Battery setup

[krminyl@...]

Mark,

On my 1986 38' PT, the batteries were originally set up so that all 6 of the
6v golf cart batteries were all tied together into a 12 v system. I changed
my system slightly, and installed a marine Perko battery selector switch, whi
ch has a big rotary dial to select battery banks "1", "2", "All" and "off".
I dedicated four of the batteries as house batteries (Bank 1), and two for
engine starting (Bank 2). I leave the switch to "All" when driving, and while
hooked up to shore power (110v). When dry camping, I select just the Bank 1
batteries, so I won't draw down the engine starting batteries. If you plan
on storing your BB for an extended time, and when no 110v shore power is
available, I turn the Perko switch to "off", and it disconnects the batteries
completely. You will lose your stored radio stations, the refrigerator will be
off, and you'll lose your clock readouts until you turn the switch back on.
This works fine for me, because I'm always paranoid of losing all batt power
when dry camping and being unable to start the bus. This gives me a little
more peace of mind.

The Aux Batt switch simply temporarily connects your generator starting
battery (via a solenoid behind the front step) to your coach's 12v battery
system, so you can use the genset batt to assist in starting the coach's
engine.
It works the other way also...if your genset batt is so low that it won't
start the genset, holding down the Aux Batt switch will allow you to use the
coach's batts to spin the genset starter (assuming there's enough juice to
energize the solenoid).

Other's have installed much more elaborate battery/12v systems, using
"combiners", "isolators", etc, but my system works fine for me.

By the way, you'll have to make up new battery cables to install the Perko
switch. I put my switch in the battery compartment. I used heavy welding
cables and a "hit it with a hammer" lug crimper and soldered them just to be
sure before adding the heat shrink to the lugs.

Hope this helps...sorry for the long response.


Kevin McKeown
Yorba Linda, CA
1986 38' PT


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]