Battery charger electrical advice and help needed - please.

[Terry Neal]

Shane, there are 5-6 Iota 55 DLS chargers on eBay now. You should be
able to buy them for around $135-140 each. My last one was $145
delivered with the smart charger option (New with warranty).
Terry

Terry Neal
Bozeman, MT
82PT40
74FC34



Rob Robinson wrote:

> 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]
>
>



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