1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with alternator/isolator/chassis battery questions

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1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with alternator/isolator/chassis battery questions

April 23, 2024, 01:37:12 am

Hi,
I'm a new guy.

I tried to look this up in past forums, but was not having any luck.

I recently purchased a 1984 diesel front engine unit. I need to know a couple of things:

First, where can I find manuals of all types on this unit?

Also, from reading past forums, there appears to be some problems getting a replacement alternator for this unit. I have the old one which I will have rebuilt and keep as a spare, but I would like to buy a new 160 amp alternator, and would like to know what kind to buy, and what needs to be done to install it. There must be something available in the under $200. price that will work, with or without modifications.

Thank you so much for your help, I do appreciate it.

Moderator Jeff edited title to help get your qustions answered.

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #1 – April 23, 2024, 08:55:03 am

Welcome New Guy! We always like to see new faces around here.

The more info you can give us, the more we can help you. Where are you located? if you can post photos it would help us answer your questions. Do you have a link to the classified ad where you found your coach? Photos of your coach will help us know exactly what year and model we are dealing with. If you find a metal plate containing the VIN number/MODEL number somewhere inside the coach post a photo of that.

As for the alternator question, a few photos of your old alternator would be helpful, especially the back side showing the wiring posts. We have to know exactly how your old alternator was connected before we can recommend a replacement.

If you did not get any owner manuals with your acquisition, then you will have to do some digging. You can use the Forum SEARCH function (top right corner of page) to look for archived posts pertaining to your model coach. You may also find some info in the pages linked below:

start [ForeForums Foretravel Motorcoach Wiki]

https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?media/

https://www.foreforums.com/index.php?media/album/foretravel-library.165/

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #2 – April 23, 2024, 09:21:24 am

Get us the above mentioned info and we can help.

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #3 – April 23, 2024, 09:53:15 am

James Holder has a 1984 GV and is located in TN at a RV dealership as their service manager. If anyone could help it would be James.
Hardest part is getting a hold of him.

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #4 – April 23, 2024, 01:42:33 pm

Thank you for your reply, where would I lok for a vin plate?

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #5 – April 23, 2024, 02:04:32 pm

Usually to the left of the driver's seat under the window. may be different on your coach.

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #6 – April 23, 2024, 06:19:41 pm

On my '81 it is on the inside of the cupboard door on the left as you enter the coach.

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #7 – April 23, 2024, 08:08:09 pm

Does your coach have the 8.2 v8 Detroit Diesel engine? It should have a battery isolator somewhere between the alternator and the batteries. I believe your batteries are under the step as you enter the coach.

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #8 – April 26, 2024, 10:31:46 am

I found the info you are looking for, however photos not working on computer, I'll give you the info and hopefully you can get what you need from that to help me:
VIN; IRF120231201000223
Model: R-800

But what I really need is to know which alternator fits :
The tag on it reads: Lestek Inc. 14 volts, Amps, 105HD Model, 91 35M ser.# 27452

The unit has 3 connection points, all on the back, from left to right, they are: Threaded post, Male plug in 2 pin, 1st labeled R, second labeled F, ; last is a threaded male post labeled GRD.

Hopefully this is enough info to identify which alternator I can use.

Thank you for your help, it is much appreciated.

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #9 – April 26, 2024, 11:51:39 am

Quote from: quickmagic – April 26, 2024, 10:31:46 am

Hopefully this is enough info to identify which alternator I can use.

We're getting closer to an answer to your alternator question. We need more info. As red tractor said, you may (or may not) have a battery isolator somewhere on your coach. Look at the photo below, and then look around to see if you find anything similar. It will be a large aluminum device with cooling fins and 3 or 4 large posts with battery cables attached. Tell us what you find (or don't find).

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #10 – April 26, 2024, 05:46:42 pm

Does the back of your alternator look like the photo below? Yes, I know the photo shows a Delco 10DN alternator, but Lestek Inc often sold reconstructed units from other manufacturers. IF your alternator looks like the 10DN, then it is a externally regulated unit which requires a external voltage regulator. It is not designed to be used with a diode based battery isolator, which is why we need to know if your coach has a battery isolator. If you do have a battery isolator, then you may wish to upgrade to a modern internally regulated DUVAC alternator that is designed to work with the isolator.

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #11 – April 26, 2024, 07:38:21 pm

I am pretty sure that you have an isolator. The post marked ground does go to ground. The other large post should be the positive post Th wires in the plug, I am not sure which is the sense wire and the other is the excite wire which would have voltage on it with the ignition switch turned on. Some of those years of coaches would not start charging until the engine was around a 1000 rpm. Once they started charging then they would keep charging even at an idle. That is how both of our 84 coaches worked. One had a 3208 Cat and the other one has the 8.2 Detroit. Where are you located? I am in Florida and my 84 with the Detroit could be bought. It's a rear engine Oskosh chassis. I have worked on the front engine 8.2 and there is no extra room around it.

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #12 – April 27, 2024, 01:20:20 am

Without the ground wire, wouldn't that indicate that it doesn't have an external regulator?

Both wires on the plug in have juice running to them with switch on.

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #13 – April 27, 2024, 09:06:04 am

It would help move this conversation along if you could just answer the questions.

1. Did you find a battery isolator on your coach?

2. Does the rear of your old alternator look like the photo I posted earlier?

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #14 – April 27, 2024, 04:50:44 pm

To answer your question about manuals. I didn't receive any manual when I bought my used FT U320. My first call was to FT in Texas. They were able to supply me with a complete User Manual and several other manual. What they were unable to supply,I found by Google using Modle and serial number.

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #15 – April 27, 2024, 05:25:52 pm

Thank you to everyone who responded, I really appreciate it, and you are saving me tons of time. I did fined what i am pretty sure is a stand alone voltage regulator, however, there is no isolater anywhere, I have been crawling under cars motorcycles, boats, and every other kindof motor vehicle you can imagine, so its doubtful that I overlooked the isolater. So, what is my solution for an alternater for my unit, no worries if somethi9ng goes wrong, I wont blame anythingon anyonelse, especially when this saves my hours and hours of research. Thank you!

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #16 – April 27, 2024, 05:33:26 pm

Oh, I forgot to ask, there is no obvious plug into the coach for shore power, the manual that I do have doesnt hVE BUT 2 or 3 pioctures in it, but I just spot the shore power plug into the coach.

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #17 – April 27, 2024, 06:47:48 pm

Quote from: quickmagic – April 27, 2024, 05:25:52 pm

1. I did find what i am pretty sure is a stand alone voltage regulator
2. There is no isolator anywhere
3. What is my solution for an alternator for my unit

1. You still have not answered the question about your old alternator (does it look like the photo I posted). If you are not sure what a mechanical voltage regulator looks like, see the image below. If you DO have a externally regulated alternator, then it would definitely be a good idea to upgrade to a modern internally regulated model. Mechanical regulators are really ancient tech, and will not contribute to long service life for your batteries.

2. If your coach doesn't have a battery isolator, then you need to decide if you want one or not. The answer to question #3 depends on your answer. You have to think about how you want to set up the charging circuit for your batteries. The original factory system on most Foretravel coaches did include a isolator. The purpose of the isolator is to allow both battery banks to be charged simultaneously from the the same charging source, and ALSO to keep the battery banks separated when they are being discharged. However, there are other ways to accomplish the same objective, such as using a DVSR (Digital Voltage Sensing Relay), or you could use a simple manual battery combining switch to control when and how your batteries charge and discharge.

3. Once you decide the answer to #2 above, then we will know what type alternator to recommend.

4. Another question: How many batteries does your coach have, and what type (flooded acid, AGM or GEL)?

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #18 – April 28, 2024, 04:19:18 am

Sorry, I did send an answer, don't know what happened to it. The alternator looks Identical.

I don't want to use a battery hand operated switch, That is what my voltage regulator looks like.

A dvsr will probably be my choice, but I know nothing about them, are they external, are they hard to install, what would you choose?

Batteries, right now I have 2, but with all cables going to the first battery, I don't think that is currently wired so an isolator would work, the second battery is attached to the first with a cable going to each post, nothing more. The batteries are the standard wet batteries.

For the time being, I would like to install an alternator without doing a bunch of modifying, don't have time for that now, but will do that in the future when i have more time.

Again, thank you for your help.

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #19 – April 28, 2024, 09:00:07 am

OK, so right now you have the old alternator, which is a externally regulated model with a separate mechanical voltage regulator. You have two standard flooded batteries. It sounds like they are connected in parallel (positive to positive, negative to negative). With this battery setup, both batteries are being charged simultaneously by the alternator (or other charging source), AND both batteries are used both to start the coach engine and to power the 12 volt devices in the coach.

There is nothing wrong with having your batteries set up like this. It is above all simple and easy to understand. With this arrangement you can use almost any off-the-shelf 12 volt alternator. There is no need for a DVSR or a battery isolator. The disadvantage of this setup is that you must keep a close eye on your battery voltage. If you are dry camping (not plugged in to a power outlet) there is a chance that you might run your batteries down to the point that you could not start your engine. A good digital voltmeter, mounted in the coach so you can constantly monitor the batteries, is a recommended component.

If you wish to stay with your present (simple) battery setup, then like I said any standard internally regulated alternator will work. You will need to match the mounting bolt location and spacing of the old alternator, and the drive pulley will have to match. Your best bet is to take your old alternator to a good rebuilding shop or parts store (like NAPA) and let them suggest a suitable replacement model. Let them know you want a 160A 1-wire internally regulated model that will fit on the existing mounting brackets and accept the original pulley.

Your new alternator will only require one wire - that will be the battery charging cable from the alternator B+ output post to the positive post on one of the batteries. See the diagram below. Note that the alternator connects to the POS post on one battery, while the connection to GROUND comes off the other battery. This is the preferred wiring method with two (or more) batteries in parallel. More alternator conversion info below:

Why Convert to A One Wire Alternator.

In the future, if you wish to add a DVSR to separate your batteries, you will still be able to use the same alternator. You can research that subject on your own. Example of a DVSR linked below:

Digital Voltage Sensing Relay (DVSR) 12/24V

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #20 – April 28, 2024, 04:10:40 pm

What do i do with the existing regulator wiring?

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #21 – April 28, 2024, 04:49:02 pm

Quote from: quickmagic – April 28, 2024, 04:10:40 pm

What do i do with the existing regulator wiring?

Remove it (along with the regulator), or tie it up out of the way and forget about it.

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #22 – April 28, 2024, 04:54:11 pm

looks like nthe alternater is a GM CS130 type, is that correct?

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #23 – April 28, 2024, 05:05:05 pm

Quote from: quickmagic – April 28, 2024, 04:54:11 pm

looks like nthe alternater is a GM CS130 type, is that correct?

I cannot advise on what alternator would work for your application, since I am not there to look at it. I have never even seen a 1984 front engine diesel Foretravel. I have no idea how the alternator is mounted. You will have to make this determination.

Re: 1984 FORETRAVEL - New owner with questions

Reply #24 – April 28, 2024, 06:00:15 pm

Do I need to ask for anything specific, other than what you mentioned when buying this alternator? Do you think 160 amps is overkill?

The alternator is mounted right up on top , easy access, its just like any GM, two mounting castings, with holes running front to rear, with front mount being about 2-3 inches long, that is the bottom hold in place mount, the second is on the pulley end of the unit, and is used as the tightening bolt. The pulley is a v-belt type with cooling fins.

So, what I need is a 160 amp 12 volt GM type alternator with an internal voltage regulator, and set up as a one wire? Is there any more?

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