Quote:
Originally Posted by David Todtman
b) what should I look for in a high quality rocker switch? I presume there would be a load specification I would need to attend to.
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That wire carries all of the 12 volt DC current used from the battery when not on shore power. While there is no master fuse in the WFCO Power Center, there should be one at the battery end of that wire (I think 50 amps); the size of that fuse indicates the maximum current that Escape has planned for the wire and switch to handle.
When plugged into shore power, so that the converter/charger in the Power Center has power, the maximum current through the switch and wire is the 55 amps that the converter/charger can put out (although it would be limited by the same fuse at the battery end as current flow from the battery).
If you don't mind a bulky switch, any of the many rotary battery isolation switches would have lots of capacity. Some Escape owners have put in this type of switch, mostly to address the accidental snagging issue.
Quote:
Originally Posted by David Todtman
c) what gage wire should I use to make the run from the current switch location to the new spot?
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Once you know what current you're planning for, you have a minimum wire gauge.
Thicker wire will have less resistance, causing a smaller voltage difference between the converter/charger and the battery, and improving how fully charged the battery gets on shore power. This is the same issue as frequently discussed regarding charging with the solar charge controller.
The easiest approach would be to just copy whatever Escape used, although if the wire length is substantially increased by the new location, then one step larger would be sensible.