I seem to have something drawing slightly on the start battery. It will draw it down in 3-4 weeks and I have to charge it again. I'm thinking the easy fix is a disconnect for when it's going to sit. It's a side pole battery under the left hood flap, easy access, plenty of firewall to connect it to, if needed. Looking for something that will last, works, and cheap. Any advice appreciated.

Something like this on the negative side should do the trick. http://cgi.ebay.com/RV-Battery..._Accessories&vxp=mtr

I didn't look for the lowest cost one on EBay, just needed the link to show what it is. There are also the fancy Perko units, but very pricey!! You probably can find one that has the side connectors instead of the top connectors.

I don't like the exposed contacts. If you get only a fraction of an ohm of resistance there, you will be significantly impacting the voltage delivered to the starter. I figure that added strain on a starter will compromise the life of a starter.

If price is a concern, look for a battery switch removed from a fire truck.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...&hash=item3f0e692e3c

That thing is made for a mission where if the truck does not start, people may die.

Good luck,
Matt

PS: for the power draw, have you ruled out the obvious suspects like radios?

I got this same thing on my coach. It's nice that you can cut off ALL the batteries.

I have the same switch on my coach. Seems to work well. It was installed by PO so I'm not sure where it came from. It is set up for 2 battery banks, which is great when the batteries are side by side, but if your battery sets are not close to each other you may need separate switches for each bank.

To check for load on the battery, remove one terminal and put a sensitive ammeter in line. Anything above a few milliamps indicates something still running. Pull fuses one at a time and watch for the current to drop. This will identify the offending circuit, then work back from there.

A friend had a 1980 Corvette that killed batteries in about 2 weeks. After 3 different "professionals" replaced the battery, alternator and other components it still died and they gave up. I found about .25 amps load showing. Pulled all fuses, still there. Removed a "black box" from the fuse panel..no more load. It was a stuck seat belt warning buzzer, no sound just a small load. Threw it over the barn and battery lasted for months.

Danny,

I have the same problem with a drain on the engine battery after two/three weeks and that is even with the power shut off located in the back.

It's suppose to shut off all the current however something is not shutting off.

I don't shut the power off anymore and plug in a 1 amp battery charger off set the drain. Also leave the Barth plugged in to house electric.

My next move will be a battery minder, the one that is reported to keep the battery in top condition.

Some day I hope to find what is causing the drain until then the little charger is in place.

Capt Jim
1985 Barth Regency

quote:

Something like this on the negative side should do the trick

I know what Corey is saying and I agree its a viable way out but for some reason I'd rather disconnect the positive side of the battery.... As a former boat owner for many years I've always had great success with Sudbury disconnects.... and they disconnect the positive side of the battery with no exposed contacts...

Either side will equally disconnect the circuit, but if switching the positive side I think it would be wise to go with the enclosed switches like the Perko.

I'm haunted by a memory of a guy at an indoor car show that was disconnecting the positive side of the battery first. Unfortunately, his wrench touched something metal and welded itself to the two contact points and the wiring harness was smoking before he got it disconnected.

I just see too much exposed metal to make me comfortable on the positive side if you see what I'm getting at.

Camping World sells both styles, blade switch and the rotary enclosed switch, $24.00 and $29.00.

I'm going to get one for my house batterys and put a battery tender on the start battery. Over time my house batterys die off and I don't see any reason to have the house 12 volt system powered up when I'm not using it.

Years ago I used to work installing after-market auto accessories like cruise controls, window lifts, etc. I was working on a new Firebird at a dealer. The negative batt terminal was buried so I went to take off the positive cable. My ratchet handle tapped an aluminum A/C line and made the nicest pinhole in it you ever saw. It ruined my day for sure.

I have one of these on my house battery on the negative side. Just too much exposed metal to put on the positive terminal. I'll be replacing it once I get 2 new batteries installed next month.

http://www.amazon.com/Post-Bat...Switch/dp/B001N729FS

quote:

Originally posted by Moonbeam-Express:
Either side will equally disconnect the circuit, but if switching the positive side I think it would be wise to go with the enclosed switches like the Perko.

I like them, but they need to be located where battery acid vapor cannot get to them, since they can't be cleaned. At least not without drilling out rivets, etc.

quote:

I'm haunted by a memory of a guy at an indoor car show that was disconnecting the positive side of the battery first. Unfortunately, his wrench touched something metal and welded itself to the two contact points and the wiring harness was smoking before he got it disconnected.

I just see too much exposed metal to make me comfortable on the positive side if you see what I'm getting at.

quote:

Posted Oct 4, 9:05 AM
Years ago I used to work installing after-market auto accessories like cruise controls, window lifts, etc. I was working on a new Firebird at a dealer. The negative batt terminal was buried so I went to take off the positive cable. My ratchet handle tapped an aluminum A/C line and made the nicest pinhole in it you ever saw. It ruined my day for sure.

Of course, I've never done anything like that. And I have no idea how that notch got in the cutting edge of my pocket knife.

My negative cable is not as accessible as the positive, so when I disconnect, I remove the positive cable. I keep a wrench in the compartment that has been dipped in liquid plastic and then a couple layers of shrink tubing on all but one head. It I were to do it over, I would use bed liner. It is tougher.

Those Green Knob disconnects are handy, easy to clean, and compact if you have the room. I would use one if there were room.

quote:

Of course, I've never done anything like that. And I have no idea how that notch got in the cutting edge of my pocket knife. Smiler

Better than the guy that got his wedding ring between the positive terminal and ground.

quote:

Originally posted by ccctimtation:

Better than the guy that got his wedding ring between the positive terminal and ground.

When I worked as an avionics tech, I wore a plastic watch and no ring.

Putting on my wedding ring was the first act of every weekend.

I knew of a HV electrician who wore his wedding ring and was killed by an arc jumping through a tiny pinhole in his rubber glove to his wedding ring. The post mortem said that the ring made the shock lethal instead of a minor burn and general shaking-up.

Many fingers have been lost to wedding rings. When I worked at Dow Chem years ago, all machinists and equipment operators were forbidden to wear them. Snag one in a lathe and watch what happens...

Those green knob disconnects do seem to work well. Not sure where to get them.

quote:

Originally posted by Steve VW:
Many fingers have been lost to wedding rings. When I worked at Dow Chem years ago, all machinists and equipment operators were forbidden to wear them. Snag one in a lathe and watch what happens...

Watch bands, too. That was another advantage of a plastic watch.

quote:

Those green knob disconnects do seem to work well. Not sure where to get them.

A couple:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb...disconnect&x=15&y=19

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html...t=See-All-Categories