Red light on battery service disconnect?

[msfitz]

"Run" or "Store"

I guess I have several questions here.

When is the red light on? I'm plugged into shore power and whichever way I turn the switch it is lighted.

I returned from a month long trip with new batteries installed prior to the trip. I had absolutely no problems with power or charging. I ran on both 12v and 110v during the trip.

When I returned I brought the trailer to the local Airstream dealer and had the 7 pin plug and lead changed out due to damage to the cable. Since the repair the trailer has been in storage. I then plugged into shore power but noticed that the red light is on no matter which way my disconnect switch is set. After a week of shore power the dual batteries were not supplying any power when unplugged from shore power. I assume they didn't charge.

My next step is to check the batteries for charge. Due to rain I haven't been able to so I am just pondering my next steps.

Any thoughts?

[Lily&Me]

I believe it should only be red in the "use" or "run" setting....are you sure you're looking at it correctly?


Maggie

[OTRA15]

It is normal in most recent model AS for the Use/Store switch to stay red when you are on shower power, in either position. When you disconnect from shore power, the switch light will operate according to the Use/Store position = Red/Off.

Are we talking about standard flooded-cell batteries?

If you can fill in this timeline, you may get more accurate feedback:
-- date of return from month-long trip all OK
-- number of days before taking to dealer (with or without shore power?)
-- days at dealer (with or without batteries being charged?)
-- days since dealer in storage without shore power

Did any of the time periods above involve below freezing weather? Details please, but probably no freezing with your SoCal location?

Have you been checking the battery water levels? What battery voltage readings did you get during each of the above time periods? What is the lowest battery voltage reading you have seen since your month-long trip?

Details for the above will help with the diagnosis. If your batteries went without charging for over a month, especially during freezing weather, they may have been permanently damaged IMO. Battery voltage readings below 12.0 volts would support the notion of permanent battery damage. [Edit -- And before your trip, what battery voltage readings were you getting, and what was the lowest?]

Peter

[Snowy]

If you have the trailer plugged in to shore power the red light is on regardless of the Use or Store position. However, the Use and Store function works the same. Very annoying IMO.

So either you had the disconnect switch in store position and the batteries are dead.

Or you had the disconnect switch in the Use position, still have the factory installed Airstream converter/charger which has fried the batteries.

Or, the disconnect switch itself is not working (fuse possibly) meaning that you are not getting battery feed to the trailer 12v

[ascali]

Hi all,
This is from my manual for 2012 25fb. The store/use button is for disconnecting the batteries from the on board converter/charger. At first this sounds easy BUT.

Here is how mine works plugged into shore power light is on press use and batteries connect to charge, press store batteries are disconnected, light stays on no matter what state of use/store relay. This allows shore power for extended stays without "cooking" the batteries. Just remember to connect the batteries to recharge as needed, check you battery manual for storage instruction.

[The Ice Man]

Having the light and the switch on the same panel is confusing to many and there are lots of threads on this very subject.

Think of it this way: There are two completely separate gizmos on the same plate. One gizmo is a little light, If it's lit, you have 12V power in the coach. The light does not tell you the source, just that you have 12V. If you are plugged into shore power, the source is the converter and the light is constantly on.

Now, unplug from shore power. If the light is on, you are deriving power from the batteries and the "USE/STORE" switch is on. Still unplugged from shore power, if you toggle the switch to "STORE" the light will go out because you have disconnected the batteries and there is no other source of 12V.

Finally, if on shore power and you want to charge your batteries, you have to place the batteries in the circuit by toggling to the "USE" mode.

So maybe thinking of these as two separate controls will help.

See OTRA15, above, for the "dead" battery dilemma. A simple Hydrometer is cheap at many auto parts stores or on Amazon.

[SafariSarah]

That's great, but it is still confusing, when you look at it and wonder what setting it is on.

[ascali]

Hehe,
Now you see what we mean by not so easy. The "Ice Man" has it right. Great way to think of it. From experience, if you are plugged in and in the store position (light is on) and loose power (or unplug) you guessed it no power to TT from the batteries, and the light is off. Press the use button and light turns on and batteries now power TT. Power restored (plug in) light stays on and batteries charge from converter, until you press the store button to disconnect the batteries.

I love this stuff.

[gr.austin]

Just a warning: If you disconnect your batteries when not connected to shore power and your batteries die you cannot charge them from shore power. So to get them charged a separate charger needs to be available to charge the batteries from shore power. It cost me several hours thinking that the battery disconnect relay was bad. After I spent those several hours dis-assembling the converter box to get to the relay it was not bad. It is in there very deep with a few hidden screws apparently not intended to be serviced. On my rig 2009 27' classic. The light works as expected red connected, black disconnected. When connected to shore power the switch doesn't do anything.

Another customer service feature from the best travel trailer building in the USA.

Happy Streaming.....

[RVDreamer]

To make matters worse, Airstream chose to use a rocker switch.

So there is no way to look at the switch and know what position it is in.

At the very least, Airstream should have used a toggle switch which stays positioned in either on or off position. That way you could visually look at the switch and see what setting was currently selected.

You would think after years of production and complaints about this switch that Airstream would have made that one minor change.

[eggman]

thank u for this thread, esp you iceman. I've owned my 2005 CCD Int. since 2005, mostly using shore power and never understood this switch til now. finally beginning to get a handle on it! now I at least know how to get a quick check on my electric functions before start dragging out equipment!

[The Colonel]

Originally Posted by RVDreamer

To make matters worse, Airstream chose to use a rocker switch.



