Questions about Battery Disconnect Switch on 2014 266-KIRB

Thomas Aaron · 05-29-2016, 10:41 AM

Hey, guys. I've been looking for definitive answers to the following two questions:

Model: 2014 FunFinder (266-KIRB)

1. Does the battery disconnect switch have to be on (meaning closed, allowing electricity to flow through, pulled out) for the batteries to charge when I am hooked up to AC in order for my batteries to charge? Or will it charge if the switch is off.

2. Does the battery disconnect switch have to be on (meaning closed, allowing electricity to flow through, pulled out) for the break-away switch for my trailer brakes to work in case of an emergency?

profdant139 · 05-29-2016, 12:45 PM

I know the answer to the first question is yes -- the little knob has to be pulled out so that the batteries are connected so that the charge from the converter flows to the batteries. I found this out the hard way, some years ago.

I think (but am not sure) that the same is true of the breakaway cable -- if you have no battery at all (either because it is dead, or removed, or disconnected) and the breakaway pin gets pulled (because your trailer has come off the hitch -- oh my!), the electric brakes on the trailer will not work.

Yes, you should be getting power through the seven pin cable running from the tow vehicle to the trailer. But if the trailer has come off the hitch and the breakaway cable has been pulled, the chances are real good that there will soon be no power coming through that electrical cable!

But I have never experimented with this in real life, so I can't say for sure.

Eagle · 05-29-2016, 05:29 PM

The battery disconnect switch has to be "ON" in both instances.

Hint: To test the breakaway switch, with the battery installed and the switch "ON' ~ with on wheel w/brake lifted off the ground, pull the breakaway switch cable and you should be unable to turn the wheel as the electric brake will be activated.

runner421 · 05-29-2016, 06:50 PM

Agree with both posters. The battery must be connected/closed in order for the batteries to be charged or for the batteries to be used (power anything DC-battery powered).
And to test the breakaway switch, you can pull it and it it's quiet, you can hear the brake pad(s) click as they engage. 'Course if the battery disconnect is pushed in, the breakaway won't work. . .

twinster2 · 05-29-2016, 11:09 PM

Did a post on the break-away switch issue (see thread below). I decided to re-wire the break-away switch directly off the battery with a 30 amp resetting fuse in-line. I've had two trailers before this one, both were wired up directly from the battery. Not sure why FF decided it was necessary for the power switch to always be on when towing. Also to make life easier, I wired up a small Green LED on the side of the camper to indicate when the power switch was ON. On glance will tell me if the power switch is on which is better than unlocking the camper and flipping a switch.

http://www.funfinderclub.com/forums/...read-2768.html

profdant139 · 05-30-2016, 08:31 AM

Well done! I really ought to learn how to do electrical stuff -- it is a real gap in my "trailering skills."