question about store and use battery

[Milaoutlaw]

Hello, Just had our first trip with our new Caravel 20fb. I thought that when we are plugged into A/C power, I can switch the battery to "store". When I did that none of my DC power things worked, like lights and fans. The Microwave worked. Thanks for educating me.

[SeaLevel]

Sounds like you educated yourself. Only put it into store when you are storing the trailer between trips.

[nvestysly]

Yep, sounds like you're learning.

Be sure to double-check your owner's manual as well as other threads on this forum regarding which items are disconnected (and which items are not disconnected) when you put the switch in store position. Many Airstream owners have experienced battery problems thinking everything was disconnected when in "store" and that may not be true for your trailer. Figure that out now before you spend hundreds of $$ ruining and replacing your batteries.

[Hans627]

Yes, even when you have your switch in the "Store" position there is power being used. And it doesn't take long to have your batteries drawn down to the point of being "dead" unless you have a battery maintainer or have the AS plugged into shore power.

[PKI]

Well, that is different. The older trailers fed 12 volt power from the 120 volt shore connection. You could turn the contactor (momentary use/store switch) to store and not charge the batteries, but still run everything. The reason was that the converter was prone to over charge and boil the batteries. However, newer ASs have a better converter. Generally it drops back to a lower charge voltage once the batteries are topped off. In reality, the older converters did well if other systems were loading the circuit. What kills batteries is letting parasitic loads drive the batteries below 50% capacity (12.2 volts) when the coach is stored. A battery maintainer was often recommended. Now, it would appear the system works with a new protocol. Read the manual for specific direction. Pat

[jnm30327]

Store switch is only partly useful as there are enough parasitic loads to drain battery in less than 2 weeks. Unless you are full timing, an important accessory is to install a kill switch on the battery that shuts off everything. $10 from Amazon.

[smsasf]

Originally Posted by Milaoutlaw

Hello, Just had our first trip with our new Caravel 20fb. I thought that when we are plugged into A/C power, I can switch the battery to "store". When I did that none of my DC power things worked, like lights and fans. The Microwave worked. Thanks for educating me.

I have a 2020 Bambi 20’. Just purchased several weeks back and have gone on 3 day trip already. I will tell you about something I have learned by actually going through a cycle of emails with AS CS. Things have changed for 2020 models and some infoamtion related to older models may not apply. There is some confusing information on this forum and I have seen folks posting conflicting information. For those who are talking about the parastic drains on battery, please inform us of each and every one, so we don’t get hosed.

Seems in past the primary drain on the battery in store mode was the Atwood (or other brand) propane gas detector. The face plate on mine says the green light must be on for it to work. But when I turn the battery disconnect switch to off, the green light goes off. The Atwood booklet says the detector can be wired to the battery disconnect instead of directly to the battery, but to be sure the turn the battery disconnect back on when you use the RV so the detector is functioning. I wrote AS on the matter and the CS rep first indicated that even with the battery disconnect off the propane detector is still drawing on the battery. I again challenged him and asked him to explain the green light going off. He then came back to me and said “after some digging and speaking with their engineers” that in fact in the 2020 models the propane detector is wired to the battery disconnect switch
thus when it is off the detector is off. When you turned off your battery disconnect switch because you plugged in to shore AC your lights and fans would not work because they are 12 volt DC and it would seem that you disconnected the converter to those items needing DC. What about the water pump? What else, other than lights or fans, is run on or uses DC or AC power? Refrigerator (AC and DC), Radio (DC only?), TV (AC or DC), Antenna (DC boost), Microwave, A/C unit. Water heater uses a spark to ignite when you turn it on. The CO and Smoke detector are small battery operated and not connected to main battery. A/C, microwave will not run on DC,only AC power. So when you turn off the battery disconnect switch so that no power is going to the converter (lights, fans, radio, TV, refridge, hot water heater sparking not work) whatis causing parasitic drain on batteries. I am not trying the challenge the wise sages on here, I just struggle to understand so I can take appropriate action.