So there is no way to look at the switch and know what position it is in.



At the very least, Airstream should have used a toggle switch which stays positioned in either on or off position. That way you could visually look at the switch and see what setting was currently selected.



You would think after years of production and complaints about this switch that Airstream would have made that one minor change.

[emoji106]

[franklyfrank]

Originally Posted by ascali

Hi all,
This is from my manual for 2012 25fb. The store/use button is for disconnecting the batteries from the on board converter/charger. At first this sounds easy BUT.

Here is how mine works plugged into shore power light is on press use and batteries connect to charge, press store batteries are disconnected, light stays on no matter what state of use/store relay. This allows shore power for extended stays without "cooking" the batteries. Just remember to connect the batteries to recharge as needed, check you battery manual for storage instruction.

Yes, the Use/Store light stays on while connected to shore power in either position.
Our 2013 30' International is connected to shore power 24/7 about 300 days a year or more with the switch set to "Use" at all times. The only time it is not is when we are boondocking.
Still have the original Interstate batteries it came with. I do check the batteries at least once a month but rarely do I have to add water, maybe three or four times a year or so. This tells me that the original charging related equipment is doing a great job.

[msfitz]

Thanks to all for the input! As soon as this rain stops I will dig in. From reading several threads I realize I should probably change out the original charger to an aftermarket three phase.

I did the month long trip in August and had the 7 way plug replaced in September. Since the replacement I have had the trailer stored at my house. Shore power was plugged in for a week at a time each month since and I didn't try the 12v system at all. The last time I unplugged I noticed that my systems gauges went off and no matter what position the disconnect switch was in no 12v light or the gauges would work. I plugged back into shore power and of course the red light on the disconnect panel came on. (That toggle switch idea sounded like that should have been the way they should have designed the panel)
I checked the water level in the batteries and all cells are good. Next check will be the multi meter but that will wait until the rain stops.

Thanks again all!

[Silver.Sanctuary]

Originally Posted by franklyfrank

Yes, the Use/Store light stays on while connected to shore power in either position.
Our 2013 30' International is connected to shore power 24/7 about 300 days a year or more with the switch set to "Use" at all times. The only time it is not is when we are boondocking.
Still have the original Interstate batteries it came with. I do check the batteries at least once a month but rarely do I have to add water, maybe three or four times a year or so. This tells me that the original charging related equipment is doing a great job.

Did AS change in 2013 to a converter other than the Parallax? I would have expected the situation described to fry the batteries.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by msfitz

. . .
I did the month long trip in August and had the 7 way plug replaced in September. Since the replacement I have had the trailer stored at my house. Shore power was plugged in for a week at a time each month since and I didn't try the 12v system at all.
. . .
The last time I unplugged I noticed that my systems gauges went off and no matter what position the disconnect switch was in no 12v light or the gauges would work.
. . .

Thanks for the reply. The first part of the quote above is not, in our experience, a sound way to charge your batteries. Too seat-of-the-pants to charge only 1 week per month. We do a similar plug/unplug of the shore power, but check the monitor's battery voltage to decide when to switch back and forth. We plug in when the voltage drops to 12.5 [or about 90% charged], and unplug about 4 days later, when we check the voltage [after waiting an hour] to make sure it is 12.8 or 12.9 [fully charged].

After reaching a full charge, we disconnect from shore power, and hit the "Store" switch. Even with the small phantom load of the propane detector [and you may have other phantom loads which run even in Store mode], our batteries last about 7-10 days until going down to 12.5 volts.

The second part of your quote suggests that your batteries are shot IMO. Time for new batteries and a smart 3-stage charger, which will permit leaving the shore power connected.

Good luck!

Peter

[MelGoddard]

Originally Posted by gr.austin

Just a warning: If you disconnect your batteries when not connected to shore power and your batteries die you cannot charge them from shore power. So to get them charged a separate charger needs to be available to charge the batteries from shore power. It cost me several hours thinking that the battery disconnect relay was bad. After I spent those several hours dis-assembling the converter box to get to the relay it was not bad. It is in there very deep with a few hidden screws apparently not intended to be serviced. On my rig 2009 27' classic. The light works as expected red connected, black disconnected. When connected to shore power the switch doesn't do anything.

Another customer service feature from the best travel trailer building in the USA.

Happy Streaming.....

When connected to Shore Power, the switch indeed does something!
It connects the battery into the DC buss system, for recharging from the converter. And the converter carries the whole DC load for the trailer.
Only when the shore power is off line, does the battery take over the load, assuming the switch is 'on'. (the red light will be lit.)

[MelGoddard]

Originally Posted by RVDreamer

To make matters worse, Airstream chose to use a rocker switch.

So there is no way to look at the switch and know what position it is in.

At the very least, Airstream should have used a toggle switch which stays positioned in either on or off position. That way you could visually look at the switch and see what setting was currently selected.

You would think after years of production and complaints about this switch that Airstream would have made that one minor change.

AGREE!

[Caffeinated]

Airstream could have used a a two state led. Red when in store, green when in use. But no...

Hmm. I wonder how hard it would be to put that in...

Mike

[Vich]

And - Just what was so wrong with the old mechanical disconnect switch that was used in the 1990's" ? I put a second AGM battery in my 1999 Safari and installed a marine grade switch that does battery 1 or battery 2 or both or off. MUCH better. Seems that nothing is so simple that it can not be over engineered, over complicated and way over priced!

Vic H