12-Volt Operation - Airstream 2012 INTERSTATE Owner's Manual

the tank heater pads, and the battery disconnect switch. The fourth position is
left open to add a breaker for an optional solar panel. The breaker buss bar with
breakers are located under the roadside rear lounge.
CaUTiOn
: Thermal breakers break contact when overheated
by a short or overload in the wiring. These breakers automatically reset
when cooled down. A breaker continually overheating and breaking con-
tact should be investigated by a qualified service technician.
Power is then routed from the battery disconnect switch to the 12-volt distribu-
tion panel, located inside the rear center lounge door, and through its branch
circuits to the rest of the motorhome.

12-Volt Operation

The only thing you have to do is make sure the house battery does not run down.
In normal usage, there isn't any problem, since you would normally be plugged
into a 110 volt shoreline at night or when camping. When you're plugged into
shoreline power or running the generator, with the battery disconnect turned to
"ON" the inverter/charger charges the battery and carries much of the load.
Some nights you may not find a place to plug into city power. No problem; you
can comfortably run your lights, water pump, and vents in a normal fashion
ELECTRICAL SySTEMS
without depleting the battery.
If you are not plugged into city power, and you plan on staying longer than a
day or two, you'll want to conserve your battery by using as few lights and
appliances as possible. Check the monitor system regularly. If you notice
the lights becoming dim, it's much easier on the battery if you go ahead and
start the generator or run the chassis engine before the battery runs down.
Remember the generator starts off the house battery, if the house battery be-
comes depleted, the chassis engine can be started to charge it. It should only
take a few minutes before the generator will start.
The engine battery and house battery are isolated from each other by the
Battery Separator as explained earlier, preventing the two systems from draw-
ing down simultaneously. They will connect through the Separator if charging
from the engine, generator, or inverter/charger is detected.
House Battery
The house battery (1 standard, 2 optional) in the rear lounge model is located
under the curbside rear lounge in a vented battery box. The box lid is acces-
sible through an access door in the lounge top.
The battery (1 standard, 2 optional) in the twin bed model is located under the
H - 11
H