Switch/Battery connection?

[Jenon Janelli]

 

Hi, can anyone tell me what this switch is for?  Is was in the back room on the wall of my 69 Dodge Islander RV.  We removed it while remodeling...and now the RV won't start.  Battery is charged, everything worked before.  If this switch has something to do with the watt converter is that connected to the RV battery functioning in anyway? 

[Jimmy C. Bridges]

Jenon:

Can you tell me what wires were connected to the unit shown and their source? Most of the early motorhomes had a main fuse on the battery positive wire somewhere. This fuse was to protect the main circuit of the 12 volt system in case of a short and prevent a subsequent fire. The unit you show must have been connected to something or else it was just disconnected and abandoned at some point. Need more info. Jim

[Jenon Janelli]

Hi Jimmy, it appears the wires ran from this switch to the converter box.  I can get some more pictures to explain it better.  I better news...we got her started!  Then bad news again...went to get new tires, and she has all split-rims!  Ah, what fun. :)

[Vince Warde]

The most obvious explanation is the one other posters have given.  It's either a battery master switch and/or a battery fuse.  If it doesn't have a battery isolator, it's even more likely that it's a switch designed to prevent the automotive battery from being discharged while camping.