Chinook RV

Hi, have another question of the electrical wiring nature. I notice some wiring hanging down from under the dash on the driver's side of my Chinook. The wires were off of the "emergency start" switch and the "battery disconnect" switch. I found dash wiring diagram in an owners manual that I downloaded but is doesn't show all of the coloring of the wires. If anyone knows where I might find a more detailed diagram, or has one, I sure would appreciate you sharing it.

Even if someone could take a look at the wiring on their Chinook and tell me what color the wires are on these two switches, it would be help.

Do you have a 1995 Chinook manual? For my '99 it's a blue, loose-leaf notebook. I also have a few others that I've downloaded, although none for 1995. I'm not sure how the '95 is set up.

At any rate, there are line diagrams in the manual. In my case I'd be using these:

1) The Chinook added power/fuse block that is next to the Ford one (ahead of right driver's shin).

2) The overhead control panel in the headliner. This has the battery disconnect, plus the jump start switches. This can be unscrewed and pulled down into the cab to access the wires. Some of the wires from this go through the Ford overcab and then come down behind the driver's side Chinook pillar (where coach juts out from cab) and tie in to the...

3) .... Sure Power LVD that is mounted at the base of the pillar. (Again, see diagram in manual.)

4) And one wire goes out to the Sure Power 1315 that is on top of the driver's side fenderwell under the hood. This is for the jump start feature.

Reason I've seen all this is I eliminated it all in favor of more marine style systems and components that I'm used to. May not be the same on a '95, but maybe not all that different either. The manual diagrams would help a lot, I'd think.

BTW, here are a few photos that may help. I have more/better ones, but am on the road and can't get to them just now.

Here is the switch panel over driver's shoulder on overhead:
Bad shot of wires above it (I have a better one but can't access it at the mo'). This is looking forward from coach toward front of rig.
Sure Power 1315 under hood (can find wiring diagram online):
On to next reply for more photos...

Sure Power LVD on floor ahead of couch:
Diagram on side of LVD:
Here is the main DC diagram for a 1998 Concourse. The "busy" looking square in the middle is the LVD. The top row (two squares and a speaker) are the overhead switch panel in the cab. The square at lower left with the heavy black "L" shape along one side is the Sure Power 1315 under the hood.

Thank you (again) for your responses. I do have part of a manual for my 95. The wiring diagram that I found in it looks the same as the one that you sent me. I have attached a picture of the switches on my rig, as you can see, it is a different setup. You can also see that the battery disconnect switch has been replaced with a toggle switch, and no wires were connected to either of the switches. It appears in the diagram that the original battery disconnect switch had 3 posts, therefore the toggle switch probably won't work anyhow. It doesn't look to me like the previous owners knew what they were doing.I have found several things that have been either disconnected or (blank) rigged.

That brings up another question, do you know of any place that miscellaneous parts can be purchased for a Chinook?

Okay, well that install looks a little questionable (aesthetics), and so if it were me and it wasn't working, I'd likely just plan to re-do things. Then you know what you have, and that it works and is safe.

If you were to buy a Blue Sea 7622 (battery relay), then it comes with a remote lighted switch so you could use that and potentially solve two things at once (old separator that may be recalled and has negative qualities that older separators had, plus you'd have a lighted switch). Here is what I mean:



https://www.bluesea.com/products/7622/M ... 2V_DC_500A

Most things in RV's are sourced from vendors by the builder. Not everything - for example I'm sure the fiberglass molded pillars in my rig were made by Chinook in their own molds. But a lot of things are "boughten." So if you can figure the brand/part number, you can oftentimes find new versions.

I realize you are probably asking for general use, but is there anything specific you are looking for at the moment?

PS: Most relays are not really mean to be "outdoors," so you could also move it to somewhere a bit more sheltered (presuming yours is on fenderwell like mine was).

Many thanks BG, sounds like a great idea, but I'm going to have to hold of on doing anything with it for awhile. You do think that by installing this battery relay that it would handle both of the functions of my two switches, huh? I'm not sure that I have the expertise or electrical knowledge to do the work myself, but I would probably try.

Let me clarify a bit.

The separator/combiner/solenoid/relay (gets called many things) does three things basically.

1) Makes it so that when you are camping and drawing on your house bank (batteries), you are NOT drawing on your start battery. It does it automatically (separates).

2) Makes it so that when you are driving, the start and house bank are made into one (combined). This allows the Ford alternator to somewhat charge your house bank (only somewhat as the alternator is essentially a "stupid" charger). Certainly does help to put some juice in though.

3) With appropriate wiring, makes it so that you can purposely combine the batteries to "jump start" yourself. The only purpose this serves is if your start battery goes dead, rather than get out jumper cables and hook them to someone else's vehicle, you can jump from your own house bank.

You CAN do all of the above with one simple, robust, relatively inexpensive switch (has been done this way on boats for eons), BUT you have to do it, vs. just having it all happen behind the scenes. Personally, I prefer it this way, but I'm sure I'm in the minority. I do have a double set of LED lights to help me out (red flashing in coach and green steady in cab when combined), and I also have a system that is not in dire need of being either combined or un-combined.

If I were on a budget and had an ailing separator and mystery switches, would strongly consider a switch, but you'd have to be the type that doesn't mind switching it "off" when parked/camped (separated) and "on" when driving (combined). Or "on" to jump start (combined).

The Blue Sea 7622 does all of this rather elegantly and automatically (with manual jump start combine), but costs a bit more and is a bit less simple. A fine product though.

2) The "battery disconnect" switch you have performs a different function (I assume, but may be wrong). It's a bit ambiguous as shown.

a) What I think it may be doing is serving as your house battery switch. What this does is disconnect your house bank from the house loads. Nothing to do with the Ford/cab/start battery.

b) But it also could be "disconnecting" your start bank from your house bank, maybe.

I'm happy to try to help you work through it, if you can report back in with clues. There could be some relatively budget solutions (or at least "solutions" that are at least an improvement on what you have now, if not the ultimate).

I should also warn though that of course I can't see your rig, am only an amateur, etc. Just so you know.

BG

PS: This is the switch I would recommend if you were going that route. It's the Blue Sea 9004e. You could use a couple of other options too, that cost slightly less, but I like this one because it has two little "field disconnect" terminals on the back that make it super easy to wire in little lights to remind you when you are combined or separated.



If your rig is wired up anything like mine was, what I would probably do is first, take the two main wires that are on two different terminals on the 1315 separator (which may be recalled anyway) and put them on one terminal together. This essentially turns it into just a power post and takes it out of the picture.

Then, where the alternator wire comes into your house battery bank, take it off the battery terminal and put it on one side of this switch. Then a small jumper wire from the other terminal of the switch to where you took the cable off the battery post. Now the switch does the separating and combining. I have mine where I can reach it from the driver's seat, which is handy, but I'm just mentioning this as the simple/cheap option. I'm basing this on your rig being similar to mine, but not sure if it is.

Morning BC. Have been reading and rereading the information that you sent me. Taking it a step at a time, so that I understand. You mentioned two different Bluesea products, the 766 battery relay, and the 9004e switch. If I'm understanding, the 766 battery relay would be for a automatic switching setup, while the 9004 switch would be for a manual switching setup. Either option that I decide on. The first step would be to connect both battery leads to a common post on the sure power 1315. Is that right.