Disconnecting Dual 6v Batteries

Hello to all of you on this fantastic forum. I would like to thank everyone who has posted to this forum for answering my questions before I even asked them. The reading that my wife and I have done on this board was invaluable in helping us to make the selection of our new TM. My wife and I just purchased a new 3124KB last week and are so excited to get started with the camping season. Our new TM came from the dealer with dual 6v batteries and the 80w solar panel for charging. This weekend we set it up in the driveway and spent some time organizing our gear to make it easier for when we were ready for our shakedown trip. We are now ready to store it for the next month until we have a free weekend to take our first trip, but we are wondering what the best way to disconnect the dual battery setup is? Will disconnecting one side of the middle wire that connects the two batteries serve our purpose, or should we disconnect the positive and negative leads on the edge of each battery? I would like to eventually install a switch to allow us to kill power to the battery, but I don't have the time to work on it before we need to store it offsite. How have you gone about disconnecting the batteries on your dual 6v setups prior to installing kill switches? Also, will the solar panel keep the batteries charged with enough juice to let it sit for the month without disconnecting? My warmest regards and thank you to everyone in advance for any advice you wish to share.

The easiest way to disconnect the batteries is to pull the fuse out . It should be on power supply wire close to the pos. terminal on the battery. My solar panels are free standing. I’m not familiar with the set up you have so some one else will have to help you with that. BTW, welcome to the group.

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by jwarrensite

Hello to all of you on this fantastic forum. I would like to thank everyone who has posted to this forum for answering my questions before I even asked them. The reading that my wife and I have done on this board was invaluable in helping us to make the selection of our new TM. My wife and I just purchased a new 3124KB last week and are so excited to get started with the camping season. Our new TM came from the dealer with dual 6v batteries and the 80w solar panel for charging. This weekend we set it up in the driveway and spent some time organizing our gear to make it easier for when we were ready for our shakedown trip. We are now ready to store it for the next month until we have a free weekend to take our first trip, but we are wondering what the best way to disconnect the dual battery setup is? Will disconnecting one side of the middle wire that connects the two batteries serve our purpose, or should we disconnect the positive and negative leads on the edge of each battery? I would like to eventually install a switch to allow us to kill power to the battery, but I don't have the time to work on it before we need to store it offsite. How have you gone about disconnecting the batteries on your dual 6v setups prior to installing kill switches? Also, will the solar panel keep the batteries charged with enough juice to let it sit for the month without disconnecting? My warmest regards and thank you to everyone in advance for any advice you wish to share.

Just remove the positive wire coming from the TM.

If the camper is outside, the solar panel will be more than enough to keep the battery fully charged when not in use.

Wow, that was fast! Thanks to both of you for the information.

If you have a glass fuse on your batteries, it would be a good time to replace it with a bladed one. You can get the holder at WalMart, Pep Boys or any auto parts store. Way under $10, and will save you grief later. Easy install, too! And I agree with harveyrv...if storing outside with a solar panel you have no issues with battery charging.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by harveyrv

Just remove the positive wire coming from the TM.

If the camper is outside, the solar panel will be more than enough to keep the battery fully charged when not in use.

I'm not sure where the connection from the solar panel comes in, but if it isn't a physically separate wire connected directly to the battery, then pulling the (single) wire from the positive terminal of the battery will also disconnect the solar panel.

By the way, I'm pretty sure that TM includes a charge controller in their solar setup. But if not (as some have suggested), then the panel will overcharge the battery during storage.

Bill

[Wavery]

Originally Posted by Bill

I'm not sure where the connection from the solar panel comes in, but if it isn't a physically separate wire connected directly to the battery, then pulling the (single) wire from the positive terminal of the battery will also disconnect the solar panel.

By the way, I'm pretty sure that TM includes a charge controller in their solar setup. But if not (as some have suggested), then the panel will overcharge the battery during storage.

Bill

The factory installed TM solar panel does come with a controller.

I'm pretty sure that the battery disconnect was an either/or question (either disconnect the batteries or leave them on solar charger) but you are right. If the batteries are disconnected, the solar panels can't charge them.

Thanks for the great information. For now I have the positive lead disconnected. After I get it out next month for the camping season, I am going to store it with the battery connected so that the batteries will keep a full charge. I should be using a couple of times a month so I think it will be more convenient that way.

[Bill]

Originally Posted by harveyrv

The factory installed TM solar panel does come with a controller.

I'm pretty sure that the battery disconnect was an either/or question (either disconnect the batteries or leave them on solar charger)

Good deal on both counts. The folks at TM are thinking.

Bill