Battery Bank in a PT

[trvlngnrs]

Currently I have six 6 volt batteries in a "pool" that start the coach
and powers the house. There is one additional 12 volt deep cycle that
starts the genset, but I believe it is also in the "pool" because I
recently had it out, and could power the genset slide and start the
genset.

I am going to be getting new batteries and was wondering the best
configuration is:

1) Six T105 6 volt batteries in a pool, as is.

2) Four T105's for the house and 2 T105's for the engine, with an
isolator seperating them.

3) Four T105's for the house, and 2 deep cycle 12 volt batteries for
the engine. This will be approx $250 more because a space would need
to be fabricated to hold the larger 12 volt batteries.


I am leaning towards #1 because it is cheaper ($550 with all new
cables & terminals). I would need to know that an isolator exists
beween the genset battery and the remaining "pool". That way if I
killed the 6 batteries, I could still start the genset and recharge
them with the 2 newly installed Progressive Dynamic 60 amp convertors.

The engine is an 8V92, so I am sure it sucks amps when cold. Would 6
T105's handle it?

Thanks,
Steve Harrie
'86 PT38

[mbulriss]

Steve,

I would agree with your coice of option 1. That shared house/start
set-up has worked good for years, so why change it? Breaking it up
into start/house groups will mainly reduce your house power reserve
capability, and your Option 2 might be a problem starting that 8V on
cold days. You are lucky you have the 6 batteries. The early PTs
only have 4 of the 6 volt batteries and they do just fine. My 83 6V92
fires immediately with no problems. Not sure what year they added the
extra 2 batteries to the PT line. Might have been 86 when they added
the 8V92 engine to pusher line.

The 12 volt up front is usually not part of the 'pool' of 6 volts
batteries, but can be jumped together for starting via a dash switch -
'aux battery' I think it is called. The 12 volt battery in the front
side compartment normally just starts the genset engine. The gen set
tray slide works because it runs off the same hydraulic pump system
that runs the HWH jacks, which run off the house/start batteries in
the rear.

Mike Bulriss
83 PT40 "Stagecoach" - For Sale
91 PT40 "Texas Minivan"
San Antonio, TX

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "trvlngnrs"
wrote:
> Currently I have six 6 volt batteries in a "pool" that start the coach
> and powers the house. There is one additional 12 volt deep cycle that
> starts the genset, but I believe it is also in the "pool" because I
> recently had it out, and could power the genset slide and start the
> genset.
>
> I am going to be getting new batteries and was wondering the best
> configuration is:
>
> 1) Six T105 6 volt batteries in a pool, as is.
>
> 2) Four T105's for the house and 2 T105's for the engine, with an
> isolator seperating them.
>
> 3) Four T105's for the house, and 2 deep cycle 12 volt batteries for
> the engine. This will be approx $250 more because a space would need
> to be fabricated to hold the larger 12 volt batteries.
>
>
> I am leaning towards #1 because it is cheaper ($550 with all new
> cables & terminals). I would need to know that an isolator exists
> beween the genset battery and the remaining "pool". That way if I
> killed the 6 batteries, I could still start the genset and recharge
> them with the 2 newly installed Progressive Dynamic 60 amp convertors.
>
> The engine is an 8V92, so I am sure it sucks amps when cold. Would 6
> T105's handle it?
>
> Thanks,
> Steve Harrie
> '86 PT38

[trvlngnrs]

> I would agree with your coice of option 1......> The 12 volt battery
in the front side compartment normally just starts the genset engine.

Thanks Mike. One vote for #1. Yaahhoo It's cheaper:-)

Makes sense that the genset slide would move with the genset battery
disconnected. But, the genset still starts with it disconnected too. I
wonder if the dash switch that ties them togther is stuck!