Dead bus... Help!

[Pete Masterson]

Car battery was 7 years old -- I guess I shouldn't be surprised it
died. Fortunately, we were in a Sears parking lot, so getting a
replacement was no big deal. Even got $5.00 credit for the old one...

But the day got worse later on... pulled into a small roadside RV
park off I-40 east of Holbrook. Had to do a round about to get to the
waste dump, and didn't see a 'hump'... I got hung up, when backing
off, I took off part of the bumper (looks like a little fiberglas
resin will fix it) and (the bad part) I clipped off the drain valve
on the bottom of the fuel tank. Of course, I'd just filled up 30
miles back...

With the help of the RV park owner, we were able to make a plug out
of a wooden stick to stop the flow (except for a little drop once in
a while).

The Emergency Road Service required that I have a fire department
"clear" the fuel leak for safety before they dispatch a mobil
mechanic. Well, the local volunteer fire department from sunset
valley came and looked ... and said, "looks OK to them" so I'll get a
mobile mechanic to come in the morning to seal it off somehow.

The car runs great, now....

Pete Masterson
'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
Sunset Valley, AZ (Just east of Holbrook, AZ)
aeonix1@...



On Apr 2, 2007, at 12:12 PM, Leroy Eckert wrote:

> Have a good trip. How is the car battery?
>
> Leroy Eckert
> 1990 WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
> Niceville, FL
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Pete Masterson
> To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 1:55 PM
> Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Dead bus... Help!
>
>
> Larry ... you win the gold star! That was it ... bad ground.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Pete Masterson
> '95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
> El Sobrante CA
> aeonix1@...
>
> On Apr 2, 2007, at 10:48 AM, Leroy Eckert wrote:
>
>> In addition, if you have a multi-meter check the battery power. If
>> it is good look at the ground connections for the battery system.
>> Also, I have had the rear start switch get out of position and
>> cause a no start problem. It doesn't take much on my coach.
>>
>> Leroy Eckert
>> 1990 WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
>> Niceville, FL
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: krminyl@...
>> To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
>> Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 12:22 PM
>> Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Dead bus... Help!
>>
>>
>> Are you showing 12V on your DC volt meter? Have you tried hitting
>> the aux
>> battery switch? Your AT switch in the proper position? Have you
>> tried
>> starting the BB from the starter switch at the rear of the bus?
>> Tried starting the
>> genset, then the bus?
>>
>> Your BB is 10 yr newer than mine, so I'm not sure if the above
>> would apply
>> to your BB, but these would be the first things I checked.
>>
>> Good luck...you'll be back on the road soon...it's probably
>> something simple.
>>
>> Kevin McKeown
>> Yorba Linda, CA
>> 1986 38' PT
>>
>> ************************************** See what's free at http://
>> http://www.aol.com.
>>
>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Yahoo! Groups Links
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

[Pete Masterson]

The batteries weren't dead. The ground wire to the chasis had come
loose and wasn't making contact. The generator was running. The house
batteries are brand new ... I just installed them on Friday (what a
job). The engine batteries aren't that old (2-3 years at most).


Pete Masterson
'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
El Sobrante CA
aeonix1@...



On Apr 2, 2007, at 3:33 PM, ronmarabito2002 wrote:

> I would have suggested starting the generator and allowing the
> chargers to bring up the batteries well enough for a start, but you
> couldn't do that either if both the chassis and house batteries are
> dead. I'd have the batteries checked. You probably have a bad one,
> or (god for bid) your alternators are not putting out.
>
> Good luck. Let us know what you find.
>
> R.E. (Ron) Marabito, Dallas, TX 92WB40
>
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Pete Masterson
> wrote:
>>
>> Got up this AM _really_ early in Kingman and headed east on I-40.
>> Uneventful drive for 100+ miles. Stopped in Flagstaff since spouse
>> wants to visit a national monument nearby. We pulled into a shopping
>> center parking lot to rest awhile and to unhook the toad --- and
>> found the battery dead (learned a new lesson). Re-hooked the car to
>> the coach to drag it over to a service station for a jump AND...
>>
>> The bus won't start. I flipped the ignition switch ... the buzzers
>> came on (as usual), then turned to the start position, the starter
>> motor turned briefly -- then quit. All ignition-related circuits are
>> dead. No buzzers, no starter, nada...
>>
>> I checked the load center in the front and the load center in the
>> back closet. Nothing obvious and no tripped breakers or blown fuses
>> that I could see. Looked in the engine compartment (back and side)
>> nothing seems to be out of place. No fried wires.
>>
>> Is there a master fuse/circuit breaker somewhere? Any ideas.
>>
>> (I've called for service ... but I'd sure like to understand this
>> myself, if possible.)
>>
>> Thanks for any comments.
>>
>> Pete Masterson
>> '95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
>> Flagstaff, AZ
>> aeonix1@...
>>
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>

[Terry Neal]

Hey Pete,

Hope you are having a drink where ever you landed tonight. Looks like
you had a good one! This Bird learning can be tough on a person. Hope
things go much better for you from now on!

