What chassis battery cutoff switch do you like?

[Naio]

I'm getting tired of pulling the negative terminal on and off :-). I see there are the kind where you turn the knob, the knife blade kind, a remote control kind, a hard wired remote switch on the dashboard... What's good?

I have a lot of bad back days when it's hard for me to lift the hood of the van, so the remote-controlled type was very tempting. Cheaper and easier than wiring some giant cable up to the dashboard. But I see an Amazon reviews that it (the one I was looking at it anyway, for $50) uses an electromagnet, and will drain my battery if I forget and leave it on.

What do you use, and why?

[MEXICOWANDERER]

echo

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Rude pet owners?

Sentence them to a weekend in Yosemite Park with a slight propane tank leak.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Rude pet owners?

Sentence them to a weekend in Yosemite Park with a slight propane tank leak.

[BFL13]

Naio wrote:
Thank you, all of you wonderful people :-).

I made the mistake of posting a question in the pet forum. Boy, people are not so nice over there.

I do use a solar charger in the summer, and trickle charger in the northern winter, on my other van. But neither of them has been enough for the new van. It's resting loads are too high, and I often park for weeks at a time.

Tee hee, I see it was about cats in a campground. I think this one should be on a leash, but we need a volunteer to take it for walkies.

https://www.pqbnews.com/news/camera-captures-cougar-lurking-in-parksvilles-foster-park-neighbourhood...

[D_E_Bishop]

I have an Intellitec Model 0100055000 and it is pretty flawless. Used with a single pole, double throw momentary switch, you can pust one side of the switch and the contacts close and latch in the closed position. Push the other side of the switch and the latch releases the contacts. The relay only draws current when the momentary switch is activated. It is pretty much bulletproof.

[jharrell]

Another vote for Blue Sea, high quality marine grade, used them on my boats in the past. I use on RV for solar, inverter disconnects and replaced combiner relay with their ACR, not cheap worth every penny.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

https://assets.simpleviewinc.com/simpleview/image/upload/c_fill,h_788,q_75,w_1400/v1/clients/eurekac...

Many places out west offer a choice of RV desinations

75F summer camping. No direct sun


Or...




105F

[pianotuna]

Naio,

Consider getting more solar?

[Naio]

Thank you, all of you wonderful people :-).

I made the mistake of posting a question in the pet forum. Boy, people are not so nice over there.

I do use a solar charger in the summer, and trickle charger in the northern winter, on my other van. But neither of them has been enough for the new van. It's resting loads are too high, and I often park for weeks at a time.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

It's the disconnect from load rating that matters.

As a contact pulls away from it's mate the current tends to flash. Material tends to transfer via the flash. Arcing -- whatever term tickles your fancy.

Full load pull off. Critical to minimize the load. Starter solenoids break with the aid of a powerful "return spring" to decrease the amount of time needed to pull the contacts apart. Vital when inductive loads are seen.

Snap action switches accelerate pull off speed which minimizes exposure.

Mercury filled switches minimize vulnerable contact distance distance.

A lever switch exhibits an increasing spring action before snapping to the opposite position and I like that. Increasing voltages only amplifies the vulnerable distance needed to isolate conductors. Highest voltage switching involves pneumatically powered action in an oil or mercury environment.

Speed of pull-off is especially critical when dealing with switching of an inductive load.

For instance, a Detroit V16-149 engine which has dual starter motors wired in series. Total battery CCA is make or break 🙂

But for things like an RV reduction of load amperage before switching is critical with a dial action switch. Less so with a snap action switch. My inherent caution sides with snap action and long life.

[pianotuna]

Hi Naio,

I'd use a 200 amp rating on a solenoid. There are some that "latch", too.

My isolation switches are 1000 amp contacting.

I solved chassis battery charging with a Trik-L-Start.

[jodeb720]

+3 Blue Sea - that's what I've had on two Trailers and would go with them again

[MEXICOWANDERER]

It is designed to be nothing more than a design example. Sorry about that.

I used nothing but

COLE HERSEE

Brand switches. Made in USA. They will support a 700 amp intermittent load and a 200+ alternator charging load.

In an emergency serious users do not fiddle around wondering where OFF is. Multiple circuits on a fishing trawler. Someone twists every switch to the left. There's no braille and no guesswork.

I have gone through* an inventory of perhaps 70-100 of these switches. Their reliability is flawless even around the seashore.

Be certain to get the LONG THREADED NECK model. This allows for mounting in laminated, dual layers and carpeted.

I would pit a Cole Hersee lever on-off switch against the heaviest duty Blue Seas dial switch, any day of the week. the CH lever switch is some beast. The contacts are silver CLAD. And there is no way to escape the added expense.

* In house and over-the-counter sales.

[Bobbo]

When I owned a motorhome, I installed a Trik-L-Start that would allow a one way charge from my house batteries to my chassis batteries when the house battery charge was above the chassis battery charge. Then I installed a PD4655V converter/charger so I could keep the house battery charging full time. That kept the chassis battery charged full time too.