Electrical Question.........

[Ken A Hood]

Link

Anyone use 1 of these as a "master" cutoff switch? I always thought that the "hot" (+) lead should be the 1 that's disconnected, not the (-) side.

[Steve Frederick]

Ken, I agree that the hot side should be disconnected. As a journeyman, I've never seen common, or negative switched, unless a double pole switch is used to break both hot and common.
The switch looks like it should work.
I'm going for an electric isolation relay that isolates the camper battery from the tow when the tow engine is off.
Have fun, Steve

[Ken A Hood]

Steve, I'm planning on going with a 6-pin connector, which I'll use the extra pin to charge the trailer battery from the car. I'm also planning on using a constant-use Isolation Solenoid (relay) [Kuffel Creek plans show the wiring diagram in detail] so I don't drain the tow vehicle. I just wanted to also have a "cut-off" switch for the battery in the trailer, so if I'm away or don't need power, I can kill all the circuits, since some fixtures( voltmeters, etc. use "phantom" voltages)......if that makes any sense....
That's the way I understand it anyway.........

[nissem]

Hi there,

Has anybody tried above??

When the battery drains down to 11.9 V for more than 1 min. then it is supposed to cut of.

It sounds like a very good idea, if it works.

Price around $60.00.

Later,

Nils Mahler, Houston TX (Born in Sweden=Bad speller)

[jim]

nissem,

I dont think that is what they are talking about... this is a manual cut off to physically disconnect power at the source... like a blade disconnect...

the item you describe is an electonic device...

For more info on these units I would suggest you look to some of the stuff that they are using in the "green power" setups. they are used quite alot in the solar electric field. I have even seen plans on building one of your own at www.homepower.com

the link direct to the article is
http://www.homepower.com/files/lvdhp60.pdf

They are efective, just remember that to run the electronic device you are also spending a small amount of your energy.

[mikeschn]

I just saw a picture of a blade disconnect. Was that yours Joseph R?

Can you display that picture in a message here?

Mike...

[nissem]

Yes Jim.

I do understand, that is why I am asking "Has anybody tried above??"

In my oppinion, as long as I have just enough power to start the pulling viechle when I am leaving, that's perfect.

I am going to try one out this summer.

Nils

nissem,

I dont think that is what they are talking about... this is a manual cut off to physically disconnect power at the source... like a blade disconnect...

the item you describe is an electonic device...

For more info on these units I would suggest you look to some of the stuff that they are using in the "green power" setups. they are used quite alot in the solar electric field. I have even seen plans on building one of your own at www.homepower.com

the link direct to the article is
http://www.homepower.com/files/lvdhp60.pdf

They are efective, just remember that to run the electronic device you are also spending a small amount of your energy.

[Joseph]

I just saw a picture of a blade disconnect. Was that yours Joseph R?
Can you display that picture in a message here?

It was mine but something's up with Yahoo so I can't show you how it's mounted in my teardrop. JC Whitney sells them.

The disconnect switch I'm using is mounted on my trailer battery and leads to the truck battery via a 10 ga. wire and 30 amp fuse. When shut, it allows the truck to charge the battery when the motor is running. Open, it disconnects from the truck battery so that using the trailer electrical system doesn't drain the truck battery as well.

What I'm saying is it's not a master cutoff switch for the electrical in my teardrop. If I want to do that, I simply disconnect the wires to the trailer battery by hand.

Joseph

[Joseph]

Yahoo's behaving itself again, so here's how I rigged my battery disconnect. I have since lengthened the wire leading to the fuses so that it goes into the overhead of the cabinet and drops straight down to the battery.

Joseph