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Old 06-13-2013, 04:55 PM   #21
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Originally Posted by itlives View Post
I like the toilet flapper idea.

I guess I'm too simpleminded, why wouldn't one just put an on/off switch in between the TV battery and the camper. The worst that would happen is you wouldn't be charging if you forget to turn it back on.
Why would one put anything between the TV battery and the trailer???
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Old 06-13-2013, 05:06 PM   #22
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Why would one put anything between the TV battery and the trailer???
I know! I know!

If you had no fuse or circuit breaker, you could short out the connecting wire and burn up the tow vehcile, camper or both.
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Old 06-13-2013, 06:08 PM   #23
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Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman View Post
One other note, I've seen at least one trailer that the owner connected the umbilical at night because there was no trailer battery.
Yes, this is a good point: different circumstances call for different equipment configurations. A trailer with a battery is different from one without a battery.

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Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman View Post
I think a lot of the fuss and misunderstanding comes from motor homes and camper inserts. Those have the house battery connected to the cranking battery all the time unless there's an isolator. Different circumstances than a trailer which is disconnected so the tow can be used without the trailer.
Yes, also a good point... although instead of an isolator a motorhome or truck camper could use a cheaper, simpler, and more reliable manual switch - which would accomplish the same thing as unplugging a trailer cable - if the user were more concerned about the cost, complexity, or reliability than the automated functionality. I don't think that these circumstances are so different.
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Old 06-13-2013, 07:40 PM   #24
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Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
Yes, also a good point... although instead of an isolator a motorhome or truck camper could use a cheaper, simpler, and more reliable manual switch - which would accomplish the same thing as unplugging a trailer cable - if the user were more concerned about the cost, complexity, or reliability than the automated functionality. I don't think that these circumstances are so different.
That

I may have called it the wrong thing.
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Old 06-13-2013, 07:46 PM   #25
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Originally Posted by Tom Smayda View Post
I was told I need an isolator device in the AUX power line from my vehicle battery to the camper battery/rear plug on the car. Any suggestions on what to get and where? The local parts store wanted to sell me a big honkin multi-battery charging device.
I use a 30A inline switch with an LED light, When stopped for an overnight such as Wal-Mart, we simply turn the switch off which Isolates the trailer battery from the TV manually without disconnecting or affecting any other circuit. The switch can be placed in the console or the "A" pillar where is is easily noticed especially after dark. No problems so far.
Also, even with an inverter and a television and DVD player, we have not run our battery down significantly overnight anyway.
It gets a full top-off recharge with a few hours driving.
The only device on our trailer which sucks the life out of a battery like a black hole is the 12V on the fridge.We simply don't use the 12V mode.
We keep 64 once bottles of water and tea in the deep freeze at home to use for keeping the fridge cool in transit.
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Old 06-13-2013, 08:22 PM   #26
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I know! I know!

If you had no fuse or circuit breaker, you could short out the connecting wire and burn up the tow vehcile, camper or both.

Fuse or no fuse is irrelevant to the need for an some sort of isolator. An isolator is to prevent the tow cranking battery from discharging via trailer usage.

A fuse is to protect the electrical system. In my system there's 2 fuses in the trailer and one the both tows. One tow has a solenoid and the other full time connection. I've had the solenoid fail leaving me in the dark without a furnace.

I do agree that the charge line needs to be fused in the tow.
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Old 06-13-2013, 08:24 PM   #27
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But, but, but I have club passes, er I mean the 4 pin in me 7 pin connector is dead with ignition off. And hot with the ignition on.

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Old 06-13-2013, 08:25 PM   #28
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But, but, but I have club passes, er I mean the 4 pin in me 7 pin connector is dead with ignition off. And hot with the ignition on.

jack
Are you saying you don't have a charge line?
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Old 06-13-2013, 09:00 PM   #29
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Funny that no one has the charge line on an accessory circuit from their tug. But then I have the opposite problem - if I don't unplug the trailer at night the car runs the coach battery down.

For the person who mentioned starter solenoid, you need a pull and hold (is that what you call it?). It has one coil to close the contacts and a smaller coil to hold them closed. I think Ford trucks used it for their starters?

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Old 06-13-2013, 09:16 PM   #30
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Originally Posted by Thomas G. View Post
I know! I know!

If you had no fuse or circuit breaker, you could short out the connecting wire and burn up the tow vehcile, camper or both.
Gee Tom that sure Sounds like fear mongering to me ;-)
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Old 06-13-2013, 10:36 PM   #31
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Originally Posted by itlives View Post
... why wouldn't one just put an on/off switch in between the TV battery and the camper.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
... instead of an isolator a motorhome or truck camper could use a cheaper, simpler, and more reliable manual switch - which would accomplish the same thing as unplugging a trailer cable ...
Quote:
Originally Posted by itlives View Post
I may have called it the wrong thing.
Mike and I are talking about the same thing - and I think his description is perfectly clear - applied in different situations.
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Old 06-13-2013, 10:49 PM   #32
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Funny that no one has the charge line on an accessory circuit from their tug.
Several members of the SiennaChat forum have used an accessory circuit to control the relay for their trailer charge circuits... typically because they are locating the relay somewhere in the rear where it is available and ignition-switched power is not. It seems like a reasonable approach to me.

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Originally Posted by SilverGhost View Post
For the person who mentioned starter solenoid, you need a pull and hold (is that what you call it?). It has one coil to close the contacts and a smaller coil to hold them closed. I think Ford trucks used it for their starters?
This may address the problem with common starter solenoids (they can't handle continuous use), but I don't think anything this obscure is required. The charge line only needs to handle one tenth of the current of a starter, and suitable continuous-duty relays are cheap and readily available.
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Old 06-14-2013, 07:02 AM   #33
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Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman View Post
Why would one put anything between the TV battery and the trailer???
Quote:
Originally Posted by Byron Kinnaman View Post
Fuse or no fuse is irrelevant to the need for an some sort of isolator. .......
Well, Byron, you did say anything.
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Old 06-14-2013, 07:26 AM   #34
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When I wired my 7-pin for 12V dc power from the car battery, I simply used a solenoid that was activated when the ignition was switched on, with power coming directly from the car battery through a fuse and the solenoid, to the 7-pin. When the tug is stopped and ignition is off, there is no power from the tug to the trailer, and no chances of running down the battery on the tug. Very simple to install and works great.
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Old 06-14-2013, 07:33 AM   #35
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....... Very simple to install and works great.
Oh sure, make it sound simple. To some, it is just another potential failure mode.
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Old 06-14-2013, 07:40 AM   #36
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Oh sure, make it sound simple. To some, it is just another potential failure mode.
Life is too short to spend every waking moment worrying about what could go wrong. If we had to stop and ponder every possible failure mode for everything we do, we would never get out of our driveway. I would rather be camping.
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Old 06-14-2013, 05:50 PM   #37
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All of the accessories in my car are run off a relay. The ignition switch just triggers a relay and that actually carries the load. Funny thing is there is more failure of the switch, which hardly does any work, than there is of the relay that does the heavy lifting. They even were so kind to have a big lug on the bottom of the relay panel for adding accessories to the car.

Reliability of any gizmo you put between the tug battery and the coach battery is mostly related to quality of workmanship and materials. Skimp on either and you will have failures sooner than later. And the problem is most people are more worried about the bottom dollar than quality so most of what you get in the parts store is Chinese crap.

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