[lsbrodsky]

Here is the way it used to work, but I have no idea about 2020. In STORE, the Propane detector, the brakes, and the tongue jack are still powered from the battery bus. Reportedly in some cases, so were the subwoofer and the radio. If shorepower was connected, the converter was powered and the DC loads were powered from it, so, if still in STORE, the battery does not charge from shorepower. Now, apparently, the propane detector is deenergized, also, with the switch. I like that. AS has upgraded the charger so that you can leave it floating on the batteries on shorepower and keep the switch in USE while using your trailer.
Larry

[Wazbro]

Originally Posted by lsbrodsky

Here is the way it used to work, but I have no idea about 2020. In STORE, the Propane detector, the brakes, and the tongue jack are still powered from the battery bus. Reportedly in some cases, so were the subwoofer and the radio. If shorepower was connected, the converter was powered and the DC loads were powered from it, so, if still in STORE, the battery does not charge from shorepower. Now, apparently, the propane detector is deenergized, also, with the switch. I like that. AS has upgraded the charger so that you can leave it floating on the batteries on shorepower and keep the switch in USE while using your trailer.
Larry

Missed 1 thing on most trailers with a factory installed inverter it was installed on the battery side (do to large power draw) which if left on draws about 1/2 amp when not providing any power.

[jnm30327]

Like others, I do not know about 2020. If the propane detector is off with switch in STORE position, that resolves one of my pet peeves. Another possible small draw is the solenoid switch that you can hear when you actuate the STORE switch or release it.

The only way to know for sure is to install a Victron or other battery monitor to see amp draw in STORE position. I also recommend this accessory as you will then know battery state at all times.

[smsasf]

Originally Posted by nvestysly

Yep, sounds like you're learning.

Be sure to double-check your owner's manual as well as other threads on this forum regarding which items are disconnected (and which items are not disconnected) when you put the switch in store position. Many Airstream owners have experienced battery problems thinking everything was disconnected when in "store" and that may not be true for your trailer. Figure that out now before you spend hundreds of $$ ruining and replacing your batteries.

Just returned yesterday from 4 nights camping. Looked into this again (I sent longer post before camping). I have the 2020 Bambi 20’. I have the 90 watt rooftop solar, an additional portable solar panel and a Champion 2000 watt inverter generator (single unit runs at 120VAC). Beta tested all. When I have the 2000 watt Champion generator running (but of course not using Air Conditioner or Microwave) for refridge, pump, lights, sparking water heater, WITH the battery disconnect switch on, everything runs and you can see the slight draw down on the generator display panel. The generator is also charging the batteries at they same time. When I turn off the battery disconnect switch, all of the same 12VDC electrical components still run, but the batteries are not being charged. Interestingly, the Atwood Propane Detector is also working with generator AC, even though without the generator running when you turn off the battery disconnect the propane detector does not work. Seems your components should work UNLESS there is some issue related to shore power amps versus my generator amps that I am yet to be educated on.

[Milaoutlaw]

Checked the manual. It is not clear in Electrical system of the manual but better spelled out in the FAQs. The battery disconnect switch disengages the 12 volt power supply to everything but the lpg detector. So even when I am plugged into shore power, that switch has to be in “use” mode. I have the solar panel and that charges the battery even if in “store” mode. Which is different than all the instructional videos I watched about AS.

[smsasf]

Originally Posted by Milaoutlaw

Checked the manual. It is not clear in Electrical system of the manual but better spelled out in the FAQs. The battery disconnect switch disengages the 12 volt power supply to everything but the lpg detector. So even when I am plugged into shore power, that switch has to be in “use” mode. I have the solar panel and that charges the battery even if in “store” mode. Which is different than all the instructional videos I watched about AS.

Milaoutlaw, Suggest you turn on your battery disconnect switch and monitor what happens to the light on your propane detector (is it an Atwood?). After a bit it should be green. Then turn off your battery disconnect switch and see if the green light goes off. If the green light goes off the propane detector is no longer wired directly to the battery. In the back part of the Atwood manual they say it can be wired to the disconnect, instead of directly to the battery. When that happens it shuts down when the battery disconnect is turned off. You will read a warning on the Atwood face plate that says if the green light is not on it is not working. On 2020 models, at least on my 2020 Bambi 20’ (and this may not be the case for the Caravel) Airstream started wiring the propane detector through the battery disconnect switch, instead of directly to the battery. I confirmed this with AS CS because of the fact that when I turn off the battery disconnect switch the green light on my Atwood face plate turns off and because there is some confusing info on this forum about propane detector being a parasitic drain on the battery. Yes, it has been in past, but now, at least on 2020 Bambi models (my only experience), it no longer is.