Battery disconnects and maintainers

[sodly]

What's the best way to add a battery disconnect to a hobby truck that doesn't get a lot of use?  I know they make cut offs for semis but I'm not familiar with them.  Can anyone show me how they isolate their batteries for storage (to prevent fires)?  Lets see your disconnects. 

Also, once the batteries are isolated, do most folks keep a maintainer on their batteries to keep them fully charged?  I've always followed this routine in my antique pickups with good success.  Just wondered how I might do the same thing with a "big" truck.  Can anyone shed light on this?  How do you attach a maintainer to a 4 battery setup, for example?  How many amps does the maintainer need to be?  Thanks.

[Hobert62]

I have my disconnect on the ground circuit.   My switch was $30 from a race car/speed shop.   It's in the ground wire from the battery to the frame.    I only run 2 batteries.      No help on maintainer.     

Edited October 5, 2016 by Hobert62

[Freightrain]

I've survived 14 yrs with no shut off or maintainer on my B.   Don't know how?

Ya, the typical battery shut off switch would likely do the trick.

I would suggest getting the largest amp rated version you could find. These are typically for only one battery and once you get 3-4 batteries the current draw could burn it up over time if the contacts aren't large enough to carry it.  Maybe get a pair of switches and break the batteries up into pairs?

 

The maintainer?  Any 1-2 amp trickle charger would work, but you would have to watch as if you have one bad battery in the bunch it will never charge all of them.  I run one on my pair of deep cycles in my race trailer.  Been near 20 yrs without issue.  Do have to keep an eye on them as occasionally one battery might get low and it will drag the other one down. I separate them, charge them each up and then hook them back together.  How I found out was the "charge" light was never coming on like it use to.  Once I charged both up, the "charge" light comes on after a few hours of being plugged in.

Edited October 5, 2016 by Freightrain

[mmaupin]

I have used and like this: https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sms-334126/overview/

 

[sodly]

Do Superliners run a 12 or 24v electrical system?  Do most hobby trucks get by on 2 batteries or are 4 generally required?  

Call me nuts but the thought of leaving an older truck parked inside a building with mice potentially gnawing on wires scares me to death.  I'd like to be able to disconnect the power from the truck while still leaving a maintainer on the batteries so they're always fully charged.  Do others disagree?  What do you guys do with your trucks that sit a lot... especially over winter?  

 

[fxfymn]

You are wise to place a disconnect on the batteries for safety and durability reasons. I would place the cut off as close to the battery as possible on either leg of the circuit (positive or negative). This will cut down on the chances of having a hot cable shorting out while the truck is unattended.

Most fire apparatus came equipped with a "Cole-Hersee" built switch that allowed the use of either or both batteries. The switch is widely available and runs around $40.00. I also found a marine application switch on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-Battery-Switches/dp/B01E53G7QI/ref=pd_sbs_263_7?ie=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01E53G7QI&pd_rd_r=S4RPF8VBJ648T2C2SQ5Y&pd_rd_w=7PrhO&pd_rd_wg=Svupr&refRID=S4RPF8VBJ648T2C2SQ5Y

I use "Battery Minder" maintainers on all of my trucks and other applications such as the golf cart and equipment trailer. They will not overcharge the battery and have a de-sulfinater feature which extends battery life.

 

[Freightrain]

I have an old version of the Cole Hearse shut off.  I've never used it as the connection points are tiny and my big cable ends would never fit it.

Like I said, in all the years I've never put a charger on mine for the winter and the only time I've unhooked the batteries was when I lengthened the frame and had the battery box off the truck.

I used to have 4 batteries, but only run 2 now with no issue.  Mine does sit inside a lightly heated garage all winter though.

[jackb61sx]

Neither of my trucks have battery shut off switches in them and they are fine if left all winter. I will tell you my trucks are inside out of the weather and I will periodically pull them out and let them run for a while to just to let them run. 

[fxfymn]

Here is my take on the need for a switch...We burned a firehouse down when the battery cables that ran from the rear of a rescue squad truck, a Mack R model, shorted out between the batteries and the cab mounted cut off switch.

Is it worth it to spend less than $100.00 to help protect a multi-thousand dollar truck? 

[farmer52]

I use Sears Die Hard and Schumacher battery maintainers during the winter months on my trucks, cars, tractors, garden tractors, and golf cart.  You can buy them on sale for less than $20.  The Die Hard maintainers last at least 5 years.  Just started using the Schumacher.

The MH uses three (3) 12V batteries connected in parallel.  I disconnect the single battery and hookup a maintainer.  The double batteries I connect the maintainer to the positive post of one battery and the negative post of the second battery.

[sodly]

2 hours ago, fxfymn said:

Here is my take on the need for a switch...We burned a firehouse down when the battery cables that ran from the rear of a rescue squad truck, a Mack R model, shorted out between the batteries and the cab mounted cut off switch.

Is it worth it to spend less than $100.00 to help protect a multi-thousand dollar truck? 

