Battery charger electrical advice and help needed - please.

[Rob Robinson]

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 wrote:
>
> 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"
>
> wrote:
> >
> > 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
> > 40yahoogroups.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]