Generator Battery Not Charging

[Tom Warner]

Jeff I am truely sorry that you believe that I am trying to defame
Bluebirds engineering for its not true. I like my coach but am not blind to
its defiencies either. If we are truly going to be supportive of each
other on this forum then in my opinion we have to be honest about what we
are attempting to fix. If we argue just for arguements sake and want to win
the last word.............then I am not willing to play that game.

You believe that BB engineered the generator battery charging correctly, I
on the other hand do not. I have uploaded the original Kohler installation
guide that Kohler furnished BB to be used as a guide when installing
Kohlers generator into a BB coach. However Kohler also told BB they must
comply with Art S51, NFPA No. 501C-1974 Standard for Recreational Vehicles,
etc. You can read the rest on page 1 of the installation guide now
available in the forum files. Notice that I added one more file which I
obtained from BB for my specific installation, a view of the controller
assembly showing the components. Notice there is no bridge rectifier or
resistor packs.

On the troubleshooting guide which I also uploaded to the files section it
clearly shows how Kohler envisioned the charging system to work, stepping
down the AC voltage with a transformer and then rectifying it and routing
it thru a 8 amp fuse to the positive post of the battery. That circuit has
never been available on my coach.

The 1982 FC35 that I have is a fine and reliable coach. But it has
shortcomings that I am correcting them as I have time.

Tom Warner
1982 FC35
Vernon Center,NY


At 02:14 PM 5/30/2005 +0000, you wrote:
>I know that you for some reason have a need to defame BlueBird's
>engineering, or at least you constantly try to, and that's what I
>have an issue with. If after 24-1/2 years and ?? owners your coach
>doesn't charge its genset battery anymore, that's not IMO BlueBird's
>fault. Kohler provided the charging and BlueBird installed it intact.
>This forum's purpose (again in my opinion) is not to try to lay blame
>on BlueBird or point fingers when older coaches don't function as
>new, but to find and share solutions. The solution as I mentioned
>days ago was to add the diode and circuit-breaker.
>
>The Kohler did have a charging system in its control box, and it
>worked. If owners didn't "exercise" the genset periodically as they
>should, yes the battery in pre-'83 had no second charging source.
>That IMO is a minor issue, and if owners didn't properly maintain
>their coach such as periodically running the genset, keeping the
>coach plugged in or batteries disconnected when not in use, checking
>air in tires and oil in engines, ... it is likely that they will
>suffer failures of inconvenience or worse. BlueBird has no control
>over how a coach 1/4 century old is or has been maintained and
>operated.
>
>To your "throw that idea out" comment on the resistor pack, it is how
>the 117VAC was stepped down to charge a 12VDC system, and yes a
>rectifier is also used. Many are in-op by now, and some are still
>functioning as designed. The ones that still operate properly are the
>ones that surprise me, try that on a gas onan in a windybago.
>
> - Jeff Miller
>Happy with the many things that BlueBird did exceptionally well,
>tolerant of a few quirks.
>
>
>--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Tom Warner
>wrote:
> > Jeff even after this problem being aired on this forum and the old
> > wanderlodge forum countless times, the same problem seems to exist
>which is
> > how the BB factory provided for the charging of the Kohler
>Generator on the
> > 1980's FC models. The answer is they did not.<<snip>>
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>Yahoo! Groups Links
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