1990 Foretravel Grand Villa ORED converter location?

Topic: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa ORED converter location? (Read 1620 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa ORED converter location?

Reply #25 – December 28, 2021, 02:52:10 pm

Andy says it is a 917.
He's into diesel engines so is familiar with the 3208 CAT.
The other is very helpful. Thanks.
We'd already contacted the factory once, but under the impression we had a U 280. That's now been cleared up, thanks.

We're just getting ready to check some of the other links that were provided. He leaves this up to me...

Gayle

Re: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa U280 converter location?

Reply #26 – December 28, 2021, 04:26:25 pm

We've found, based on VIN code, that our build is actually a (K) 1989 but is titled as a 1990. This explains why we were having a harder time finding info to match all the features, hence our confusion into thinking this was a U280. Previous owner no longer had any manuals or pertinent info from the manufacturer.

Are we a little green? Yep, & aiming to fix that!

Gayle

Re: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa U280 converter location?

Reply #27 – December 28, 2021, 05:04:17 pm

Yes, Andy did, in the dump compartment. It appears to function on both shore & generator power, but not well. We know we need new batteries. Likely need to upgrade the converter, also. It sat for 10 years in storage, so... Thankfully, it was stored inside. Only 54k+ miles.

Gayle

Re: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa U280 converter location?

Reply #28 – December 28, 2021, 05:10:48 pm

Start by replacing the batteries.

THEN, see if the converter will charge them.

BTW, let us know what converter you have!

Re: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa U280 converter location?

Reply #29 – December 28, 2021, 05:25:52 pm

Quote from: Gayle Fischer – December 28, 2021, 05:04:17 pm

We know we need new batteries. Likely need to upgrade the converter, also.

See if you can find any kind of ID plate or make/model info on the existing converter. If you can tell us what kind of converter you have, we can offer totally biased opinions on whether or not it is worth keeping.

By the way, we LOVE helping (or is it enabling?) other members to find ways to spend their money!

I will offer a slightly different viewpoint from Brett. IMO, the safest way to approach dealing with both batteries and converter, is to take care of the converter first. In general, the archaic converter/battery charger technology from the late 80's era was rudimentary, at best. They are often referred to (not in jest) as "battery boilers". They usually feature a fixed voltage charge rate that is not ideal for maintaining your batteries.

There are many threads on this Forum dealing with the various ways to upgrade the battery charging capability on older coaches. It is important to consider HOW you intend to use the coach, and also what (if any) your future plans might be as far as other upgrades. Take time to do some research before you buy any equipment. If you decide to replace the OEM converter, I think it would be advantageous to do so before you purchase new (expensive) batteries. But that's just my O-pinion...

Re: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa U280 converter location?

Reply #30 – December 28, 2021, 05:44:26 pm

For what it is worth:
We wanted the info off our convertor/charger but couldn't read the info plate because it was on the top of the unit and the unit was up close to the ceiling of the compartment. So we (the DW & I) used a small mirror and a flashlight to aid in getting a decent view of the unit.
The DW even took a picture of the mirror reflection image with her cell phone.
Hints here: It is easier to see if the accumulated dirt and dust of the ages is wiped off first before taking a picture. Measure the width, height, and length of the existing unit so you will know what size to strive for.

Re: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa U280 converter location?

Reply #31 – December 28, 2021, 05:52:20 pm

Quote from: Gayle Fischer – December 28, 2021, 02:52:10 pm

Andy says it is a 917...

Here is an excellent thread with info on the 917 chassis

Oshkosh 917 Chassis data?

Re: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa U280 converter location?

Reply #32 – December 28, 2021, 06:20:45 pm

Quote from: prfleming – December 28, 2021, 05:52:20 pm

Here is an excellent thread with info on the 917 chassis...

Here is a bit more info:

Oshkosh chassis decoder ring (split from Coach Build Numbers)

Re: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa ORED converter location?

Reply #33 – December 28, 2021, 08:27:33 pm

It sounds like your bus is about the same vintage as mine. I'l be happy to share any info that I have gathered.

Re: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa ORED converter location?

Reply #34 – December 30, 2021, 03:39:40 pm

Brett, the converter charged as Chuck advertised, a "battery boiler". Andy had to unplug it while on shore power. He's doing some research on replacing the converter. All this information is extremely helpful!

Thanks also for links for the OSHKOSH 917 chassis. Something Andy thought he'd run across but couldn't relocate the info.

Since we didn't receive any manuals, with the exception of the microwave/convection, we're trying to build a binder of resources. I haven't yet figured out how to create my own album here although we've added some manuals that we've found elsewhere that weren't yet on the forum.

Many thanks.

Gayle

Re: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa ORED converter location?

Reply #35 – December 30, 2021, 04:11:36 pm

Quote from: Gayle Fischer – December 30, 2021, 03:40:34 pm

...we've added some manuals that we've found elsewhere that weren't yet on the forum.

I noticed that you added some documents to the Forum library. Much Appreciated!

Re: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa ORED converter location?

Reply #36 – December 30, 2021, 05:58:29 pm

Before spending $$$, please use a DIGITAL VOLTMETER to verify voltage when the converter is working. They start under $20 and are a "must have" for any RV.

