Airstream 390 - Manual (Page 73)

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ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
12-VOLT SYSTEM
BATTERY CONTROL CENTER
Your motorhome is equipped with six batteries. Two batteries will be for the engine and
the other 4 batteries for the interior 12-volt circuits on a rollout tray.
The Intellitec Battery Control Center is a centralized power switching, fusing, and dis-
tribution center. Power from both the chassis and the coach batteries are feed into the
control center box. All servicing with-in this box should be done only by a qualified
Service Technician.
BATTERY DISCONNECT SWITCH
The COACH BATTERY DISCONNECT switch on the panel just inside the main door
acts as a master switch. When the switch is turned to USE it opens the circuit between
the coach batteries and the twelve-volt distribution panel. When turned to STORE
the batteries are isolated from the panel to prevent accidental and parasitic battery
discharge. The coach and engine batteries are charged by the inverter/converter or
the engine charging system whether the battery disconnect switch is in the USE or
STORE position.
The chassis batteries are used for starting the engine and operating the headlights,
taillights, running lights, instrument panel lighting, automotive air conditioning, LP
Detector, docking lights, search light, and other accessories.
The coach batteries are used for interior lighting; exhaust fans, generator, water pump,
central control panel, entertainment center, optional 12-volt convenience outlets, and
the refrigerator when it is switched to 12-volt power.
The generator also charges all batteries when it is running, through the 120-volt city
power system that powers the inverter/converter. The Intellitec Battery Control Center
manual is also in your packet. It has trouble-shooting and wiring information.
The battery disconnect switch is not intended for everyday use. But if you’re going to
be away from your coach for more than 3 or 4 days and it’s not plugged into 110-volt
current just turn the switch to STORE on the way out and your assured of fresh bat-
teries when you return.
Inverter
With the inverter is the standard package of four batteries for the interior coach cir-
cuits. The inverter is located in the second lower compartment back of the main door.
An inverter uses 12-volt battery power and changes it to 120 volt AC current. More
information on the 120 volt operation is in the II 0 volt section of this manual.
What is important on the 12-volt side is the amount of power required from the batter-
ies for the inverter. This is probably best shown by a little ninth grade science.
120-volt (Plugged in) 12-volt (Battery power)
1500 Watt = 12.5 amp 1500 Watt = 125 amp
120 Volt 12 Volt
Pulling 125 amps from your batteries is a tremendous load. Luckily there would prob-
ably be few times where you need this kind of power. If you do need 1500 watts for
an extended period of time start your generator --- 1500 watts would be a light load
for it.
A little common sense will make the inverter system useful. But, if you try to overdo it
you’ll have dead batteries.