(excerpted from the book – Your 5th Wheel RV – The Interior)
Almost every RV has an RV Control Panel. You might hear it called rv command center, rv control center or any one of 20 other names, but it is in ADDITION to the fusebox or RV electrical panel.
The RV Control Panel is a central location where all the RV-centric switches and buttons go that are unique to RVing and the RV.
Your RV control panel might be as simple as an on/off switch for the hot water heater OR it might be incredibly complex and sophisticated like the control panel on a Newell, Prevost, or high end Monaco.
If you have small children in/around your RV, I might HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you put a lock or other safety mechanism on the door. Otherwise, things could get pretty exciting.
Typical items you’ll find in the RV Control Panel are:
- Hot Water Heater Controls (on/off for electric – on/off for gas)
- Different lighting controls (porch, hall, other- such as accent lights)
- Fresh Water Pump – provides pressure for water system when operating with self contained fresh water only
- RV Slide out controls
- Tank Fluid Level monitoring system – black tank, gray tank, and fresh water tank
- Battery Monitoring and control system – can be simple monitoring or much more
- Awning Controls
- Super Fan or Fantastic Fan Controls
- Air Conditioning Control – for example on/off for the circuits for the 2nd air conditioner so you don’t blow 30 amp circuits
There are so much more that can go in these control panels, I only listed what was in our 5th wheel’s control panel, but I think this gives you an idea of what to expect.
Inspecting this control panel actually gives you an idea of what kinds of systems you would have in your RV. One thing right off the top of my mind you might find extra is a generator controls in this panel. But I think you get the point.
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Intellisense Rv One Touch Control Panel
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Sunforce 60032 30 Amp Digital Charge Controller
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Ramsond SunShield 12V 12 Volt 8A 8 Amp Solar Charge Controller Regulator
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Xantrex System Control Panel - Use With Freedom SW 3000 Watt Inverter (Item# 456072), Model# 809-0910
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"Watts Up" RC Watt Meter & Power Analyzer WU100 Version 2
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MEAN WELL IRC2 INVERTER REMOTE CONTROL PANEL
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Atwood 85441 Remote Control Kit
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Flush Mnt Solar Charge Control
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MAGNUM ME-RC50 REMOTE PANEL
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XANTREX AGS AUTOMATIC GENERATOR START for SW2012 SW3012 (NEEDS SCP) (16523)
Marlan at Rv52 says
A reader recently asked: Hi. Was searching for control panel information and came across your ‘RV CONTROL PANEL’ piece. the picture of the control command center (KIB) is exactly as I have in my new trailer. Question that trying get answered is what is the switch ‘Black 1 / Black 2’ used for? no one has been able to answer this for me and emailed trailer manufacturer with no response. Know out of ordinary but hoping you could give me an idea of purpose. Been reading other articles on RV52 and very interesting.
Marlan at Rv52 says
David – if you’ll look at the tank level indicator lights on the right side of your control panel, you’ll notice that there is only ONE black tank indicator button. You would press this and see the level of your effluent (such a nice word) in your black tank.
Some of your RVs will have TWO black tanks – one in the front and one in the back. Since the indicator lights/buttons only have a space for a single black tank, they had to add a switch so that you could use the single indicator button and lights on a second black tank.
So the answer to your question is if you have a second black tank, the switch will make it so you can monitor the second black tank.
I personally have found the indicator lights to be fairly useless as I felt I could never ever trust them. Also having the 2nd black tank makes for a lot more work too! (Check out this article on the 2nd bath)
Glenn says
What are the battery letters mean c f g l
Marlan at Rv52 says
What a great question. I’m pretty sure that the letters on the RV control panel’s battery status indicator mean this:
C = Charging
F = Full
G = Good
L = Low
Glenn says
It seems like full and good are the same readings on the battery symbols . Battery reading are l, g, f, charging
Ronnie Ridgeway says
I have a control panel on my 292FK Salem hemisphere lite. The hot water heater itself has a on off switch on it but my panel ahs a water heater switch on it also and when the light is on it is in dsi mode I think I cannot remember the other mode on the bottom. My question is can you leave the switch on the hot water heater on and cut the heater off or on with the switch on the panel and if so which mode
Marlan at Rv52 says
When you say “hot water heater itself” are you talking about going outside and flipping open a panel and using that on/off switch?
Can you send a picture of your control panel and a picture of your hot water heater on/off switch?
Assuming your heater is like ours was and assuming you might not send pictures, then I would say you leave the hot water switch on at the hot water heater (I’d have to physically see to be sure). As far as the mode, when we were on land power my wife and I left the hot water heater on electric most of the time. However, when we ran through the minuscule 6 gallons we often would turn on DSI mode as gas would heat substantially quicker. Maybe some other readers will chime in if I was using dangerously.
Robert Morse says
I have a 2006 forest river Lexington 283 GTS with a Convience Center panel. My question is how do you calibrate it so the water levels are accurate. Some have little screws you turn but mine doesn’t.
Marlan at Rv52 says
Can you send a picture of your convenience center? Without knowing too much, the standard fluid level sensors are terrible. Honestly they aren’t too trustworthy. There are more accurate sensors… but usually people don’t use those. Gray water worked pretty well for knowing when we had to do something. Black water – well it has a way of letting you know. Funny story – our toilet would “burp” if the black tank got too full. Not cool. We never did much with the fresh water tank. It was lots of hassle for the one time we tried it. And lots of worries about cleanliness. So we almost always had shore water. I guess we’re not very good campers.