Terry Neal
Bozeman, MT
82PT40 6V92TA
74FC34 6V53T



Pete Masterson wrote:

> Car battery was 7 years old -- I guess I shouldn't be surprised it
> died. Fortunately, we were in a Sears parking lot, so getting a
> replacement was no big deal. Even got $5.00 credit for the old one...
>
> But the day got worse later on... pulled into a small roadside RV
> park off I-40 east of Holbrook. Had to do a round about to get to the
> waste dump, and didn't see a 'hump'... I got hung up, when backing
> off, I took off part of the bumper (looks like a little fiberglas
> resin will fix it) and (the bad part) I clipped off the drain valve
> on the bottom of the fuel tank. Of course, I'd just filled up 30
> miles back...
>
> With the help of the RV park owner, we were able to make a plug out
> of a wooden stick to stop the flow (except for a little drop once in
> a while).
>
> The Emergency Road Service required that I have a fire department
> "clear" the fuel leak for safety before they dispatch a mobil
> mechanic. Well, the local volunteer fire department from sunset
> valley came and looked ... and said, "looks OK to them" so I'll get a
> mobile mechanic to come in the morning to seal it off somehow.
>
> The car runs great, now....
>
> Pete Masterson
> '95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
> Sunset Valley, AZ (Just east of Holbrook, AZ)
> aeonix1@...
>
> On Apr 2, 2007, at 12:12 PM, Leroy Eckert wrote:
>
> > Have a good trip. How is the car battery?
> >
> > Leroy Eckert
> > 1990 WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
> > Niceville, FL
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Pete Masterson
> > To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
>
> > Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 1:55 PM
> > Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Dead bus... Help!
> >
> >
> > Larry ... you win the gold star! That was it ... bad ground.
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> > Pete Masterson
> > '95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
> > El Sobrante CA
> > aeonix1@...
> >
> > On Apr 2, 2007, at 10:48 AM, Leroy Eckert wrote:
> >
> >> In addition, if you have a multi-meter check the battery power. If
> >> it is good look at the ground connections for the battery system.
> >> Also, I have had the rear start switch get out of position and
> >> cause a no start problem. It doesn't take much on my coach.
> >>
> >> Leroy Eckert
> >> 1990 WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
> >> Niceville, FL
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: krminyl@...
> >> To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
>
> >> Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 12:22 PM
> >> Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Dead bus... Help!
> >>
> >>
> >> Are you showing 12V on your DC volt meter? Have you tried hitting
> >> the aux
> >> battery switch? Your AT switch in the proper position? Have you
> >> tried
> >> starting the BB from the starter switch at the rear of the bus?
> >> Tried starting the
> >> genset, then the bus?
> >>
> >> Your BB is 10 yr newer than mine, so I'm not sure if the above
> >> would apply
> >> to your BB, but these would be the first things I checked.
> >>
> >> Good luck...you'll be back on the road soon...it's probably
> >> something simple.
> >>
> >> Kevin McKeown
> >> Yorba Linda, CA
> >> 1986 38' PT
> >>
> >> ************************************** See what's free at http://
> >> http://www.aol.com.
> >>
> >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Yahoo! Groups Links
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
>
>



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[James Harvie]

Pete, when I bought my bus about a month ago, I looked under at that plug in the
tank, and I think it's a problem waiting to happen. On mine, it's a pipe plug,
with hex head , that sticks out from under the tank. I plan on changing mine
to a socket head (allen head) plug that sits flush with the tank, I may also
weld a short piece of heavy wall pipe around the plug, to act as a guard. One
thing you may want to remember with those battery cables. I like to sand the
frame shiney, and the cable, and before I tighten them, I position them so if
there's any weight on the cable, it will try to tighten the bolt, rather than
loosten it. Also you can do a simple test to check for bad connections before
you leave the house. It's called a "Drop Test" Take a voltmeter connect one end
to each end of the cable If it's a ground, connect one end to the ground post
of the battery, and the other end to a good engine ground, crank the engine and
watch the meter, Any voltage that can't go
through the cable due to high resistance (corroded cables, lose connections),
will go through the meter. If you have more than 1/2 of a volt showing on the
meter, you have a bad connection. Good Luck

Jimmy Harvie

82FC 35 SB

Boston Ma

Pete Masterson wrote:
Car battery was 7 years old -- I guess I shouldn't be surprised it
died. Fortunately, we were in a Sears parking lot, so getting a
replacement was no big deal. Even got $5.00 credit for the old one...

But the day got worse later on... pulled into a small roadside RV
park off I-40 east of Holbrook. Had to do a round about to get to the
waste dump, and didn't see a 'hump'... I got hung up, when backing
off, I took off part of the bumper (looks like a little fiberglas
resin will fix it) and (the bad part) I clipped off the drain valve
on the bottom of the fuel tank. Of course, I'd just filled up 30
miles back...

With the help of the RV park owner, we were able to make a plug out
of a wooden stick to stop the flow (except for a little drop once in
a while).

The Emergency Road Service required that I have a fire department
"clear" the fuel leak for safety before they dispatch a mobil
mechanic. Well, the local volunteer fire department from sunset
valley came and looked ... and said, "looks OK to them" so I'll get a
mobile mechanic to come in the morning to seal it off somehow.

