Battery disconnect

[No. 13]

If I store my trailer for a few weeks do I need to disconnect both negative battery terminals or just one? Thanks.

Gene

[DaveFL]

When everything is off, put an ampmeter on the connection and see if there is any draw, none, you don't need to disconnect. I have found my house bank loses charge but if I plug in to electric it could over charge batteries, now I disonnect with a switch at batteries. A trickle charger even better a battery minder to keep charge up and desulfate batteries at the same time.

[richinny]

yes, if you have two batteries both need to be disconnected. it is also a good practice to clean the battery surface too.

[eubank]

Presumably, just disconnecting the ground cable should suffice, assuming no leaky circuits elsewhere. In any event, if you do decide to disconnect the hot side, be sure to disconnect the ground cable first (so that you won't have sparky moments).

Lynn

[Jack46]

I installed a battery disconnect spade switch to eliminate any doubt.

[No. 13]

My plan was to get a quick disconnect. Wasn't sure if need to buy two...one for each battery.

[KenS]

I assume this trailer has the standard Battery Disconnect switch inside the entry door. Setting the switch to the "Store" position should disconnect the battery from all circuits (except the LPG alarm, power jack, and brake-away switch, which are connected directly to the batteries). There will be a slight draw by the LPG alarm, but that should not significantly discharge the batteries and is a good safety feature.

In my case, if the trailer is stored outside, the solar system maintains the batteries when the switch is in the Store position. (The solar system is connected directly to the batteries.)

Ken

[No. 13]

Yes it has the battery disconnect inside the door. I do not have solar and sometimes leave it for about a month between trips. I thought that even the small draw from the alarms would drain the battery sooner. I am still not clear if just disconnecting the negative cable is sufficient, or if the two batteries also need to be disconnected from each other?

[Phoenix]

You may wish to consider a marine battery isolator switch, which will completely disconnect one or both batteries from your Airstream. See more information on this link:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f449...ml#post1047933

[No. 13]

Thanks Phoenix.

[KenS]

The battery isolator switch is a good solution to completely and conveniently disconnect the batteries. The suggestion about a good battery minder is also worth considering, especially if you might use the trailer before charging the batteries. (Batteries do not reach full charge quickly - the last 10%-15% takes a while.)

Regarding disconnecting the negative cable... Disconnecting the negative cable(s) should be sufficient with the standard 2-battery setup. (Two 12volt batteries connected in parrallel.) However, there may be grounding cables connected to both negative battery posts. So, just be sure that all grounding cables are disconnected to effectively isolate the batteries.

Ken

[Silverbee]

Question, please. We keep our Flying Cloud under an open storage shelter behind the house on a concrete drive. There is a 30 amp hook up and we leave the trailer powered 24/7. I do not put the switch in "store" position. What are the problems associated with doing this and what precautions should I take to prevent any issues?
I did the same with our 20 ft. Safari and never was aware of any issue over the 5 years we had it.

Tom

[twinkie2]

Recently we had our 2012 in storage with the disconnect switch to the "store" position. The trailer was in storage for over 2 months and when we returned to pick it up the batteries still had a good charge on them. We do have a solar charging system, but the storage is actually a big warehouse with little to no natural light. We were pleasantly surprised and relieved to see that they held a charge as well as they did...given the parasitic draw mentioned in this thread.

David and Fran

[KenS]

Tom, there is much discussion on this subject. It seems to depend on the condition of the batteries, temperature, how the batteries/trailer is used, and the performance of the built-in charger. Our trailer has been stored for for long periods (4+ months) while connected to shore power and the disconnect switch set to the "Use" position. The OEM Parallax seemed to work fine and the batteries showed no ill effects, but we do have mild weather in Silicon Valley.

Battery performance is important to our use of the trailer and we manage it very closely. We typically use our trailer on the west coast at state and national parks - normally no hook-ups. Fortunately, the weather is mild and AC is not needed.

~ Ken

[No. 13]

Originally Posted by twinkie2

Recently we had our 2012 in storage with the disconnect switch to the "store" position. The trailer was in storage for over 2 months and when we returned to pick it up the batteries still had a good charge on them. We do have a solar charging system, but the storage is actually a big warehouse with little to no natural light. We were pleasantly surprised and relieved to see that they held a charge as well as they did...given the parasitic draw mentioned in this thread.

David and Fran

This is encouraging. Out trailer is new (Late November purchase straight from the factory to the dealer) as is the batteries. We use the trailer about every 3-4 weeks and then in storage outside with no way to charge and no solar power. Heading out this weekend after 4 weeks. Battery monitor (same monitor for holding tanks) shows about 5/8 full. I stop by once or twice a week and turn the batter to "use" for about an hour and use the fan and maybe a light or two. I guess I'm worried about running the battery too low. I don't have a generator yet, but have been thinking about charging the batteries every could weeks to keep them at a higher level. Make sense, or not worry about letting it run down to where it is now, then recharging as we use it once a month?