I think I understand what you're saying.  You're in favor of cut off switches but they need to be located close to the batteries.  Is that right?  

I'm with you.... I'd much rather invest $100 in a switch than risk an unattended truck fire.  Mostly I worry about mice getting at the wiring.  

Superliners have 2 pairs of batteries, correct?  I assume they're 12 volts.  Wonder if they're wired in series or parallel.  

[fxfymn]

Quote

You're in favor of cut off switches but they need to be located close to the batteries.

That is correct. The battery cables are not protected by any fuses or circuit breakers, so a short in the cable will continue until the wire burns through, the battery goes dead, or the heat ignites a nearby combustible. 

In a storage situation you can simply disconnect the batteries and apply a maintainer. The issue with this solution is inevitably you will fail to disconnect them "because I plan on going out again real soon". The rescue squad I spoke about had responded to calls all day before it caught fire that night, so incidents can and do occur even after a short time of non-use.

One other virtue of using a disconnect is it is a theft deterrent, particularly if you put the switch in an out of sight location. I know of one truck that has a disconnect located in a fabricated box under the running board. If you don't know where to look it is pretty difficult to figure out where the switch is.

My Freightliner FL70 toterhome came from the factory with a disconnect switch. What does that tell you?

I'm kind of anal about things like this because I know of far too many cases where a collection of antique cars or trucks have burned up. Most storage facilities are unattended and very few have fire protection or even detection, so the only logical thing is to do everything possible to prevent an incident from occurring. 

[Freightrain]

5 minutes ago, fxfymn said:

 

My Freightliner FL70 toterhome came from the factory with a disconnect switch. What does that tell you?

 

LOL!!!   You're leaving yourself WIDE open to a real smart alec comment on that statement!!!!!

My friend had a FL120 toter and don't recall seeing a shut off?  Maybe I never looked hard enough.

[fxfymn]

Quote

LOL!!!   You're leaving yourself WIDE open to a real smart alec comment on that statement!!!!!

Yep, I know; sometimes its our lot in life to bring some levity to the world.

The switch is located under the driver's door on the outside of the battery box.

[Hobert62]

All of our company trucks come with switches behind the drivers seat.    On our freightliners the dumb thing is not all circuits are protected.   With my disconnect off and I turn my ignition switch on some of my marker lights and dash lights flash.   

[Brocky]

Our company had a group of Freightliners come in the a switch mounted on the frame just ahead of the drives, with NO quarter fenders.. Don't ask how long they lasted!!!! 

[Maddog13407]

yup, been struggling with a new Freightliner at work, factory shut off didn't work cause it would still draw the batteries down. we ended up putting the disconnect on the ground. it should be anyways in my opinion

[m16ty]

We had a '83 FL catch fire in the battery box and got so hot that it melted the aluminum cover. Why on earth it didn't burn the truck to the ground, I don't know. Disconnects are a good thing. 

[wingman]

I once had a classic car burn up because of a electric fire. It was a 4 speed and I left in gear as the parking brake didn't hold well and it started itself up and idled away! I found it in a corn field next to the house doors still locked and nothing indicating it was messed with. I put cutoffs on a couple of my trucks that have parasitic draws (almost impossible to find except for alternators with a bad diode) and trucks with the old cloth covered wires. My B's still have the original wiring and all work but give me the heebee jeebee's to leave them sit with the batteries hooked up. I don't like to fix what isn't broke but a cutoff is good advice. I use deltran on my vehicles be it a pickup or big truck. They work well on the trucks with 4 batteries but the batteries have to be fully charged first. They only have 1.25 amps max so it would take forever to charge 4 batteries to max. Also buy a good cutoff switch( you get what you pay for). I used a cutoff like freightrain showed and it lasted a year and broke! It had a high amp rating and was only on 2 -31 series batteries but still failed! (made in China) Buy American!

[fxfymn]

Quote

I once had a classic car burn up because of a electric fire. It was a 4 speed and I left in gear as the parking brake didn't hold well and it started itself up and idled away!

I hate it when that happens! I have had vehicles we responded to do that, including one that almost ran over  a member trying to open the hood. Now SOP is (or at least was when I was stiil there) to flatten the tires and chock the vehicle as soon as you could.

[sodly]

11 hours ago, wingman said:

My B's still have the original wiring and all work but give me the heebee jeebee's to leave them sit with the batteries hooked up. I don't like to fix what isn't broke but a cutoff is good advice. 

I'm with ya.  I'm kinda surprised this isn't (apparently) a normal accessory for older trucks.  At antique car shows you see them under almost every hood.  I would think an old truck wouldn't be any different.  

[wingman]

Most antique cars and pickups don't take the abuse that big trucks do just in the way they ride, bump and shake. These are things that jiggle wiring and chafe insulation that wasn't very good to start with. Big trucks probably have spent the majority of their lives outside exposed to critters that love to chew on stuff and big truck bodies aren't as tight as cars but mice don't discriminate!