Jayco Greyhawk 2015, Manual

Page: 60 / 121

SECTION 6 - ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CLASS C MOTORHOME
6-4
12-V
OLT
B
ATTERY
D
ISCONNECT
The 12-volt battery disconnect switch is located near the entrance door. This
momentary switch controls a latching type solenoid (located near the house
batteries), which connects or disconnects the house batteries dependent upon the
number of times it is pushed.
When engaged the battery disconnect solenoid supplies battery power to all
accessories connected to the house 12-volt fuse panel.
The battery disconnect feature should be used to disconnect the motor home from
house battery power during periods of storage or during maintenance. The
solenoid must be engaged for the 12-volt house electrical system to operate.
Never depress the momentary battery disconnect switch for longer than 1 second.
Depressing and holding the switch down will disable the battery disconnect
solenoid. Should this occur the main ground cable for the house batteries must be
removed for 1 minute to re-enable the solenoid operation.
H
OUSE
B
ATTERIES
Your motor home has many 12-volt DC loads. When combined, their total load
requires more power than the converter can produce. High demands for 12-volt
power can be met by the house batteries for a limited period of time. The 12-volt
DC electrical system is designed for usage with Group 27 deep cycle batteries.
The batteries for the house section of the motorhome are usually referred to as
house (or coach) batteries.
The house batteries are factory-installed to provide temporary 12-volt power when
120-volt power is not available to operate the power converter. When drawing
energy from the batteries, remember that there is a limited amount of power
available before the batteries need to be recharged.
To recharge the house batteries
When the engine is running, the alternator will automatically charge the house
batteries through the auxiliary start solenoid. When parked at a campsite and
plugged into shore power the power converter will automatically charge the
batteries. Complete charging may take several hours and depends upon battery
condition and the amount of power consumed by the 12-volt devices operated
during the charging period.
Dry camping
Consider the charge condition of the house batteries when dry camping. When the
house batteries are not being recharged and power is being drawn from them,
they will eventually discharge. A battery will discharge faster as its voltage gets
lower. Plan your 12-volt electrical use accordingly.
A fully charged 12-volt battery will read 12.7 volts DC and have a specific gravity
of 1.265 at 80°F (32°C). The house batteries are considered discharged at 11.8
volts and “dead” at 11.65 volts.
WARNING
Always wear eye protection when working with batteries. Keep sparks,
cigarettes and flames away from the battery as the battery may explode. Do
not use a booster battery or any other power source that has an output that
exceeds 12-volt. Use adequate ventilation when charging or using the battery
in an enclosed space.