Store vs. Use

[Bigventure]

Originally Posted by thiel

This matches the collection of disparate comments I've reviewed throughout the forums. The only piece I was missing was whether or not the fridge was still running, which you have confirmed.



What other excel goodies you got stored away?

The fridge has nothing to do with the use/store switch. It's 110 volt or gas. Airstream uses no 12 volt fridges. The hot water tank is the same 110 volt or gas. It could be gas only on old units.

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Not sure if this gratuitous comment was called for, in light of your invitation to submit corrections. Thought we were all interested in an accurate work product?

I assure you, I was trying to be funny. Seems to have gone over like a lead balloon. I meant no harm and appreciate the correction.

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by Bigventure

The fridge has nothing to do with the use/store switch. It's 110 volt or gas. Airstream uses no 12 volt fridges. The hot water tank is the same 110 volt or gas. It could be gas only on old units.

The igniter and circuit board require the switch to be in Use position or the fridge doesn't cool. same with the water heater (but heating instead of cooling, LOL). It may run on propane but something has to ignite it. The fridge also needs its circuitry to be powered.

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by Bigventure

The fridge has nothing to do with the use/store switch. It's 110 volt or gas. Airstream uses no 12 volt fridges. The hot water tank is the same 110 volt or gas. It could be gas only on old units.

The fridge needs 12-volt power for its control circuit, as Rich just said. Plus any associated fans. Also, a few of the newer models have 3-way fridges I believe, which can run the cooling function from the 12-volt batteries. I saw this mentioned on another thread recently.

Thanks Rich, no worries, humor is hard to do here . . . guess my skin is a bit thin today!

Peter

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by thiel

This matches the collection of disparate comments I've reviewed throughout the forums. The only piece I was missing was whether or not the fridge was still running, which you have confirmed.

What other excel goodies you got stored away?

I didn't have that stored away, just put something together real quick because there was a lot of back and forth on the switch setting, what was connected etc. I figured it was easier to discuss if we put it in a table so we could make sense of it and Excel is a good tool for that.

I used to do a lot of that type of comparison in my job, not so much anymore. Some very complex things can be made easier to understand is they're organized in some kind of matrix.

When we first got our AS that switch drove me nuts until I got it figured out. I think the little light is very confusing. I hope the chart helps others to understand. I have an AS binder from the PO and I add things like this into it, battery charge status, check lists, anything that will help my remembry so I don't disremember things.

[streaminwild]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

Nice chart, thanks! I think Inverter is the correct spelling. Convertor ends in "or" .

Peter

Peter Let's not sweat the small stuff. Spell-check is my best friend also. I wish they had a grammar-check. Now if we can somehow make richw46's beautiful chart, into a printable version that would be great. I would then print laminate and place next to switch. Good question thiel

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by streaminwild

Peter Let's not sweat the small stuff. Spell-check is my best friend also. I wish they had a grammar-check. Now if we can somehow make richw46's beautiful chart, into a printable version that would be great. I would then print laminate and place next to switch. Good question thiel

Grammar, that's your mother's mother, right? Oh wait, that's grammer. Nope, spell check doesn't like that either.

Peter just misunderstood, no problem. Communication is mostly visual and it's hard to see the wry smile on my face sometimes.

Printable copy attached as a .pdf. If you need another format just let me know.

[streaminwild]

Your are the best Rich. Thank you, Gregg

[Rich W]

Spell checker was mentioned so I hope this isn't too far off topic. It does show that the spell checker isn't always right:

Take a brake and sea what your spell checker can do fore
yew. This just in and I thawed you'd like it.
An Owed to the Spelling Checker
===============================
I have a spelling checker
It came with my PC
It plane lee marks four my revue
Miss steaks aye can knot sea.
Eye ran this poem threw it,
Your sure reel glad two no.
Its vary polished in it's weigh
My checker tolled me sew.
A checker is a bless sing,
It freeze yew lodes of thyme.
It helps me right awl stiles two reed,
And aides me when aye rime.
Each frays come posed up on my screen
Eye trussed too bee a joule
The checker pour o'er every word
To cheque sum spelling rule.
Be fore a veiling checkers
Hour spelling mite decline,
And if were lacks or have a laps,
We wood be maid to wine.
Butt now bee cause my spelling
Is checked with such grate flare,
Their are know faults with in my cite,
Of non eye am a wear.
Now spelling does knot phase me,
It does knot bring a tier.
My pay purrs awl due glad den
With wrapped words fare as hear.
To rite with care is quite a feet
Of witch won should be proud.
And wee mussed dew the best wee can,
Sew flaws are knot aloud.
Sow ewe can sea why aye dew prays
Such soft ware four pea seas.
And why I brake in two averse
By righting want too pleas.

[dasams]

Originally Posted by overlander63

If the trailer is going to be plugged in all the time, the switch should be set to "store" most of the time, in order to prevent the converter from overcharging the batteries.

We are at our winter site and the AS will be on shore power for the next three months. I've already fried and replaced one of the batteries and am trying to be careful. The switch is currently in Store and I'll monitor the voltage. As soon as I see a drop, I'll switch to Use for 24 hrs and then back to Store. I plan to do this all winter. Any comments on this strategy to preserve the batteries?

Or just replace the Parallax 8355 with a smart charger

[dasams]

Originally Posted by OTRA15

I think Inverter is the correct spelling. Convertor ends in "or".

