49
© Erwin Hymer Group North America, Inc
Battery Disconnect Switch
The battery disconnect switch turns the coach battery power off and on. When off, it prevents your coach batteries from being drained while the Aktiv is not in
use. The lights, the water pump, the fan, the refrigerator control board, even the igniters for the propane cooktop need 12VDC power from the batteries. If
something electrical in your Aktiv doesn't work, the first thing to check is to make sure the battery disconnect switch is on.
The battery disconnect switch is on the bottom left corner of the monitor panel. To its immediate right, is a blue indicator light which illuminates to show you
when the switch is on.
You will hear a "clunk" as the battery disconnect switch is pressed - this is a big relay connecting the coach batteries to the electrical loads.
If you hear a clunk-clunk, or nothing at all, it's possible that your batteries are depleted to the point where they cannot drive the relay. The best way to charge
your batteries in this situation is to start your vehicle engine and try again after it has charged for a while. Once the relay is working, you can continue to charge
with the generator or shore power.
Inverter Switch
Just as the battery disconnect switch powers the lights, fan, and other 12VDC electrical loads, the standard inverter takes 12VDC power from your coach
batteries and changes it into 110VAC electricity. It powers some of the smaller 110VAC alternating current loads, such as the tv and dvd player. This is the
regular electricity you have in your house. With this inverter, you can watch television or play a dvd while you are camping, without the need to plug into shore
power or run your generator.
The inverter is rated for 750 watts maximum output. Larger loads such as the air conditioner or microwave are too big to run on the power produced by the
inverter, and will not operate unless you plug in to shore power or start your generator.
The inverter will shut off if you try to draw too much power through it.
The inverter switch is on the left side of the monitor panel, above and to the right of the battery disconnect switch. It has an indicator light inside it that comes
on to let you it's on. If you are not using any 110VAC electricity, turn the inverter off to conserve battery power, since it uses a small amount of electricity even
when it's not powering any appliances.
The inverter will also shut off if the battery voltage falls below a certain level. This is to protect your batteries, wiring, and the inverter itself from damage. Your
battery voltage drops under load, so it is possible to have the inverter cut off under high load when the battery voltage is normal with no load. If this happens,
try turning off any power-hungry appliances and trying again. Things like electric toasters, electric curlers and hair dryers, or anything else that produces heat are
usually energy hogs. Most appliances have the wattage indicated on a label somewhere on the appliance. With practice, you will learn what you can and can't run
within the 750 watt limit.
Patio Light
On the monitor panel, the top left switch is the patio light switch. Press the top of the button to turn the lights on, and the bottom to turn them off. These are
LED lights and use very little power.
