Airstream 360 XL Owner'S Manual Download

Page: 97 / 160

AIRSTREAM 390/396 XL

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
12-VOLT SYSTEM
BATTERY CONTROL CENTER

Your motorhome is equipped with six batteries. Two batteries will be for the engine and the other 4
batteries for the interior 12-volt circuits on a rollout tray.

The Intellitec Battery Control Center is a centralized power switching, fusing, and distribution center.
Power from both the chassis and the coach batteries are feed into the control center box.

All servicing

with-in this box should be done only by a qualified Service Technician.

BATTERY DISCONNECT SWITCH

The BATTERY DISCONNECT switch on the panel just inside the main door acts as a master switch.
When the coach switch is turned to

use

it opens the circuit between the coach batteries and the twelve-volt

distribution panel. The chassis disconnect switch does not disconnect the chassis battery from the chassis
systems. It only cuts off power from the inverter/charger charging system to the chassis battery. You must
have the chassis battery disconnect switch on

(use)

for the inverter/converter to charge the engine batteries.

The coach batteries are charged by the inverter/converter whether the coach battery disconnect switch is in
the use or store position.

The engine batteries are used for starting the engine and operating the headlights, taillights, running lights,
instrument panel lighting, automotive air conditioning and other accessories. The alternator charges all the
batteries while the engine is running. The inverter/converter charges all the batteries when the unit is
plugged into shoreline as long as the chassis battery disconnect switch is on

(USE).

The coach batteries are used for interior lighting; exhaust fans, generator, water pump, central control
panel, entertainment center, optional 12-volt convenience outlets, and the refrigerator when it is switched to
12-volt power. The generator also charges all batteries when it is running, through the 120-volt city power
system that powers the inverter/converter. The Intellitec Battery Control Center manual is also in your
packet. It has trouble-shooting and wiring information.

The battery disconnect switch is not intended for everyday use. But if you're going to be away from your
coach for more than 3 or 4 days and it's not plugged into 110-volt current just flip the switch off on the way
out and your assured of fresh batteries when you return.

Inverter

With the inverter is the standard package of four batteries for the interior coach circuits. The inverter is
located in the second lower compartment back of the main door. An inverter uses 12-volt battery power and
changes it to 120 volt AC current. More information on the 120 volt operation is in the II 0 volt section of
this manual.
What is important on the 12-volt side is the amount of power required from the batteries for the inverter.
This is probably best shown by a little ninth grade science.

120-volt (Plugged in)

12-volt (Battery power)

1500 Watt = 12.5 amp

1500 Watt = 125 amp

120

Volt

Pulling 125 amps from your batteries is a tremendous load. Luckily there would probably be few times
where you need this kind of power. If you do need 1500 watts for an extended period of time start your
generator --- 1500 watts would be a light load for it.

A little common sense will make the inverter system useful. But, if you try to overdo it you'll have dead
batteries.

H-1