Proud new owner, first timer

Topic: Proud new owner, first timer (Read 1613 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Proud new owner, first timer

Reply #25 – December 07, 2019, 04:24:02 pm

It is also possible your chassis batteries or at least one of them might be bad. Another idea is to isolate each battery and load test it after it has been resting. A bad cell in 1 battery can drag the whole battery bank down.

Another idea after you solve this matter is a voltage sensing relay ( VSR) to connect the house and chassis banks while charging and then isolate them when charging is off- the result is both banks being charged. Search is your friend on this one too.

Good luck and have fun

Re: Proud new owner, first timer

Reply #26 – December 07, 2019, 04:37:35 pm

Ted would a Trick-L-Charge do the same thing, where it takes a few spare amps from the coach batteries and keeps the chassis batteries fully charged when on shore power?

Re: Proud new owner, first timer

Reply #27 – December 07, 2019, 05:22:22 pm

Quote from: "Irish" – December 07, 2019, 04:37:35 pm

Ted would a Trick-L-Charge do the same thing, where it takes a few spare amps from the coach batteries and keeps the chassis batteries fully charged when on shore power?

I'm not Ted, but "si!" (although it is called Trik-L-Start or Amp-L-Start)

Ultra TRIK-L-START Starting Battery Charger/Maintainer

AMP-L-START Starting Battery Charger/Maintainer - Overview Page

Re: Proud new owner, first timer

Reply #28 – December 07, 2019, 07:10:31 pm

Photo for trik-l-start wiring:

Re: Proud new owner, first timer

Reply #29 – December 07, 2019, 07:37:20 pm

Quote from: AC7880 – December 07, 2019, 07:10:31 pm

Photo for trik-l-start wiring:

Easy peasy (and looks familiar

)

Re: Proud new owner, first timer

Reply #30 – December 07, 2019, 07:53:32 pm

I put the Amp-l-start on mine and it was one of the best and easiest projects done.

Larry

Re: Proud new owner, first timer

Reply #31 – December 07, 2019, 08:02:57 pm

Welcome to the forum! Lots of good info here.. there are no dumb questions!! For a better visual and accurate read out of all your vital instruments you should check into a VMSpc from Roger, I got one last year and love it...

Keith

Re: Proud new owner, first timer

Reply #32 – December 07, 2019, 08:32:39 pm

Dan, thanks so much for the photo of the trickle charger installation. Asking for the location of the battery isolator was going to be my next post.

Re: Proud new owner, first timer

Reply #33 – December 07, 2019, 10:39:07 pm

Quote from: Michelle – December 07, 2019, 07:37:20 pm

Easy peasy (and looks familiar )

Yep, you guys installed it, and I think it is your photo as well that I saved years ago. It's still working great.

Re: Proud new owner, first timer

Reply #34 – December 07, 2019, 10:39:48 pm

Quote from: frequentfleyer – December 07, 2019, 08:32:39 pm

Dan, thanks so much for the photo of the trickle charger installation. Asking for the location of the battery isolator was going to be my next post.

Under your bed if your bed is north south.

Re: Proud new owner, first timer

Reply #35 – December 07, 2019, 10:52:57 pm

I used a amp-l-start and it quit working so I just bought a couple of 40 amp icolators and hooked
them up between the 2 posts on the charger icolator. It is 1/5th of the cost and works better as
the chassis battery gets charged right away, not waiting for the house battery to get up. The
chassis battery for me is the most important one to be fully charged, especially in the winter. 80
amps maybe over kill.

Re: Proud new owner, first timer

Reply #36 – December 08, 2019, 01:47:59 am

I had a similar problem as frequent-fleyer describes and it ended up being my battery isolator. $200 fix and it works perfect now. This is after replacing batteries and rebuilding alternator to only have batteries keep going down to 11-12 volts. I was perplexed. But.......I read on the forum about my "smart isolator" and also got some advice from Roger - changed the isolator and problem solved.

