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dstalzer · 08-25-2011, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CrawfordGene

Sounds like even if the battery switch is off, there still are hot wires from the battery to the solenoid. I, like Bob, haven't noticed the solenoid when I worked in the area, but I'll look for it today when I install a Surge Guard.
Gene

Gene, where are you placing the surge guard and how are you wireing it? I purchased a Surge Guard and plan to install it in my A/S.

Thanks

Dennis

ROBERT CROSS · 08-25-2011, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HankO

Has any one had any problems tuning off the battery disconnect then hooking to shore power?

HankO

Hank,

Your question got me thinking, an occurrence that has proved dangerous in a past Life.
I believe with the Univolt you must have the switch on with batteries connected or risk damage to the converter.

Gene,

FWIW..I wondered at IOTA tech support and got this response...

Hi Bob,
Yes, it is fine to use our converters as a power supply without a battery attached. The IQ4 will not sense a battery voltage so it will simply remain in the float stage, (13.6v).

Let me know if you have further questions.

Jay Settlemyre
Iota Engineering Tech Support

POI...always isolate the cables.

Good to know, now I don't have to fumble around in the dark when the batt's are out thru the Winter.

Bob

Dwight · 08-25-2011, 03:34 PM

If you are plugged into shore power, the RED light will be on whether you are in the STORE or USE position. Hitting the USE button while plugged in will allow you to charge your house batteries.

If you are unplugged and you hit the battery STORE, your lights will go out. However, you will also be disconnecting the house batteries and your trailers 12 volt system. All switched 12 volt power will be disconnected, some items such as radio memory and LP detector will still be energized.

withidl · 08-25-2011, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by steverino

The converter is always connected to 120V input; the batteries are isolated from the 12v bus via a solenoid controlled by the battery switch. If the battery switch is off and you are plugged into 120v, the converter will drive 12v appliances ( lights, water pump, etc ) but not feed the battery.

This is NOT so on my "older" 2002 ASCL 31'. The battery switch cuts out ALL 12 volt circuits inside the coach. There is no solenoid contactor. The converter is plugged into a 120V recepticle behind the front couch and as long as ground power is available it IS charging the batteries.

I found this out the hard way several years ago when I was storing the coach beside my home with ground power plugged in ASSuming that the converter would maintain the batteries. One afternoon I walked by the coach and was confronted by an intense acrid smell. I immediately unplugged the coach and opened the battery compartments. The curb side battery was so hot I had to use gloves to remove it from the compartment.

Later model AS evidently have modified circuitry; on the older ones you have to be careful. I now charge the batteries up to about 12.9 volts whenever the voltage drops below 12.5 volts, unplugging ground power in between.

ROBERT CROSS · 08-25-2011, 06:02 PM

withidl,

Thats exactly why I replaced the OEM Parallax converter in our 03 Classic. The IOTA IQ4 has a "float" stage that will prevent overcharging. A not very expensive, but worthwhile investment.

Bob

Gene · 08-25-2011, 08:59 PM

Dennis,

In ours the converter is under the bed and there is no space on the right side because there's storage and an access door. I thought of cutting the door, but decided it wouldn't look right. On the left is the curved edge of the bed frame. I am mounting it there and made a shim to fill the curve behind the Surge Guard. My wife has assured me she won't run into the unit as the bed projects outward and makes it hard to run into the SG—I hope she's right.

Mounting it there was the only way I can see the lights. I thought about putting it on the wardrobe next to the bed, but it would project over the bed about 4" and I'd probably run into it whole sleeping. Snaking the wires behind the drawers below the wardrobe would be another challenge. Only the 50 amp has a remote option and that would have made it a lot easier because I guess I could install the unit underneath the bed, but I am unsure because I don't know what the remote reads. Other models may well have a better path to an easier location, but the 25' FB does not.

Working in this area requires youth, but I used mine up and have nevertheless squeezed into the spaces, arthritis and all.

I found some shields of red plastic at a big box store that are used to shield Romex that goes through metal studs. I drilled 5/8" holes and used the shields somewhat cut down and glued them in place. Tomorrow I will find out if the glue held. I am mounting a 4" square box (2" deep) to attach the wires because the wire from shore power isn't long enough. It was easy to identify the shore power Romex because it attached to the 30 amp breaker and is the only 10 AWG Romex. Working with 10-2 w/G is not fun—the wire is very stiff, but with good linesmen's pliers needle nose pliers it can be done. Getting the Romex into the box in the small space at the base's corner is a struggle. I pre-wired the box with 3 of the 4 wires so it was easier to place in the space and I would only have to bring the line from shore power into the box after I threaded all the other wires into their various places.