An "over-achiever" converter and a battery with one bad cell will give exactly the same symptoms.

Said another way the smartest charger in the world told to float voltage at 13.2 VDC will massively overcharge/boil the fluid from a battery with a bad cell. Yes, charging a 10 volt battery (one bad cell) at correct voltage for a 12 volt battery will boil the heck out of the battery.

Let us know what you find.

Re: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa ORED converter location?

Reply #37 – December 31, 2021, 11:30:55 am

I'm convinced that the intelli charger roasted my batteries and caused various issues in the 4 yrs it was used.
I now have a power max 60 amp charger and it looks like it does all of the correct stuff.
For the 90 and early buses that have very little 12 v powered items , 50 amps should suffice. The single largest draw on my 12 v side is the sound system.
I added a 2000 watt pure sign wave inverter to run my work station and my dorm sizes resi fridge. The fridge draws 30-50 watts and my 2 fresh rural king batteries run it easily 24 hrs.

Re: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa ORED converter location?

Reply #38 – December 31, 2021, 11:33:52 pm

I also have the " split system" , with the converter in the electric/ wet bay and the inverter mounted in the forward bay. Mine is also using the threaded rod arrangement and it works perfectly. As part of the renovations replaced unit with a Progressive Dynamics 9280V 80 amp smart charger. As you can see from the attached picture, works great. Lots of air circulation. Guess I could have gone with a 60 amp, but like grandpa said " a good big horse will beat a good little horse every time"
Up front changed out the Prosine original inverter unit for a Renogy 2000 watt Full Sine Wave Inverter. The Prosine was working fine But more and more of our electronic stuff looking for a clean power source.

Re: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa ORED converter location?

Reply #39 – January 14, 2022, 04:07:23 pm

Your Coach is the same as mine, But with a smaller motor,
Your invertor, controller, is hanging from the floor in the bay under the Icemaker,

I would also like to know, What this controller can be changed too, Updated to Modern Tech,
As Im about to put 3 new batterys in my coach,

Re: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa ORED converter location?

Reply #40 – January 14, 2022, 04:24:07 pm

Brian,

Are you looking for a smart charger or an inverter/charger?

If just smart charger, what size battery bank (in amp-hrs) do you have and is how quickly it will charge the batteries important? What kind of batteries-- wet cell, gel, AGM, Li?

If inverter/charger, what size battery bank (in amp-hrs) do you have and what do you want to be able to run on the inverter portion?

See, you KNEW there would be a TEST!

Re: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa ORED converter location?

Reply #41 – January 14, 2022, 05:57:36 pm

Quote from: wolfe10 – January 14, 2022, 04:24:07 pm

Brian,

Are you looking for a smart charger or an inverter/charger?

If just smart charger, what size battery bank (in amp-hrs) do you have and is how quickly it will charge the batteries important? What kind of batteries-- wet cell, gel, AGM, Li?

If inverter/charger, what size battery bank (in amp-hrs) do you have and what do you want to be able to run on the inverter portion?

See, you KNEW there would be a TEST!

Hahahaha Of course,

I think its just a charger from the diesel alternator , I dont really know what it is, OEM equipment,
That Thing hanging down in the locker under the Icemaker, With the battery cables hanging off it,
But Im not sure if it overcharges the batterys or not, or if it charges AGMs.
The Alternator does charge the batterys when Im driving it, I did have 400 AH of lead acid batterys originally, Their all dead, over 20 years old,

I would rather change it out if there is a possibility it will kill my new AGM Batterys, or cook them,
Its hard to get lead acid batterys here now, Or extremely expensive,

I intend living in my Coach full time and travelling, Now my boating days are over, I fell over on a slippery wharfe and near tore both my arms off,

I dont need an actual Invertor, As everything I have is 12 volts,

I will be putting in 600 AH of AGMs,
Plus one AGM, Starter Battery, 900 CCA, 75 AH, It flicks over and starts my 300 Horsies instantly,

I have 700 Watts of Solar Panels on the roof, With a 40 amp controller, This all is proven and works,
As I have the same identical setup on my boat, With a 3000 invertor for 240 volts, Freezer, Laptop, Etc,
In two hours, I go from 12.2 Volts to 13.4 volts, First thing in the morning sun, on a 770 AH sealed lead acid battery bank, 7 x 110 AH Battery Bank,
But I dont have room in the generator locker to get that many Batterys in there, I removed the Generator from the coach,

Thanks Brian.

Re: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa ORED converter location?

Reply #42 – January 14, 2022, 06:40:20 pm

Brian how's the tennis mate ?
Glad to see you're back on terra firma old darlin

Re: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa ORED converter location?

Reply #43 – January 14, 2022, 09:09:47 pm

OK , let's clarify the charging systems-- at least the ones that came from the factory:

The engine-driven alternator, through the diode-based battery isolator charges both house and chassis battery banks.

Completely separately, there is a 120 VAC converter that can charge the house bank only when on 120 VAC shore power OR from the generator. I believe it is this converter that you are talking about.

