"Salesman Switch" What is it?

[MagillaGorilla]

I see this term a lot and I am wondering what it is. Based on context I think it is the House 12V Power On/Off switch by the door.

If this is true what is the reason for bypassing it? If you bypass it, how do you turn House power on and off?

[JimM68]

You might look around for another switch?
Both of my motorhomes (1999 pacearrow gas & 2008 Monaco DP) have a switch to select which battery bank powers the radio.

Oh Magilla, since you've become a regular here, you should put your coach year make and model in your sig, makes it way easier for us...

[MrWizard]

why on earth..would you NOT have the 12v house disconnect powering the house
the only reason i can think of is going to or from storage
IF you are actually camping or traveling
you need that power on..
so yes you can use the radio and NOT drain the engine / chassis batteries
it can be wired either way
and you can change it if you want to

[MagillaGorilla]

My dash radio does not work unless the 12V switch is in the on position. I thought it was part of the chassis battery but I guess it is connected to the house batteries. I am mixed on this. Part of me thinks it should be on the chassis power so you can listen to it just as you would in your car. No need to have the other 12V items on while driving. Then the other part of me says that it will be nice to be able to listen to the radio while parked and NOT drain the chassis battery.

It is what it is.

[ArchHoagland]

I keep my switch taped in the "On" position because when we hit it my wife would have to reset all the clocks, etc.

Recently had the coach in for service and noticed when I picked it up I couldn't get my driver power seat to work.

Discovered the shop had used the switch by the door. I always thought the power seat would get it's power from the engine battery but not so on my coach.

My coach also has two battery disconnect switches that disconnects the batteries completely so parasite drains don't run the batteries down.

[dougrainer]

JimM68 wrote:
The "salesman's switch" is very much a Monaco Term. Monaco (and Holiday Rambler) motorhomes have a 12 volt disconnect switch just inside the door. It kills all NON-ESSENTIAL 12 volts devices. It kills the lights, but not the furnace or fridge.

Mine has been bypassed for so long I've forgotten what all it controls.

The relay (big solenoid looking thing) is (on my entry/middle level DP) is on the circuit board in the front run bay, the front compartment on the drivers side. There is a big circuit board there with many of the "sorta chassis not house but still house" breakers and fuses. Slideouts, power seats, mirrors, all this stuff is there.

the "salesman's switch solenoid is on the lower left corner of the board.
On mine, when it failed, the cables were long enough that I could take one off one side and move it to the other, thereby bypassing the solenoid.

I can't say I've ever missed it.

Woulda liked to post a picture, but can't find them. My info applies to mid to late 2000's Knights, Ambassadors, Endeavers, and Diplomat's.
Higher end models may be different, and I've no info on gassers

As a former Monaco dealership(12 years right up until they went under), I NEVER heard the term Salesman switch, until this forum brought it up. Of course, I only have 36 years as a Motorhome RV Service Tech, so maybe the term predates ME:B Doug

[JimM68]

The "salesman's switch" is very much a Monaco Term. Monaco (and Holiday Rambler) motorhomes have a 12 volt disconnect switch just inside the door. It kills all NON-ESSENTIAL 12 volts devices. It kills the lights, but not the furnace or fridge.

Mine has been bypassed for so long I've forgotten what all it controls.

The relay (big solenoid looking thing) is (on my entry/middle level DP) is on the circuit board in the front run bay, the front compartment on the drivers side. There is a big circuit board there with many of the "sorta chassis not house but still house" breakers and fuses. Slideouts, power seats, mirrors, all this stuff is there.

the "salesman's switch solenoid is on the lower left corner of the board.
On mine, when it failed, the cables were long enough that I could take one off one side and move it to the other, thereby bypassing the solenoid.

I can't say I've ever missed it.

Woulda liked to post a picture, but can't find them. My info applies to mid to late 2000's Knights, Ambassadors, Endeavers, and Diplomat's.
Higher end models may be different, and I've no info on gassers

[dougrainer]

MagillaGorilla wrote:
Is there a thread on the bypass process? I don't want to bypass mine but I do want to know how just in case I need to.

FIND your solenoid. Have someone turn the switch ON and OFF while you go thru the various battery areas and compartments listening for the clicking of the solenoid. Once you find the solenoid, all you do to bypass is either have a 10 inch long 2 or 4 gauge battery cable with ring terminal ends and install to the 2 large posts, or if you have enough slack and post length, take the cables loose from one side and install on the other side of the 2 large solenoid posts. Doug

[MagillaGorilla]

Is there a thread on the bypass process? I don't want to bypass mine but I do want to know how just in case I need to.

[wa8yxm]

Sadly Byron is far too often correct.. The Salesman switch is what you get after than BAIT you in with a good deal.. It's the call where they say "Oh,the loan we signed the deal on did not go through (NOTE SIGNED) it's going to be an additional 10,000 dollars"

Or as others have said.. A switch actually called the house battery disconnect located just inside the door used by the salesman and far too often bumped by the owner when you sit on the stepfor some reason

I glude adouble layre of Craft Stick either side of mine makes life much better.

[dougrainer]

The ONLY time and venue that I have seen the Battery disconnect called a "Salesman Switch", is on this forum. At NO time in the history of RV's has any OEM called that a Salesman switch. It has ALWAYS been the 12 volt coach battery disconnect. I believe it got called the Salesman Switch because some people saw the Salesman turn that switch On and OFF when demonstrating the RV to a potential customer. They figured it was there for the Salesman. Doug

[byronlj]

I got a salesman switch when I bought my last truck. I showed up to deal after the internet salesman quoted me a price. When I showed the manager the quote, they couldn't find the internet sales guy. They also screwed up by giving me my trade in value before I showed them the quote on the new truck. I got a very good deal that day.
Dave

[MrWizard]

Magilla
Yes it's the house POWER disconnect...
There is NO SUCH THING as the salesman switch
It was never installed for the salesman
It was installed for the owner..RV user to save battery power when not being used

The bypass being talked about is in regards to the BCC aka battery control center
A electronic bidirectional battery relay control that fails
When it does you loose house power
Some systems will even cause loss of chassis engine drive electric power..shutting down the engine
The by pass is an Emg measure to provide power

[bullydogs1]

It is the salesman's switch by the door..mine was very easy to bump and if you did it would turn off the AC since the thermostat was 12v....also, on Monaco/HR, the solenoid would go bad at the worst time and leave you with no 12v..easily bypassed in the run bay...I use the switch by the batteries to cut 12v but most of the time it sits in my garage hooked to power anyway..