There's more to it than this. The space is tight for me and tight for the wires. I used painter's tape to prevent tear out when I drilled the holes through the Formica and plywood bed base. I didn't have the right drill bit in that size and the tape worked fairly well.

Gotta go. This is not a wiring challenge if you are familiar with residential wiring, but if not, think twice before you do it. The space to work in is awful.

Gene

ROBERT CROSS · 08-25-2011, 09:15 PM

Gene,

You work too hard....I took the EASY way out.

Bob

steverino · 08-25-2011, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROBERT CROSS

Gene,

You work too hard....I took the EASY way out.

Bob

Yea, so did I, with this

plus a lock and a 4' piece of chain.... No problem seeing the status lights, and the chain provides a measure of confidence that it will be there when I check it again later....

ROBERT CROSS · 08-26-2011, 06:43 AM

Steve,

Yeah....the portable works for me also. The amount of time we spend on shore power, I just couldn't rationalize the built-in. The newer portables are really quite sophisticated these daze.

Bob

Gene · 08-26-2011, 08:28 AM

Bob and Steve',

You may think you're lazy, but I'm lazier—when the power goes out and it's raining or snowing, you have to go outside to see the lights on the portable ones, but I just roll out of bed and then I can see them. Once I know what's happening, Barb pulls me up into bed again, and I can go back to sleep. You'll be sloshing through the water and ice, avoiding the lightening, while I'm back to sleep.

Gene

Gene · 08-26-2011, 01:21 PM

Three more hours into the Surge Guard installation, a total of 6, and still more to go, but getting close to the end of my lazy job. My body has been twisted into all sorts of pretzels and I've cut myself only twice. The worst part has been screwing the junction box to an interior panel with hardly any room to do so. Ibuprofen is next. I haven't touched the battery disconnect switch and I didn't turn off the solar or disconnect the batteries at the terminals since I not working on that side of the panel.

I guess portable would have been a better than option than I thought, but this was cheaper at first—then I had to buy 10-2 w/G and all sorts of other stuff, so it isn't cheaper, but I don't have to go outside! Maybe if I put a mirror on the wall opposite it, I'll never have to get out of bed either.

Gene

ROBERT CROSS · 08-26-2011, 02:29 PM

Gene,

Lets see a picture of that bad boy before you go to bed and it's too late.

If we camped more with hook-up's I might have considered a hard wire install.
I had no idea when I started shopping for the portable just how many features they have now, rationality kicked in and I went for the EMS.

Bob

Gene · 08-26-2011, 03:39 PM

Bob, I need a nap first before I post photos.

Gene

ROBERT CROSS · 08-30-2011, 07:52 AM

Gene,

Got the trailer plugged into the Honda today, and remembered the neat little gizmo's I got with the EMS SP. Just plugs into an AC outlet, a nice "fail safe" item.

The 12v monitor is right in your face when you enter, hard to ignore.

Can't beat a good gizmo once in awhile.

dznf0g · 08-30-2011, 04:42 PM

Withidl is correct. The layout in post#13 is a mechanical battery cut out system as opposed to the electromechanical type with the switch and light. I don't know if the difference is a model year evolution or a line difference. I only know about the layout in post #13. The cutoff switch only removes the fuse block and its associated circuits from receiving power for storage.
The breakaway switch, actibrake (or equivalent ), the propane detector, tongue jack are all still live, with their own protection circuits regardless of shutoff switch position. Everything which hooks directly to the positive buss bar is always alive, including the right red wire leading to the round silver shutoff switch.

The inverter will always charge the batteries and/or feed the buss bar when plugged into it's wall socket and shore power active. Batteries will always feed the buss bar until they run down. the draw on my batteries is about 150 - 200mA with the disconnect switch in the off position. (yours will be a little higher, as I moved my propane detector hot lead from the positive buss bar to the fuse block. It's against code for AS to do this, but I will never occupy the trailer with the disconnect switch in the off position). The draw is due to the "keep alive" circuit in the Actibrake, my aftermarket battery monitoring system, etc. If you store the trailer with the switch on, there will be other parisitic loads on the battery from the boards in the fridge, radio, thermostat, etc.

Since I utilize only a 15 watt solar panel for storage which produces about 900mA with good sunlight ( about 700 - 750mA, net), I store with the switch off and all is good. The only other time to use the switch is when repairing or modifying any of the coach 12V curcuits. If you need to service the electricals for the brakes or propane detector, etc....disconnect the batts at their posts.

Other than that...leave it on.