Control Panel 1986 Gulf Stream

[Lou29]

I was given a 1986 Gulf Stream Sun Sport and I need help to figure what this is, if it is hooked up correctly or how it is supposed to be hooked up.
The sticker on it says "Control Panel"
There is a battery cut off switch mounted on the front but has no wires going to it.
There is a thing that looks like a solenoid.
My 12 volt battery positive (blue cable) is on the right side with a red cable that goes under the rv.
There are 2-6 volt batteries hooked in parallel. From the positive side are 2 red cables, one goes to the left side of the thing that looks like a solenoid and the other runs under the rv.

[MrWizard]

that black rectangle in the upper left with (2) red wires
is a 12v automotive circuit breaker

it either failed, or kept tripping from overload, so they bypassed it by connecting both wires to one post

[Lou29]

fulltimin wrote:

Lou29 wrote:

fulltimin wrote:
Looks like someone may have bypassed the battery disconnect switch.

The solenoid is usually used to temporarily tie the house batteries to the chassis battery for help starting the vehicle. There should be a button on the dash, that when pushed, the solenoid engages, and your starter now has power from all 3 batteries.

If the blue cable comes from the chassis battery, the red cable tied to it probably goes to the engine starter.

On the left side of solenoid, that cable may run towards the rear of the coach which would go to the 12 volt system for the house current. It would go from there to the generator for an electric start on the genny, (if it has one).

The upper right corner is an isolator. One cable comes from the alternator, and the other two cables go to both the house batteries, and the coach battery. The isolator will charge both the coach battery and the house batteries while you drive. The isolator will keep the coach and house batteries separate when the engine is not running, so if you discharge your house batteries, it does not kill the starting (chassis) battery.

Also appears as though someone bypassed the fuse in the upper left corner.

Could you tell me what is the purpose of the disconnect switch, if I should hook it up, how it's supposed to be wired or should I just leave as is.

The disconnect switch is just that, and disconnects a battery from any load that is present when everything is turned off.

Depending on what one is looking to do, the wire from the starting battery could be wired in to the one side of the switch, the other side would go to the solenoid. What you would have is the blue wire to the one side of the switch, the other side of the switch to where the blue wire is connected to now.

Turning it off removes any drain from the chassis battery, and will prolong battery life, when the motor home sits idle for weeks or months at a time. Even a tiny drain will kill a battery in a few months time, when it's draining 24/7.

Also, there may or may not be a switch for the house batteries similar to this one. Same deal. It disconnects the house batteries from any draw or drain to prolong battery life.

Then when you are ready to go - flip the switch and everything comes back on.

Thank you so much,I understand it now.

[MrWizard]

disconnect switches are used when the rv is storage not being used
or when you wish to disconnect batteries during repair work, cleaning cables etc..

[fulltimin]

Lou29 wrote:

fulltimin wrote:
Looks like someone may have bypassed the battery disconnect switch.

The solenoid is usually used to temporarily tie the house batteries to the chassis battery for help starting the vehicle. There should be a button on the dash, that when pushed, the solenoid engages, and your starter now has power from all 3 batteries.

If the blue cable comes from the chassis battery, the red cable tied to it probably goes to the engine starter.

On the left side of solenoid, that cable may run towards the rear of the coach which would go to the 12 volt system for the house current. It would go from there to the generator for an electric start on the genny, (if it has one).

The upper right corner is an isolator. One cable comes from the alternator, and the other two cables go to both the house batteries, and the coach battery. The isolator will charge both the coach battery and the house batteries while you drive. The isolator will keep the coach and house batteries separate when the engine is not running, so if you discharge your house batteries, it does not kill the starting (chassis) battery.

Also appears as though someone bypassed the fuse in the upper left corner.

Could you tell me what is the purpose of the disconnect switch, if I should hook it up, how it's supposed to be wired or should I just leave as is.

The disconnect switch is just that, and disconnects a battery from any load that is present when everything is turned off.

Depending on what one is looking to do, the wire from the starting battery could be wired in to the one side of the switch, the other side would go to the solenoid. What you would have is the blue wire to the one side of the switch, the other side of the switch to where the blue wire is connected to now.

Turning it off removes any drain from the chassis battery, and will prolong battery life, when the motor home sits idle for weeks or months at a time. Even a tiny drain will kill a battery in a few months time, when it's draining 24/7.

Also, there may or may not be a switch for the house batteries similar to this one. Same deal. It disconnects the house batteries from any draw or drain to prolong battery life.

Then when you are ready to go - flip the switch and everything comes back on.

[Lou29]

MrWizard wrote:
(2) 6v are is 'SERIES' to equal 12v, or it doesn't work
and they will quickly be overcharged and boiled dry

grd-neg 6v pos - neg 6v pos + for house

the blue box is the shure power diode based battery isolator, charges both engine battery and house batteries from the alternator, while the engine is running

the solenoid is a battery cross connect temporary jumper for emergency starting
aka eng battery dead, house batteries good, push and hold button on dash for 30seconds, then while holding button twist key to start engine
aka built in jump start box

You are right, my mistake the batteries are in series.

[Lou29]

fulltimin wrote:
Looks like someone may have bypassed the battery disconnect switch.

The solenoid is usually used to temporarily tie the house batteries to the chassis battery for help starting the vehicle. There should be a button on the dash, that when pushed, the solenoid engages, and your starter now has power from all 3 batteries.

If the blue cable comes from the chassis battery, the red cable tied to it probably goes to the engine starter.

On the left side of solenoid, that cable may run towards the rear of the coach which would go to the 12 volt system for the house current. It would go from there to the generator for an electric start on the genny, (if it has one).

The upper right corner is an isolator. One cable comes from the alternator, and the other two cables go to both the house batteries, and the coach battery. The isolator will charge both the coach battery and the house batteries while you drive. The isolator will keep the coach and house batteries separate when the engine is not running, so if you discharge your house batteries, it does not kill the starting (chassis) battery.

Also appears as though someone bypassed the fuse in the upper left corner.

Could you tell me what is the purpose of the disconnect switch, if I should hook it up, how it's supposed to be wired or should I just leave as is.

[MrWizard]

(2) 6v are is 'SERIES' to equal 12v, or it doesn't work
and they will quickly be overcharged and boiled dry

grd-neg 6v pos - neg 6v pos + for house

the blue box is the shure power diode based battery isolator, charges both engine battery and house batteries from the alternator, while the engine is running

the solenoid is a battery cross connect temporary jumper for emergency starting
aka eng battery dead, house batteries good, push and hold button on dash for 30seconds, then while holding button twist key to start engine
aka built in jump start box

[fulltimin]

Looks like someone may have bypassed the battery disconnect switch.

The solenoid is usually used to temporarily tie the house batteries to the chassis battery for help starting the vehicle. There should be a button on the dash, that when pushed, the solenoid engages, and your starter now has power from all 3 batteries.

If the blue cable comes from the chassis battery, the red cable tied to it probably goes to the engine starter.

On the left side of solenoid, that cable may run towards the rear of the coach which would go to the 12 volt system for the house current. It would go from there to the generator for an electric start on the genny, (if it has one).

The upper right corner is an isolator. One cable comes from the alternator, and the other two cables go to both the house batteries, and the coach battery. The isolator will charge both the coach battery and the house batteries while you drive. The isolator will keep the coach and house batteries separate when the engine is not running, so if you discharge your house batteries, it does not kill the starting (chassis) battery.

Also appears as though someone bypassed the fuse in the upper left corner.