Foretravel Owners' Forum

Foretravel Motorhome Forums => Foretravel Tech Talk => Topic started by: Bigoil76 on October 14, 2021, 12:06:50 am

Title: Dump air for storage?
Post by: Bigoil76 on October 14, 2021, 12:06:50 am
Will be putting my coach into covered storage for a month or two at a time. Is it OK to just dump air and leave like that? Also next to door/stairs on way out is a battery disconnect switch. Does this just disconnect coach batteries? There is a big circular marine type switch in the coach battery bay that looks like it will disconnect all. It is labeled 1,2 and 1+2.  There is no electrical available at the facility for me to use.
Title: Re: Dump air for storage?
Post by: oldguy on October 14, 2021, 12:21:22 am
Dumping the air will be fine. The switch by the doorway is called a Salesman
Switch and it turns out most of the house battery but not all. The  marine type switch
I don't know about. In my rigg if I want to disconnect the batteries I would pull the
negative post on the house and engine batteries.
Title: Re: Dump air for storage?
Post by: bbeane on October 14, 2021, 08:19:19 am
Dump the air, disconnect the ground from both the start and house batteries. Some of the newer coaches the house battery's are hard to get to. If you are going to store often might pay to have a disconnect added that easily to get to
Title: Re: Dump air for storage?
Post by: Rudy on October 14, 2021, 08:26:49 am
Big Oil,  Having the coach powered down for over a month begins to challenge the cleanliness of the nozzle in the Aqua Hot diesel burner.  So, as soon a you repower it, turn on the burner and observe the exhaust pipe.  As long as the burn is smooth, clean and clear, you are good to go.

If smelling or smoking is observed, let it sit till you are ready to travel again.  But schedule burner service before traveling to insure proper operation of the burner as you travel.
Title: Re: Dump air for storage?
Post by: Chuck & Jeannie on October 14, 2021, 08:53:09 am
1.  Is it OK to just dump air and leave like that?
2.  There is a big circular marine type switch in the coach battery bay that looks like it will disconnect all. It is labeled 1,2 and 1+2. 
1.  Yes
2.  Based on the label, the marine type switch sounds (to me) more like a manual "BOOST" switch.  If it does not have a "OFF" position, it probably does not completely disconnect either battery bank.  Easy to test: with shore power, generator and inverter turned off (also solar if you have any), try each switch position and see what 12V stuff works or doesn't work.

Title: Re: Dump air for storage?
Post by: Peter on October 14, 2021, 09:07:23 pm
So just for clarity. If my coach is plugged in (15amp is my only option) will that keep my house batteries charged up provided I have my magnum  2812 on to charge and  the inverter set for 15 amp? I would be leaving the salesman switch ON and would have a separate charger on the start batteries
Title: Re: Dump air for storage?
Post by: oldguy on October 14, 2021, 09:37:44 pm
Yes the Magnum will keep your batteries up and I would turn the inverter off.
A separate charger will look after your chassis batteries. I made up my own
system to charge my chassis battery from my house batteries using diodes.
Title: Re: Dump air for storage?
Post by: Peter on October 14, 2021, 10:59:36 pm
Ok I bought I had to leave the inverter on and to charge to charge house batteries.  I am wrong iI guess. So turn the inverter off but what then is charging the house batteries?
Title: Re: Dump air for storage?
Post by: oldguy on October 14, 2021, 11:05:29 pm
When you are plugged into the 15 amps your charger will run off the 15
amp circuit. Your inverter wouldn't come on unless you lost power and if
you lost power you wouldn't want the inverter on.
Title: Re: Dump air for storage?
Post by: Chuck & Jeannie on October 14, 2021, 11:17:45 pm
Ok I thought I had to leave the inverter on to charge to charge house batteries.  So turn the inverter off but what then is charging the house batteries?
The Magnum MS2812 remote control panel has separate control buttons for the battery charger and the inverter.  You can have either of them turned on individually, or both of them turned on.

Simply push the "Inverter" button and it will be turned off (actually, it is put in "Standby" mode) and the "Inverter" LED will start flashing.  The battery charger will remain ON to keep your house battery bank charged.

See image below: