Re: help! broken down! Reply #25 – May 09, 2016, 05:44:20 pm Quote from: bogeygolfer – May 09, 2016, 05:41:06 pmAlso, Walkerfam7, I'd suggest joining Coachnet just in case you ever have something happen again. They covered our towing when we broke down one time and I was glad we had it.ChrisAnd, since you said you will be at the FMCA CG in Cincinnati, check on their towing service. Quote Selected 1 Likes
Re: help! broken down! Reply #26 – May 09, 2016, 05:47:03 pm Quote from: Chuck & Jeannie – May 09, 2016, 05:33:51 pmAbsolutely correct. Now that you mention it, I remember lots of posts about Jor having a "unusual" M11 in his U300. So now we need a M11 owner to help Trent out with alternator location and what kind of belt setup it has.Going to go on a slight well intended rant for just a sec... If you own one of these beasts and do not know enough about mechanicals to locate an alternator then you better have deep enough pockets to not care about an $800 tow or start educating yourself on the systems.CheersChris Quote Selected 2 Likes
Re: help! broken down! Reply #27 – May 09, 2016, 05:47:30 pm Yes! JOR just told us this too! Will be looking into it right away. Quote Selected
Re: help! broken down! Reply #28 – May 09, 2016, 05:50:47 pm Keep a close eye on all your engine instruments until you get parked for the night. The "Stop Engine" light can be triggered by low voltage, but of course other things can trigger it also. Pay particular attention to coolant temp, oil pressure and transmission temp. Hopefully, once you have determined the cause of your low voltage condition, and got it rectified, all the other weird symptoms will go away. Quote Selected 1 Likes
Re: help! broken down! Reply #29 – May 09, 2016, 05:52:18 pm How about the fact that we are very quick learners and are thankful to have a group here to help us out? Yes, I wish I knew a lot about semi truck engines and I hope to know a LOT someday, but everyone has to learn sometime. So, yes...I am VERY happy to have friends here who will have helpful comments rather than judge mental ones. And as an aside, my husband's father has a masters degree in mechanical engineering and we could have called him for help, but I thought I would just ask the questions here because you guys know these specific machines more than he does. Quote Selected 8 Likes
Re: help! broken down! Reply #30 – May 09, 2016, 05:54:25 pm All those are A-ok so far. We are arriving at the campground now. Then my hubby is going to make some calls to those of you who pm-ed numbers to help. Thank you all SO much! Quote Selected 2 Likes
Re: help! broken down! Reply #31 – May 09, 2016, 05:56:09 pm You're in the right place, and will always find folks willing to help you here. We've had ours for 4 years now and I'm still learning from and leaning on friends here, who have come to my rescue more than once! Heck, I'm surprised Wolfe10 hasn't blocked my phone number. All part of the adventure.........enjoy the family. Chris Quote Selected 3 Likes
Re: help! broken down! Reply #32 – May 09, 2016, 05:56:17 pm Quote from: Walkerfam7 – May 09, 2016, 05:20:46 pmBoost is still on and battery is slowly recharging. We are going to get to the FMCA campground in Cincinnati where we can stay and plug in and charge the batteries up and get ahold of the service center first thing in the morning.I did a Google search for "Cincinnati mobile RV service", there were a couple of choices. Maybe an option for you? Quote Selected 1 Likes
Re: help! broken down! Reply #33 – May 09, 2016, 06:00:29 pm Oh...thats good to know! Thank you! I will check it out. Quote Selected
Re: help! broken down! Reply #34 – May 09, 2016, 06:01:11 pm Well, it appears our friends seemed to get it started and got to a CG. Always interested if is was batteries or fuel? Quote Selected
Re: help! broken down! Reply #35 – May 09, 2016, 07:10:24 pm So, in the manual provided us by JOR it states that having a 120V power source and the boost button on will charge BOTH batteries. Does this mean that us being plugged in at the campground should get the engine batteries fully charged up again and not just the house batteries? Quote Selected
Re: help! broken down! Reply #36 – May 09, 2016, 07:16:49 pm If you're at the FMCA campground, we live 10 minutes away. Let me know if you need anything at all, cookies, moral support. I recommend Cummins Bridgeway in Westchester for repairs. Call if u need me 513-484-9846Cummins: 513-563-6670 Quote Selected 7 Likes
Re: help! broken down! Reply #37 – May 09, 2016, 07:18:24 pm Yes, if you're plugged in to shore power, and the Boost switch is on, it should charge both house and engine batteries.However, I think you all need to figure out the cause of the dead batteries. Alternator not charging? Batteries aged out and no good any more? Not properly charging while in storage (my recent problem)? I think you've been on the road a good while, so if the alternator was working properly you should not have dead batteries. I think I'd start there. Quote Selected 1 Likes
Re: help! broken down! Reply #38 – May 09, 2016, 07:18:57 pm Quote from: Walkerfam7 – May 09, 2016, 07:10:24 pmSo, in the manual provided us by JOR it states that having a 120V power source and the boost button on will charge BOTH batteries. Does this mean that us being plugged in at the campground should get the engine batteries fully charged up again and not just the house batteries?Yes! Quote Selected
Re: help! broken down! Reply #39 – May 09, 2016, 07:19:18 pm Quote from: Walkerfam7 – May 09, 2016, 07:10:24 pmDoes this mean that us being plugged in at the campground should get the engine batteries fully charged up again and not just the house batteries?Yes, that is correct - Boost switch "ON", both battery banks are being charged (assuming your battery charger is functioning correctly). Quote Selected
Re: help! broken down! Reply #40 – May 09, 2016, 07:19:31 pm Trent,Having the boost switch on at the campground does charge the engine start batteries with the house batteries. I consider this a temporary arrangement.The boost switch on and everything is going well. You leave for a driving tour of the area and a grid failure occurs. If you are gone long enough, both house and engine batteries can be depleted. For the long term, I have a battery maintainer on the engine batteries to keep them charged and ready to go all the time. The battery maintainer will NOT charge a discharged battery, hence a reason to temporarily use of the boost switch.If one has been driving for a while with a good alternator, you arrive at the campground with a fully charged engine battery and only need to keep it that way which the battery maintainer does.Hope this helps. Quote Selected
Re: help! broken down! Reply #41 – May 09, 2016, 07:24:28 pm Quote from: Peter & Beth – May 09, 2016, 07:16:49 pmIf you're at the FMCA campground, we live 10 minutes away. Let me know if you need anything at all, cookies, moral support. I recommend Cummins Bridgeway in Westchester for repairs. Call if u need me 513-484-9846Cummins: 513-563-6670My kind of people. :-) Quote Selected 2 Likes
Re: help! broken down! Reply #42 – May 09, 2016, 07:27:40 pm Oh thank you thank you!!!! I might need some cookies by the end if today!!! Hahaha...we actually just got off the phone with Brett and he suggested we find you on the forum and now we don't have to We have landed at FMCA and I must say I think we lucked out because it is FULL because of a convention, but we were able to snag a spot. We were supposed to arrive two hours earlier, but with the coach issues we got in later and had to leave right away to get to a Reds game that we had tickets for. So, hopefully when we get back things will be nice and charged up. I think we are going to get checking things early in the AM. I am hoping we can see something for ourselves if we can locate the alternator. If not, the place you suggested is the place we had already contacted and were going to have the coach towed to and we will just drive it there ourselves. Quote Selected 1 Likes
Re: help! broken down! Reply #43 – May 09, 2016, 07:46:43 pm Trent & Siobhan,Sounds like you should be okay. Again, I'm available to assist. It's part of being a Foretraveler. ps: enjoy the Reds game even though this year they suck more than a Rochester Quadrajet carburetor. Leave the boost on overnight. Quote Selected 3 Likes
Re: help! broken down! Reply #44 – May 09, 2016, 07:49:11 pm Quote from: Rudy – May 09, 2016, 07:19:31 pmHaving the boost switch on at the campground does charge the engine start batteries with the house batteries. I consider this a temporary arrangement.For the long term, I have a battery maintainer on the engine batteries to keep them charged and ready to go all the time.I second the idea of a battery maintainer. I ordered one from West Marine and it works well. Quote Selected 2 Likes
Re: help! broken down! Reply #45 – May 09, 2016, 07:55:15 pm Quote from: Walkerfam7 – May 09, 2016, 05:52:18 pmHow about the fact that we are very quick learners and are thankful to have a group here to help us out? Yes, I wish I knew a lot about semi truck engines and I hope to know a LOT someday, but everyone has to learn sometime. I'm in the same boat you are...except you own a coach! I'm still shopping. Keep us posted as I want to learn along with you. Quote Selected 1 Likes
Re: help! broken down! Reply #46 – May 09, 2016, 08:11:07 pm Maybe this picture of my M-11 will help. Of course it doesn't look nearly so pristine now. Quote Selected 4 Likes
Re: help! broken down! Reply #47 – May 09, 2016, 09:20:08 pm I have also mounted a battery charger/maintainer that stays on attached to engine batteries everywhere I park with boost switch off ..... If alternator is the problem and can't be fixed at your location, running the generator should charge everything on the go with boost switch on.?? David Quote Selected
Re: help! broken down! Reply #48 – May 09, 2016, 09:22:01 pm Quote from: Bob McGee – May 09, 2016, 08:11:07 pmMaybe this picture of my M-11 will help.Great photo! Hard to miss the alternator.I'd lay pretty good odds the belt is gone on Trent's coach. In fact, I'd bet my paycheck on it! (...been retired since '08). Quote Selected 1 Likes
Re: help! broken down! Reply #49 – May 09, 2016, 09:35:30 pm Knowing the previous owner, quite possible that there is already a means of charging the chassis batteries from shore power. Worth a look/dig through records/phone call. Quote Selected 1 Likes
Topic: help! broken down! Alternator Issues