Pat.

Re: Proud new owner, first timer

Reply #37 – December 08, 2019, 09:18:23 am

Isolator is inside under the bed on the foot end. Raise the bed and look on the front of the engine compartment.. I had to replace mine a year or so ago, pics of old and new. For some reason MOT didn't hook up the trik-l-start on the new one.. it has been hooked up since this pic

Re: Proud new owner, first timer

Reply #38 – December 08, 2019, 10:10:09 am

Hdff, would you remember the isolator current capacity of the one you replaced? Thank you!

Re: Proud new owner, first timer

Reply #39 – December 08, 2019, 10:32:30 am

Frequentfleyer (you spell "flyer" weird),

I'm not Keith, but any good quality battery isolator rated for 200 amp or better will work fine.

You are opening a can of worms asking about a replacement isolator, so be prepared for a deluge of differing Opinions (everbody got one) on what you should buy.

IMO, if you want to stick with something similar to what you have now, then the Victron ArgoFet 200A isolator is a excellent choice:

Victron Argofet Battery Isolator

I used a ArgoFet when I rebuilt the isolator panel on our old U280. It has been working flawlessly since then.

'93 U280 Isolator Panel Upgrade

Re: Proud new owner, first timer

Reply #40 – December 08, 2019, 10:45:29 am

What Pat said could be your problem. The way so check and isolator to check the voltage of the outside posts on the isolator
with the engine off and then check them again with engine on. The voltage should be higher on both posts and if not your isolator
is shot assuming you have voltage in the middle post. In my previous post I said I bought isolators, I bought diodes which work
as an isolator. In building the isolator I forgot to mention you need to build a heat sinc. I just use a piece of angle aluminum.

Re: Proud new owner, first timer

Reply #41 – December 08, 2019, 12:38:31 pm

Quote from: oldguy – December 08, 2019, 10:45:29 am

In my previous post I said I bought isolators, I bought diodes which work
as an isolator. In building the isolator I forgot to mention you need to build a heat sinc. I just use a piece of angle aluminum.

Shhhhhh! Oldguy. The river of knowledge on this forum is both broad and deep. No need to scare the new guy.

PS To fley is to be afraid or to cause to be afraid. Frequentfleyer is frequent scarer. To flay spelled with an a is to strip off skin.

Re: Proud new owner, first timer

Reply #42 – December 08, 2019, 01:52:15 pm

Quote from: Old Toolmaker – December 08, 2019, 12:38:31 pm

Shhhhhh! Oldguy. The river of knowledge on this forum is both broad and deep. No need to scare the new guy.

PS To fley is to be afraid or to cause to be afraid. Frequentfleyer is frequent scarer. To flay spelled with an a is to strip off skin.

Hahaha, my procurement abilities far exceed my fabrication abilities. :-)

Re: Proud new owner, first timer

Reply #43 – December 08, 2019, 02:56:03 pm

Quote from: frequentfleyer – December 08, 2019, 10:10:09 am

Hdff, would you remember the isolator current capacity of the one you replaced? Thank you!

Sorry I don't remember, MOT did the work

Keith

Re: Proud new owner, first timer

Reply #44 – December 08, 2019, 03:40:54 pm

It was posted here that prior to stopping selling used coaches that FOT was installing battery combiners on all used coaches prior to their sale which matches their new coaches standard equipment.

I understand that every new coach sold anymore has a auto combiner installed.

IF you have power to either bank the other one auto charges.

One mistake on charging can and will permanently damage non li-ion batteries in my experience.

Countless posts here over time about discharged batteries by accident or failures of chargers.

We store outside in ca. so a small solar panel set and a auto combiner has proven 100% reliable in keeping both banks at 13.54 volts every time I check them in storage.

Sure seems safer to me...we are in shaky town and finding damaged batteries in a emergency could be a very bad thing.

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