Battery charger electrical advice and help needed - please.
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09-05-2006, 11:12
Post: #13
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Battery charger electrical advice and help needed - please.
Hi Shane I bought my IOTAs from Triangle RV here on Vancouver Island 30
months ago. They were about $150 each and the smart chargers were $40. I thought the smarties were overpriced. On 05/09/06, one_dusty_hoot > > Good Deal Rob!, Where did you get those? > Got a smart charger, but could use two of these. > Bob Janes > --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com > "Rob Robinson" > > > > > > Shane I bought my two IOTA 55amp plus two smart chargers for under > $500. > > With tax I think I paid around $380 > > > > On 05/09/06, sfedeli3 <sfedeli3@...> wrote: > > > > > > Hi John & Adria, > > > > > > I don't think that our coaches are designed to be parked for 2-3 > > > weeks at-a-time without being plugged in. Mine has about an 8 amp > > > drain from what can only be called "ghost circuits". I installed a > > > battery disconnect so that I can leave the coach plugged in and > use > > > the old chargers to keep the 12V circuits on while in storage. > Over > > > the winter, I completely de-energize the bus and disconnect the > > > batteries after fully charging them. > > > > > > Prior to getting a smart charger, I used to put the old chargers > on > > > an outdoor "christmas light" style timer that would turn them on > for > > > 2 hours a day. This was enough to top off the batteries without > > > causing them to gas. IF you are getting rid of the coach, that is > > > the cheapest solution to your problem and won't cook the new > > > batteries. Othewise, get an IOTA or Xantrex smart charger that > has a > > > sensor to know when the batteries are charged and turns off > > > automatically. They run around $400 for a 50 amp model. > > > > > > Shane Fedeli > > > 85PT40 > > > Hershey, PA > > > > > > --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com > > > > > "Adria Haynes" > > > <mrbeebody@> wrote: > > > > > > > > Gang. Please know going into this thing that I'm well aware that > > > > I'm wordy - but I do so in an effort to be thorough. So please, > > > grab > > > > a soda and get comfy. ![]() > > > > > > > > I lurk here often and post very little. We are in our 3rd summer > > > > with our 80 BB 35FC and it has been bitter sweet. The payments > > > are > > > > bitter for 12 months a year, and the bus is sweet when we use it > > > for > > > > about 12 days a year. ![]() > > > > > > > > Anyways, it's getting harder to justify and we have toyed with > the > > > > idea of selling it after this past Labor Day weekend, but it > gave > > > us > > > > a little "gotcha" when it came time to go home. I don't know if > > > it > > > > was "quitting before we could fire it" or what, but I could use > > > some > > > > help on the problem if/before we put it on the market. > > > > > > > > The problem: I think my battery chargers are hosed. > > > > > > > > When we bought the bus, the Trojan batteries had been killed by > > > the > > > > PO leaving the fridge set to electrical. We dealt with them not > > > > holding a charge until last summer when I bought 4 new > batteries. > > > > Even then, it seemed that even though I'd make sure I had > > > > everythign off - something drained them. I got tired of them > > > being > > > > drained when I'd go out for the monthly "start up and run for > > > awile" > > > > so I decided to just leave the bus plugged in to my garage. That > > > > was fine until my new batteries blew up. I replaced those > > > batteries > > > > with 4 new ones in June and all seemed well through our trip in > > > > July. I was told that my 1980 chargers wouldn't trickle charge, > > > but > > > > were steady pumpers that over charged the batteries. Lesson > > > learned. > > > > > > > > When we got home from the July trip, I plugged the bus into the > > > > house again. It took me about 3 weeks to remember, but I > unplugged > > > > the chargers too. On this past Friday I went out to fire the old > > > > girl up and she was dead. I plugged in the chargers and Saturday > > > > morning it fired right up. After work on saturday, I went to > > > start > > > > it again and it cranked very slowly, then on the last possible > > > > revolution - she took off and purred like I knew she would and I > > > > took the bus to the campground where my family already was > waiting > > > > for me with other family members. I plugged into 30 amp shore > > > power > > > > with the chargers on until Monday afternoon. When I went to > start > > > > it to leave, it wouldn't even click. I think I had an anurism. > > > > > > > > I found that with the chargers plugged in, the volts meter would > > > > wiggle at 12 until I tried to start it, then it would shake from > > > pin > > > > to pin. It was wierd and I couldn't make any sense of it, but > > > that > > > > isn't saying much either. About all I have ever learned about > > > > electricity is that it hurts when I touch it. > > > > > > > > I unplugged the charger and removed the 2 batteries that start > the > > > > bus and put each one on an external 6V charger. They both took 4 > > > > amps for over 2 hours with no improvement. When I removed the > > > other > > > > 2 RV batteries so that I could take all 4 in for testing, the > > > ground > > > > posts on those two had some deformation and melting, which I > knew > > > > was bad. > > > > > > > > I got ANOTHER 4 new batteries, hooked up the 2 that I needed to > > > make > > > > it run and it fired right up. We got it home and I un hooked > > > those > > > > parallel batteries from one another, the RV ones never did get > > > > hooked up, and the chargers are also unplugged for now. > > > > > > > > It seemed to me and everybody else that the charger that was > > > > supposed to be charging the batteries was the very thing that > was > > > > screwing everything up. It's the only thing that makes sense to > > > me, > > > > but like I said - I don't know much about these things and my > pool > > > > of experience is growing, but still VERY shallow. > > > > > > > > Thank you for your time and patience with me thus far. Now that > > > you > > > > have that little bit of history, my questions are as follows: > > > > > > > > Does this make sense to anybody else or am I on something that > the > > > > chargers are hosed? > > > > > > > > Is there a way to check the charging unit that is hard wired > into > > > > the bus without unhooking it all? > > > > > > > > If it only makes sense to replace this unit, what are my "best > > > > value" options? > > > > > > > > Does anybody have a used one that's still good that they'd sell? > > > > > > > > Thank you very much for your help, > > > > > > > > John, Adria, Blase, Kaleigh, Jade, and Gage. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Rob, Sue & Merlin Robinson > > 94 WLWB > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > > > -- Rob, Sue & Merlin Robinson 94 WLWB [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] |
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