Please share this with any other RV forums you belong to. Spring is just around the corner and many RV owners will soon be hooking up their batteries after a long winter’s nap.
Hi Mike. I did share this Battery Disconnect article with the Motorhome Facebook group I am a member of and one guy come back and disputes your advise to disconnect the negative battery terminal first saying that his instructions for disconnecting his inverter was to disconnect the positive terminal first. Can you comment on that please. Thank you
Many years ago I worked in a automotive service station. The 12v batteries we purchased were bought in bulk and delivered dry. We received containers with battery acid stored separately. On one occasion I was filling a battery with acid. The fill tube slipped out of the battery cell and poured onto one of my feet. Really fortunately for me I was standing next to a tank filled with water we used to check tires for leaks. Immediately I put my foot fully in the water tank.
The battery acid barely had a chance to burn my foot. When I arrived home after my shift I removed my shoe and sock to check for any damage. My foot was lightly pink. However, when I took off the still wet sock it was pretty much dissolved. Replacing a pair of socks was an inexpensive price to pay for my inattention.
I was REALLY fortunate the container of water was next my foot.
On my 2018 Tiffin Open Road, the Magnum inverter (Magnum MS-2000) owners manual says to disconnect the positive cable first and connect it last. My Tiffin does have an inverter disconnect switch (similar to the house battery disconnect switch) which I would turn off. Would doing so allow me to follow your instruction to disconnect the negative first?
Please share this with any other RV forums you belong to. Spring is just around the corner and many RV owners will soon be hooking up their batteries after a long winter’s nap.
Hi Mike. I did share this Battery Disconnect article with the Motorhome Facebook group I am a member of and one guy come back and disputes your advise to disconnect the negative battery terminal first saying that his instructions for disconnecting his inverter was to disconnect the positive terminal first. Can you comment on that please. Thank you
I’m reviewing that now.
Many years ago I worked in a automotive service station. The 12v batteries we purchased were bought in bulk and delivered dry. We received containers with battery acid stored separately. On one occasion I was filling a battery with acid. The fill tube slipped out of the battery cell and poured onto one of my feet. Really fortunately for me I was standing next to a tank filled with water we used to check tires for leaks. Immediately I put my foot fully in the water tank.
The battery acid barely had a chance to burn my foot. When I arrived home after my shift I removed my shoe and sock to check for any damage. My foot was lightly pink. However, when I took off the still wet sock it was pretty much dissolved. Replacing a pair of socks was an inexpensive price to pay for my inattention.
I was REALLY fortunate the container of water was next my foot.
Definitely my lucky day.
Never made that mistake again.
Be careful out there!
Mike:
On my 2018 Tiffin Open Road, the Magnum inverter (Magnum MS-2000) owners manual says to disconnect the positive cable first and connect it last. My Tiffin does have an inverter disconnect switch (similar to the house battery disconnect switch) which I would turn off. Would doing so allow me to follow your instruction to disconnect the negative first?
Let me call my contact at Tiffin. Give me a few days and I should know something…