Battery charging Question

[Boots1956]

Hi,
We have our trailer plugged in at the storage facility to charge the battery. This is probably a dumb question, but do we leave the main breaker off?

[padlin]

You can leave it on.

[Brian B-P]

For the converter to get power to charge the battery, you must leave the main breaker on.

[UncleTim]

If you unplug your trailer and leave it indoors where the solar panel will not charge, then you should turn off the main power switch. There are a number of things that continue to run like the CO sensor which is hard wired into the electrical system. So only turn the main breaker off when you have no way to recharge your battery. This is meant to keep it from draining quickly.

[Boots1956]

Thanks

[Boots1956]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

For the converter to get power to charge the battery, you must leave the main breaker on.

Thanks. Does that mean we should leave the main breaker on when driving? We have never done that.

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by Boots1956

Thanks. Does that mean we should leave the main breaker on when driving? We have never done that.

It will make no difference, on or off while driving. The main breaker connects the power cord to the 120V side of the distribution panel. If you are plugged in to an AC outlet, shutting it off does the same as unplugging the trailer (well, if you have a EMS/Surge Protector, it will still be on with the main breaker off).

As to storage, the converter used by Escape is not one of the best, but it is not like the older ones that overcharged the batteries in storage. When storing the trailer, turn off the battery disconnect switch if you do not have the trailer plugged in. If connected to AC, you can leave the battery disconnect switch on, and the converter will keep the batteries charged and power any of the trailer 12V appliances such as the propane detector.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by UncleTim

If you unplug your trailer and leave it indoors where the solar panel will not charge, then you should turn off the main power switch. There are a number of things that continue to run like the CO sensor which is hard wired into the electrical system. So only turn the main breaker off when you have no way to recharge your battery. This is meant to keep it from draining quickly.

This is not the situation which Christie (Boots1956) is asking about, but it raises an important distinction:

• the "main breaker" is the circuit breaker which controls all of the 120 V AC power going through the AC distribution panel
  • this must be on for anything to get 120 V AC power, including the converter which charges the battery when the trailer is plugged into a campsite or other outlet
  • AC breakers (this main one or any other) make no difference to drain on the battery
• the "main power switch" or battery disconnect switch or storage switch is in the 12 V DC connection between the battery and the power centre
  • this must be on (in use position, connected, whatever you want to call it) for the converter to charge the battery, or for the battery to operate anything in the trailer
  • this is turned off (storage position, disconnected, whatever you want to call it) to keep things such as the CO or propane detector from draining the battery

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Vermilye

It will make no difference, on or off while driving. The main breaker connects the power cord to the 120V side of the distribution panel. If you are plugged in to an AC outlet, shutting it off does the same as unplugging the trailer (well, if you have a EMS/Surge Protector, it will still be on with the main breaker off).

Yes, exactly.

[fudge_brownie]

The main power switch must be left on when towing because it controls the breakaway switch located on the tongue.

[C&G in FL]

In my humble opinion, there is no reason to EVER switch any of the breakers off with the exception of the breaker which controls the power to the electric element in a two way water heater if you have that option. This would be an extra safety step to prevent doing something stupid (not having water in the tank) and burning up the element. The only other reason to switch off a breaker is if you are plugged into shore power and want to do electrical work on the circuit the breaker controls. The battery cutoff switch is what must be considered. It must be on when towing to activate the brakes in the event the trailer “breaks” away from the tow vehicle. And as someone has already said, it should be on when plugged in to shore power in storage or at a campsite with hookups, but off if in storage with no source of power, AC or solar (to keep the battery charged).

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by fudge_brownie

The main power switch must be left on when towing because it controls the breakaway switch located on the tongue.

True - for at least some models in some years - but just to be clear this is the DC switch, not an AC breaker.

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by fudge_brownie

The main power switch must be left on when towing because it controls the breakaway switch located on the tongue.

We need to differentiate between the main power switch & the battery disconnect switch. To me, the main is the 30 amp 120V breaker in the distribution panel. The battery disconnect switch is the paddle switch in the older Escapes (a better inside switch on the newest). There position of the main has no effect on the break away switch, the position of the battery disconnect does.