The label on my Parallax 8355 says it's a "Converter Charger"

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by dasams

We are at our winter site and the AS will be on shore power for the next three months. I've already fried and replaced one of the batteries and am trying to be careful. The switch is currently in Store and I'll monitor the voltage. As soon as I see a drop, I'll switch to Use for 24 hrs and then back to Store. I plan to do this all winter. Any comments on this strategy to preserve the batteries?

Or just replace the Parallax 8355 with a smart charger

That should work and it's cheaper than replacing. Even if you forget to turn to Store for a day or two I don't think it's going to be a big problem. The problem is when you leave it on for weeks and weeks, it boils out the electrolyte, the plates dry out and the battery dies. Periodically check the electrolyte and replace as needed with distilled water, unless it's a maintenance free battery. Keep an eye on the voltage, maybe get a plug in battery gauge so it'll be a good reminder.

My converter died and I just replaced it with a good one, now I don't have to worry about it. If you are the occasional camper, no big whoop. Put it on your list of things to buy.

[Fl Native]

Originally Posted by richw46

Grammar, that's your mother's mother, right? Oh wait, that's grammer. Nope, spell check doesn't like that either.

Peter just misunderstood, no problem. Communication is mostly visual and it's hard to see the wry smile on my face sometimes.

Printable copy attached as a .pdf. If you need another format just let me know.

I agree.. Thanks Rich from this brand new newbie. My 62 yr old brain stays confused!!! I appreciate your sense of humor, too

[jcanavera]

I believed that the problem with the chargers like mine is if the trailer is plugged in constantly when it is not in use. Under normal camping conditions you are using a lot of the 12 volt circuitry in the trailer like the lights, furnace motor, circuitry in the fridge and water heater, tv antenna amplifier, step light, patio light, thermostat, just to name the things that come to my mind. I would think that in actual use conditions, little if any boiling occurs.

I've had years where the trailer was used a lot and one season it sat home a lot plugged in. I normally have not had to do a lot of adjustment to the battery fill, but that year we had it home for a lot of the summer, and I left it plugged in, I did ruin a set of batteries as the water level fell below the top of the plates.

Jack

[Boxite]

I think the best way to view the use/store light.... is to realize all it does is tell you if 12volt power is available to the trailer. Period.

[WelArmedLamb]

Originally Posted by paiceman

Overlander is correct as is rmkrum EXCEPT for the 2017 Classic. If plugged into shore power the "in use" is on and it cannot be turned off. We took ours to the factory for something else and I specifically asked the tech, the floor tech manager as well as the service manager all independently of one another and got the same answer. "The 2017 Classic is different", was the tag line from two of them.

Bud

My 2017 International 27FB operates the same way...when plugged into shore power the battery disconnect switch will stay in "in use" mode and cannot be turned off unless disconected from shore power

[thiel]

Today I got clear instructions: "Switch it to store if you're not going to use the trailer for a week or more."

[CruizinDux]

This is an older store/use thread discussion that I saved reference. After reading this I have always operated under the comment by dkottum

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f449/battery-storage-switch-position-148837.html

Post #5
[ Something I have recently realized is the constant single-stage charging voltage of the factory converter/charger can ruin your batteries over the long term if connected to shore power and the trailer electrical equipment is not in use, like at home in the driveway.

However, if you are camping, plugged into external power, and using the trailer electrical equipment, the factory converter/charger is not nearly as damaging to your batteries. This is because the batteries are in use and being discharged at the same time as being charged.

So its okay to have the battery switch in USE position on external power when the trailer is actually in use. But if simply parked at home between trips either put the battery switch in STORE if connected to external power, or do connect to external power except for short periods to keep the batteries up.]


Bob

[centennialman]

OK....here is another question re: batteries, use/store etc... I am a total electrical idiot....always have been. I was shocked pretty badly when I was a kid and just never took to learning anything about electricity after that. I don't even like changing light bulbs.

Anyway....I have a trickle charger on the batteries for the winter. It's working well and the use/store switch is set to store.

Now....if i get the inkling to spend a night in the Airstream this winter (out in the driveway) and plug into shore power to run a small electric heater, can I still leave the trickle charger on with the shore power plugged in and the use/store switch set to store? I don't want to have to unplug the trickle charger if I don't need to.

[CruizinDux]

Originally Posted by centennialman

OK....here is another question re: batteries, use/store etc... I am a total electrical idiot....always have been. I was shocked pretty badly when I was a kid and just never took to learning anything about electricity after that. I don't even like changing light bulbs.

Anyway....I have a trickle charger on the batteries for the winter. It's working well and the use/store switch is set to store.

Now....if i get the inkling to spend a night in the Airstream this winter (out in the driveway) and plug into shore power to run a small electric heater, can I still leave the trickle charger on with the shore power plugged in and the use/store switch set to store? I don't want to have to unplug the trickle charger if I don't need to.

Steve, for the record while I have a good enough grasp of AC to wire a home I built, 12vDC I find more challenging.

As I understand it Store isolates the batteries so they won't be charged by SP via the converter. So IMO the [Smart or multi stage] trickle charger will be fine to keep the batt's topped off.

However in the Store position even on SP, I believe you won't have 110v so won't have power for the heater. I believe you need the USE position to use the 110v SP

I'm not sure about keeping the charger connected while in the USE position, but suspect it may provide to much juice too fast the the batteries.

Personally, I would just unplug the charger while in USE, but keep the unpowered battery connections. My charger has a quick disconnect so I can snap on either a set of clip type cable connections or another with eye hole terminals.

Bob