What is this switch on my 1995 Itasca Sunrise?

[StartingOver]

1995 Itasca Sunrise 22ft. In the upper left corner of my battery box by the step is a gray metal switch handle that has two positions but no markings. Can anyone tell me what it is used for since I have no documentation and bought this used?

Thanks

[Morich]

One of the big things we get with used is the question of what previous owners may have added or changed!
This looks like a good bet it is not OEM but also a pretty good chance it is some form of battery disconnect??? It will take some looking to find what they tried to cut off.
Best is a switch with large contacts to carry the current and they put it in the negative (ground) cables of either the coach or chassis battery.
but it is not uncommon for it to be in the positive side when folks lack understanding!

One reason for saying it is not OEM is the drawings that do not show it and also seem to show the batteries are turned around from new! If I'm looking at the picture as being taken with the outer side at the bottom?
This drawing shows with the inside frame rail at the bottom!

Lots of info to help find what you have here:
https://www.winnebago.com/
Go to the owners tab and find lots of links to things like drawings and owners manuals that will help to sort things!

Electrical drawings for this part here:
https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File...995/114598.pdf
Click to get a better view!


As a help to get the best correct info on your specific RV, there should be a label next to the driver.
Owners manual here:
https://www.winnebago.com/Files/File.../95Sunrise.pdf

Info to "decode" the label is on page 0-4 but tons of help all through it! Part of the info needed may be due to the chassis is often one year newer than the RV as listed and sold. So to get chassis parts like brakes, we may need to use a different year than for RV parts!

Good luck on the chase!

[be happy]

I tried to find that switch/lever on the diagrams but could not. I am sure there are folks that will pin point it right away.

Heres the link that I tried to find it.

https://winnebago.com/Files/Files/Wi...ram/Wiring.htm

[Morich]

As a much easier step, it may be possible to ID the item by guessing?
IF it is a battery cutoff, one could sort it out by trying it!
Have some items on for each of the 12Volts systems, chassis and coach, then flip the switch to see if anything on chassis or coach changes like it lost power!
Possible it is wired to do both chassis and coach if they wired negative from both batteries to be cutoff?
Not one I think of as being done too often but still we are dealing with what somebody may have worked out to fit what they saw as important to them.
Some really good ideas out there but also some that are NOT so good!

[tderonne]

Looks like a very common battery disconnect switch. I don't think Winnebago ever used ones like it though.

No telling how or if it's currently wired. As mentioned, try it, and/or follow some wires.

[StartingOver]

You are amazing, thank you. It definitely is a disconnect

[7997redtail]

Just a little more info on Morichs comment re switch side. For ever, we’ve installed isolation/night switches on the negative side. And it makes sense.

But, more recently, and this isn’t an RV thing as far as i know, in the trucking industry they may put the switch on the positive side. They may even install two switches both on the positive side. I’m not totally sure of why but it has to do with one of two things and maybe someone more knowledgeable than I could explain.

First, it has something to do with keeping the computers from discharging capacitors on the engine ECUs

Or, it has to do with keeping power to the cab or engine. The trucks I’ve installed some of these on have two or more positive leads from the batteries.

I’ve just followed orders so like I said I’m not too sure why. But they do.

As for the OPs question? That is definitely a battery isolation switch. If it looked different and had an ON-OFF-ON position it would be a battery group selection switch. Battery group A or B.

[Morich]

Yes, the answer of which side to put any switch on will depend on whether there are items you want to leave powered! And that is getting into super complex stuff on newer and newer RV or any car or truck.
The idea of putting it either place may be helpful to know.
If you have an RV and want to remove ALL the parasitic drains as well as make work somewhat safer, put the disconnect on the negative side. If the negative side is disconnected, you can do lots of things around the battery with little danger from arcs if a tool slips and connects the surrounding metal to the positive post!
If the positive post is disconnected and negative left, any sip of the wrench that gets contact between any metal in the battery box and the positive post can be really dangerous as you will get an arc.
That arc can be a small as ruining the tool and burning your hand but it also has the potential to blow up the battery in your face if there are fumes around the batteries!