RV Battery Disconnect Switch Guide: When to Use, What Loses Power & Staying Safe
Guide to RV battery disconnect switches. Covers when to use, what loses power, and best practices for storage and daily use.
Guide to RV battery disconnect switches. Covers when to use, what loses power, and best practices for storage and daily use.
The ignition relay on a 1988 Ford E350 (Fleetwood Tioga base) is typically located in the engine bay fuse/relay box on the driver's side firewall, or in a separate relay box near the battery. Some models may have it mounted on the firewall or inner fender well.
Even with disconnect switches engaged, phantom loads and battery self-discharge can drain RV batteries during storage. Installing battery maintainers, using master disconnect switches, and addressing phantom loads will solve this issue.
Your 15W drain on the galley circuit is most likely caused by a hidden RV converter/charger, power distribution panel, or control board that's on the galley circuit. Even with appliances off, these background systems can draw significant power when the aux switch is on.
Salesman battery disconnect switches are flawed - they leave parasitic drains while disconnecting charging. Add true manual disconnect at batteries or use battery maintainer during storage. Many owners simply ignore the switch entirely.