Just like on your sailboat, there are different "capabilities" in alternating current converters to charge the house bank. The better ones are "smart", just like in the marine industry and go through bulk, absorption and then float stages. Some also have temperature compensation either built in or as an accessory. And rather than referring to them as converters, they are smart chargers. The do the same thing, turning 120 VAC into 12 VDC battery charging.

While even a 30 amp smart charger could likely keep up with your 12 VDC consumption, the other issue is how quickly it can charge the battery bank. Having to run the generator an extra 2 hours to charged the battery bank would not be very efficient.

Now, for you, there is another issue. Since down under you use 220 VAC 50 HZ, you have to decide if you want your new device to run on shore power or on your generator. Yes, if the generator has not been changed/modified, it will be 120 VAC 60 HZ.

And another option if the original converter is working (from generator) is to leave it in place and get a smart charger that works on Australian current for when you are plugged in.

Re: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa ORED converter location?

Reply #44 – January 14, 2022, 09:39:09 pm

The generator has been removed Brian refers to it as the generator locker now.

Re: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa ORED converter location?

Reply #45 – January 14, 2022, 11:51:22 pm

Quote from: Gayle Fischer – December 28, 2021, 04:26:25 pm

We've found, based on VIN code, that our build is actually a (K) 1989 but is titled as a 1990. This explains why we were having a harder time finding info to match all the features, hence our confusion into thinking this was a U280. Previous owner no longer had any manuals or pertinent info from the manufacturer.

Are we a little green? Yep, & aiming to fix that!

Gayle

Sorry to pinch your thread, Gayle,
I was even greener than you when I bought my 1989 ORED Grandvilla, ,
I bought mine Sight unseen off the internet from another country,
Then imported it from Texas, via California, Japan to Australia,

All my questions apply to your coach too, Well most of them,
I learnt most of what I know about my Coach from the Grouse Helpfull people on here,
And there is a lot to learn,

Cheers, Brian

Re: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa ORED converter location?

Reply #46 – January 15, 2022, 12:42:41 am

Quote from: wolfe10 – January 14, 2022, 09:09:47 pm

OK , let's clarify the charging systems-- at least the ones that came from the factory:

The engine-driven alternator, through the diode-based battery isolator charges both house and chassis battery banks.

Will the OEM engine driven alternator, Charge AGMs with out cooking them,
Or is it regulated to stop charging when the batterys are full, ?
The alternator charges both my battery bank and my starter battery when I am driving,
But I dont know if it stops charging when the Batterys are topped up,

Would I need a Smart charger for the Engine Alternator, To avoid overcharging,
My solar Panels wont over charge my batterys, They are fully regulated,

Completely separately, there is a 120 VAC converter that can charge the house bank only when on 120 VAC shore power OR from the generator. I believe it is this converter that you are talking about.

Just like on your sailboat, there are different "capabilities" in alternating current converters to charge the house bank. The better ones are "smart", just like in the marine industry and go through bulk, absorption and then float stages. Some also have temperature compensation either built in or as an accessory. And rather than referring to them as converters, they are smart chargers. The do the same thing, turning 120 VAC into 12 VDC battery charging.

While even a 30 amp smart charger could likely keep up with your 12 VDC consumption, the other issue is how quickly it can charge the battery bank. Having to run the generator an extra 2 hours to charged the battery bank would not be very efficient.

Now, for you, there is another issue. Since down under you use 220 VAC 50 HZ, you have to decide if you want your new device to run on shore power or on your generator. Yes, if the generator has not been changed/modified, it will be 120 VAC 60 HZ.

And another option if the original converter is working (from generator) is to leave it in place and get a smart charger that works on Australian current for when you are plugged in.

Thanks Brett,
My Generator has been pulled out Totally,
I have my battery bank in that locker now,,
My shore power is 240 Volt, 50 Htz
I have a Transformer to run the coach from 240 volts to 110 volts, Shore power,

But I am trying to make the coach self sufficient on Batterys and Solar alone,
AC not included,
I will be Free Camping, So no shore power available,
Living on my boat full time for the last 11 months, mainly on the hook,
I know how much 12 volt usage I require to keep ahead of the Batterys going flat,
700 Watts of solar and 600 Ahrs of Battery, I should be okay,
If not, I can always put more solar on the roof, Its very cheap here,
Another 700 Watts of solar on the roof is only $260-00. Delivered, 48 x 28 inches x 2,
We dont get the prolonged cold and cloudy days you get over there,,
I even disconnected the heaters as I will never use them,
Even down here in the cold south of OZ, Minus 4 Celcius is Max,

That 120 Vac convertor is what I didnt know, what it was or did,

Thanks Brian,

Re: 1990 Foretravel Grand Villa ORED converter location?

Reply #47 – January 15, 2022, 07:44:47 am

Brian,

The 120 VAC converter, if still original provides a constant 13.XX volts to charge the house battery bank and the amps it can provide should be listed on the unit. If not original, it could have been replace with a more modern 3 stage unit.

What is the make and model of the converter?

So for solar charging of the battery and your use of 12 VDC in the coach, it does nothing.

It would only be useful if you are on shore power and provide the converter with 120 VAC through your transformer.

Affiliate Notice