New RV Owner Questions [Please B Patient]

Having batteries cked today...I have a PowerMax converter -hope it is working :)

lanerd wrote:
The switch by the door is commonly called the "Salesman's Switch". Typically used to turn lights off and on .......

Your converter will continue to charge the batteries while this switch is in the "off" position.

.............

Ron

Not usually AFAIK. That door switch operates another switch (solenoid type) that does isolate the converter from the batteries in the MHs I have seen and read about on here.

On shore power with that switch made, the converter will still run the 12v stuff in the RV, but not be able to charge the batteries. I don't see how that door switch can work the lights when you are on shore power.

With no shore power and that door switch made, the batteries will be unable to run the RV's 12v stuff (except anything direct wired to the batteries, like jacks, etc.) Now that door switch would work the lights.

Anybody have the amp draw figures handy for running the gas furnace all nite?? Takes a fair amount of juice. I've heard the Olympian catalytic is the safest. We use a free standing mid-size one for our 250sf rig and it works well. Unplugs from gas hose & stored under bed when not in use.

Tomboy13

What converter do you have?

GREAT IDEAS...Will look for that heater..and cking the batteries :D THAnks so much!

Tomboy13 wrote:
When on the SHORELINE...should Home (Coach) BATTERY be disconnected? OR Stored?

Leave them connected. Shore power will recharge them, though poorly. AC/DC converters in RV are usually in the wrong place, too long and thin wire, not enough volts for proper charging. Also, as Roy mentioned, some are cr-ap to begin with, and won't taper the voltage when battery is full, and may overcharge the battery.

Tomboy13 wrote:

When camping without shoreline...Batteries run down at night if heater left on...even set @ 70* is there a trick to not running your batteries dead while camping

The trick is called "catalytic heater". There are 2 of them around, Platinum Cat and Olympian. Cat is better. Either one will save both propane and battery power.

Another trick is called "add one more battery".

The switch by the door is commonly called the "Salesman's Switch". Typically used to turn lights off and on without having to go around and turn them on individually. While our mh is in storage (our rv garage) I turn on all the lights in the mh and when leaving the mh, I flip this switch to turn them all off at once. When I come back to the mh for something, I flip this switch and it turns "on" all the lights. Salesmen do this at dealerships.

Your converter will continue to charge the batteries while this switch is in the "off" position.

Again, I caution you about your converter. You need to find out if it is a 3-stage unit that will provide a "float" charge once the batteries are fully charged. If it doesn't, it will overcharge and destroy the batteries. Not good.

Ron

That Battery Switch most likely needs to be ON for the Converter/Charger to replenish the RV Batteries when on Shore Tie. Also, the vast majority of RV fridges will not operate without 12VDC from the RV Batteries. The actual cooling's done with 120VAC or Propane Gas, but there's an electronic control system that has to have 12VDC or nothing happens.