The car runs great, now....

Pete Masterson
'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
Sunset Valley, AZ (Just east of Holbrook, AZ)
aeonix1@...

On Apr 2, 2007, at 12:12 PM, Leroy Eckert wrote:

> Have a good trip. How is the car battery?
>
> Leroy Eckert
> 1990 WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
> Niceville, FL
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Pete Masterson
> To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 1:55 PM
> Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Dead bus... Help!
>
>
> Larry ... you win the gold star! That was it ... bad ground.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Pete Masterson
> '95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
> El Sobrante CA
> aeonix1@...
>
> On Apr 2, 2007, at 10:48 AM, Leroy Eckert wrote:
>
>> In addition, if you have a multi-meter check the battery power. If
>> it is good look at the ground connections for the battery system.
>> Also, I have had the rear start switch get out of position and
>> cause a no start problem. It doesn't take much on my coach.
>>
>> Leroy Eckert
>> 1990 WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
>> Niceville, FL
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: krminyl@...
>> To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
>> Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 12:22 PM
>> Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Dead bus... Help!
>>
>>
>> Are you showing 12V on your DC volt meter? Have you tried hitting
>> the aux
>> battery switch? Your AT switch in the proper position? Have you
>> tried
>> starting the BB from the starter switch at the rear of the bus?
>> Tried starting the
>> genset, then the bus?
>>
>> Your BB is 10 yr newer than mine, so I'm not sure if the above
>> would apply
>> to your BB, but these would be the first things I checked.
>>
>> Good luck...you'll be back on the road soon...it's probably
>> something simple.
>>
>> Kevin McKeown
>> Yorba Linda, CA
>> 1986 38' PT
>>
>> ************************************** See what's free at http://
>> http://www.aol.com.
>>
>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Yahoo! Groups Links
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>






---------------------------------
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with theYahoo! Search movie showtime shortcut.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Leroy Eckert]

Damn, that is three. Tomorrow will be a much brighter day, you can bet on it.
Sorry to hear of all the problems. Fiberglass is easy to repair.

Leroy Eckert
1990 WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
Niceville, FL



----- Original Message -----
From: Pete Masterson
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 9:00 PM
Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Dead bus... Help!


Car battery was 7 years old -- I guess I shouldn't be surprised it
died. Fortunately, we were in a Sears parking lot, so getting a
replacement was no big deal. Even got $5.00 credit for the old one...

But the day got worse later on... pulled into a small roadside RV
park off I-40 east of Holbrook. Had to do a round about to get to the
waste dump, and didn't see a 'hump'... I got hung up, when backing
off, I took off part of the bumper (looks like a little fiberglas
resin will fix it) and (the bad part) I clipped off the drain valve
on the bottom of the fuel tank. Of course, I'd just filled up 30
miles back...

With the help of the RV park owner, we were able to make a plug out
of a wooden stick to stop the flow (except for a little drop once in
a while).

The Emergency Road Service required that I have a fire department
"clear" the fuel leak for safety before they dispatch a mobil
mechanic. Well, the local volunteer fire department from sunset
valley came and looked ... and said, "looks OK to them" so I'll get a
mobile mechanic to come in the morning to seal it off somehow.

The car runs great, now....

Pete Masterson
'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
Sunset Valley, AZ (Just east of Holbrook, AZ)
aeonix1@...

On Apr 2, 2007, at 12:12 PM, Leroy Eckert wrote:

> Have a good trip. How is the car battery?
>
> Leroy Eckert
> 1990 WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
> Niceville, FL
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Pete Masterson
> To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 1:55 PM
> Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Dead bus... Help!
>
>
> Larry ... you win the gold star! That was it ... bad ground.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Pete Masterson
> '95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
> El Sobrante CA
> aeonix1@...
>
> On Apr 2, 2007, at 10:48 AM, Leroy Eckert wrote:
>
>> In addition, if you have a multi-meter check the battery power. If
>> it is good look at the ground connections for the battery system.
>> Also, I have had the rear start switch get out of position and
>> cause a no start problem. It doesn't take much on my coach.
>>
>> Leroy Eckert
>> 1990 WB-40"Smoke N Mirrors"
>> Niceville, FL
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: krminyl@...
>> To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
>> Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 12:22 PM
>> Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Dead bus... Help!
>>
>>
>> Are you showing 12V on your DC volt meter? Have you tried hitting
>> the aux
>> battery switch? Your AT switch in the proper position? Have you
>> tried
>> starting the BB from the starter switch at the rear of the bus?
>> Tried starting the
>> genset, then the bus?
>>
>> Your BB is 10 yr newer than mine, so I'm not sure if the above
>> would apply
>> to your BB, but these would be the first things I checked.
>>
>> Good luck...you'll be back on the road soon...it's probably
>> something simple.
>>
>> Kevin McKeown
>> Yorba Linda, CA
>> 1986 38' PT
>>
>> ************************************** See what's free at http://
>> http://www.aol.com.
>>
>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Yahoo! Groups Links
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>





[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]