Battery shut off

I would like to put a battery shut off on our cat. We have two batteries with a red wire coming from each to a relay or breaker and then on into the trailer. Do I need to put a shut off switch in each line or is there another way to do it? I would also like to install a battery tender. Would any of you have a wire diagram for this or any idea how to do it. Thank you

My cat only has one battery in the forward pass through. I installed a perko marine battery on/off switch right next to the battery. All I did was hook the positive lead feeding the trailer to the switch and ran a jumper cable back to the battery terminal. This way I can cut all draw on the battery. I can take some pictures tonight if you would like. They also make selector switches that have off/one/two/all allowing you to switch between batteries or turn both on/off.

I considered a shut off as well and I will be putting on 2 separate battery maintainers (one for each battery...because I can get a single maintainer for only $30 each and not need spend the extra $$ on a two bank maintainer...and if one fails I only have to replace one).

Leave the red (positive) wire attached to the battery and install your shut off on the negative terminal (white wire) wire instead.

Personally, I am not going to install a shut off because I will leave the maintainer's ring connectors permanently attached and simply remove the trailer's negative wire at season's end. Reattaching the trailer's negative wire in the spring will give me the opportunity to wire brush all terminals and connections at the same time to make sure all are clean and carry current well. I figure that if I have to clean the connections annually why bother installing the shut off at all??

Kim

No, you do not need a shut off for each battery. I'll tell you how I did mine, but since the cats are not all the same, you will have to check it out. On mine, the batteries feed a bus that is connected to 3 main breakers.





I put the disconnect between the batteries and these breakers. Here is a photo of my installed disconnect. See my signature for a link to additional photos; look in the Wildcat Electrical folder.

Scootz, You put your cut off switch between the 3 breaker bar and the main power line to the camper? In other words the hot lead off the breakers went to the cut off switch and then on to the camper converter, am I understanding it correctly. Some have said to use the neutral or white wire, but with 2 batteries that would require 2 cut off switches.

[/quote]Scootz, You put your cut off switch between the 3 breaker bar and the main power line to the camper? In other words the hot lead off the breakers went to the cut off switch and then on to the camper converter, am I understanding it correctly. Some have said to use the neutral or white wire, but with 2 batteries that would require 2 cut off switches. [/quote]

No, my battery disconnect is between the batteries and the breakers. The positive side of both batteries connects to one side of the switch, the other side of the switch feeds the breaker bus. However, you could put the switch on either the positive or negative side.

Does this help?

Thanks Scottz, the diagram really helps.

Scottz, Went out and looked at our Cat the 2 batteries hook up separately to the breaker bar. The 2 red wires lower left are the 2 positive leads from the batteries. Since the breakers all tied together with a cooper strip I assume I can take battery 1 & 2 and hook them to one side of the cut off switch and then put a feed wire from the other side of the switch to the center breaker bar, correct? I know just enough to get my self in trouble so I am just double checking hope you do not mind. Thank you

f150k wrote:Scottz, Went out and looked at our Cat the 2 batteries hook up separately to the breaker bar. The 2 red wires lower left are the 2 positive leads from the batteries. Since the breakers all tied together with a cooper strip I assume I can take battery 1 & 2 and hook them to one side of the cut off switch and then put a feed wire from the other side of the switch to the center breaker bar, correct? I know just enough to get my self in trouble so I am just double checking hope you do not mind. Thank you

No problem. If it wasn't a 14 hour drive each way, I'd come help you.

Exactly right. You could also put your switch in line with the negative cables that come from the batteries to the negative bus bar. I don't think that one way has any advantage over the other exept that when you are woking on the negative side (ground) of the batteries there is less chance you will do any unintentional arc welding.

You will notice in my photos that I replaced all the small battery wiring that FR installed with 2AWG welding cable. I used welding cable because it is more flexible and easy to work with. This is not something you must do; I just happened to have the cable, parts and tools to do it.

When you start working with this, remove the cables from the batteries first; don't work on anything hot.

PS: that smaller red wire (with the grean heat shrink) that is connected to the unprotected side of the breakers is for your propane detector. They hook it directly to the DC supply for safety; a breaker cannot trip and power off your propane detector. This is another reason for the disconnect switch; over an extended period of time the propane detector will run your batteries down.

Scottz, Thank again for your help

i too have installed a battery cut off switch on the main but have a question that may seem a little silly. if I turn the battery switch to off but have the camper plugged in will the electronics that run on 12 volt still work? or does that power always flow back through the battery and thus make them inoperable. just trying to figure a way to keep it plugged in without a chance of cooking the battery.

capthowdy6, that is a very good question and I am very anxious to hear a knowledgeable answer. My thoughts are that everything needs to run through the battery.

I have a battery cut-off switch wired to the postive lead of the battery. When in the off position I can still run the 12VDC components of the trailer with no problem.

That being said, with the battery cut out in the off position, neither the landing gear motor or the hydraulic motor for the slides will operate. The landing gear motor is wired through a fuse directly to the battery and so is the hydraulic motor.

Mike is right, your converter should supply 12VDC to most of the loads, but some things might come directly off the battery. I don't think I've ever tried that. With my solar system, I never disconnect the batteries, not even in the winter.

your gas detector also works either way. Mine works plugged in with the battery switched to off. I noticed that the other day when I had it plugged in to land power, but had the battery out to charge.

thanks for the quick replies!!

My battery cut off system consists of turning the wing nut and removing the battery cable. Very simple system and it works great!

I just installed a Perko swithc and have it installed the same as Bayou Dude. The hydraulic slides move a little bit but everything else is dead. Works great to keep the battery from cooking if I have Cat plugged in or keeps it from draining the batter if I have Cat unplugged.

KH

My battery cut off system consists of turning the wing nut and removing the battery cable. Very simple system and it works great!

I did the same thing, But when I spent the couple dollars for the cut off switch, it was well worth it.

kcnielsen wrote:My battery cut off system consists of turning the wing nut and removing the battery cable. Very simple system and it works great!

Well that certainly works but we can flip a switch and be back to what ever we were doing before you can get your battery cover off.

My front legs are wired directly to the battery with both positive and negative wires. Everything else is cut off with my switch.

MountainMan wrote:

kcnielsen wrote:My battery cut off system consists of turning the wing nut and removing the battery cable. Very simple system and it works great!

Well that certainly works but we can flip a switch and be back to what ever we were doing before you can get your battery cover off.

My front legs are wired directly to the battery with both positive and negative wires. Everything else is cut off with my switch.

You are probably right about that.

The switch just makes it real convenient. For the battery cover I did install machine screws from the underside and and now use wing nuts to hold the cover on. I don't remove it that often but at least now I don't need to pull a screwgun or screwdriver out just to remove the screws to get the cover off. A 50 cent fix for a little convenience.

KH