riverrattralph's avatar
Riverrattralph
Explorer
Mar 04, 2015

2006 Coachmen Leprechaun 318DS

I just picked up this 318DS and just looking for a little information. It has the Jensen indash stereo. Is it normal that the coach battery switch has to be turned on to listen to the stereo while you are driving? When I picked it up Saturday the switch was on and the stereo worked. When I parked it I had to turn the coach battery switch off to turn off the stereo and when I went to move it ofcourse the stereo then did not work since i did not turn on the coach battery. Also when I turn on the coach battery the stereo at the outside entertainment center comes on. Am I missing something? Since it is winter here I did not hve much time to really look things over.
Class C
  • DrewE's avatar
    DrewE
    Explorer II
    Mar 05, 2015
    Riverrattralph wrote:
    since it is winter time I have been turning off the coach battery switch when I leave the motorhome. When I go back to it to check things out and turn on the battery switch the outside Jensen stereo comes on every time. Even if I turn it off the next time I turn the battery switch on again it will come back on. Is there an easy way to install a switch?


    Installing a switch would be straightforward if access to the power lead for the radio is straightforward. It's conceptually quite simple; you just need to cut and splice into the +12V line powering the radio with an appropriate switch (possibly with some additional wire if needed to locate the switch someplace sort of convenient).

    Even easier might be to figure out which 12V fuse controls the outside radio and pull it from the fuse panel while the motorhome is in storage. How practical or convenient that is depends on what else may be sharing the same 12V circuit.
  • Riverrattralph's avatar
    Riverrattralph
    Explorer
    Mar 05, 2015
    since it is winter time I have been turning off the coach battery switch when I leave the motorhome. When I go back to it to check things out and turn on the battery switch the outside Jensen stereo comes on every time. Even if I turn it off the next time I turn the battery switch on again it will come back on. Is there an easy way to install a switch?
  • DrewE's avatar
    DrewE
    Explorer II
    Mar 04, 2015
    My '98 Coachmen is set up the same way--dash radio connected to house battery only. It varies from maker to maker how they set things up; some use the chassis battery, some the house battery, and some have a switch (either automatic or manual).

    There's no reason not to have your house battery on while driving, since it gets charged (at least to some extent) by the vehicle alternator via the battery isolator. Indeed, it's probably best to have it on so that the LP detector (and CO detector, if it's a wired model) are operating, if for no other reason.
  • Beverley_Ken's avatar
    Beverley_Ken
    Explorer
    Mar 04, 2015
    Ours and many have a rocker switch near the drivers seat, that changes power choices from chassis OR coach batteries. We use the coach setting when camping to save draw on the chassis/starting battery.

    Ken
  • Riverrattralph's avatar
    Riverrattralph
    Explorer
    Mar 04, 2015
    Thanks. I wasn't sure if there was some kind of over ride that would power it when the key was used.
  • roadrat2's avatar
    roadrat2
    Explorer
    Mar 04, 2015
    Our 1999 coachman is set up the same way. This way you don't have to have the key in the ignition to play tunes while camping
    . Back in the day ( even 2006) this made sense. With Bluetooth speakers and iPods/ smartphones not so much anymore. Just have to turn the coach battery on when you're driving

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