Little Things Add Up . . .

[Jipjob]

Hay Bob I get confused enough with just my four batterys and my dumb smart
charger. I just keep my battery charger on 24/7 and check the water out once a
month. I was told that it wasn't good to start up these old engines just to
hear them run-so I just start up my generator once in awhile and cross my
fingers that the 3208 will light up when needed.

Got a 50 inch TV now and I'm going to install it in front of the drivers window.
So I can just turn on the tv and sit at my steering wheel and look out the
front windshield and be far, far away from here. Love the cold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jon
Rebel Bird "Stuck in Bremerton"

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "freewill2008" wrote:
>
> Thought this might be of interest: Went out to check that the 3208 would
start after several nights of record low temps. Found the cranking battery too
soft to do the job.
>
> This WL has dual 12v systems; one for house, the other for automotive. There
is an automotive side disconnect, but it does not interrupt the cables to the
starter or the Schottky charge splitter. The disconnect was turned off.
>
> There is usually either a small smart charger or solar system running on the
automotive side, but for whatever reason both had been off for about 2 months.
>
> So, how did the cranking battery discharge? I isolated the cables and found a
0.15 amp draw on the cable heading for the starter and charge splitter. That's
about 4 amps a day, or 120 amps a month.
>
> This discharge is probably leakage, either through an old dirty starter or in
the charge isolator. For now, the solution will be to leave the solar system
on, as it should have been anyway.
>
> The good news: I had intalled a 200 amp combiner relay in the battery
compartment with very short cables. (The cranking battery sits just behind the
stock FC battery tray.) Using the dash switch that once controlled the
dinky-toy relay that BB used behind the step-well, I triggered the relay FIRST
and then hit the starter. I was running in about 2 seconds.
>
> The generator would still start. It can start from either 12v system and it
can be jumped from the front battery compartment without the need for air to
open the genset tray.
>
> When ya like to boondock, its all about backup systems! )
>
> Bob Griesel '84 FC31 WLII WA
>