Shorepower for 89 PT40

[Gus Rodriguez]

Hello. I have recently purchased an 89 PT 40 w/ 8V92T. It seems to
use quite a bit of electricity while hooked up to shorepower. By my
calculations, it would consume 1200 kwh in one month to just sit w/ nothing
on except the battery charger. I have it hooked up to its own meter.
I tried isolating the batteries and charging them w/ a battery
charger and cosumption drops off drastically. This does not seem normal.
What is normal cosumption for this BB? At this rate my electric bill
would be around $180/mo just to sit w/ nothing in the coach running. Also
I only show power to one leg according to the gauges but everything
seems to run ok. I have a Heart interface Charger/Inverter. I do not
have a wiring diagram for this BB. I would appreciate any info. Gus


---------------------------------
Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.

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

[Mike Hohnstein]

Disconnect power centers one at a time, that will help narrow down the offending
component(s).
Wanderlodge is known for power pole or generator required.
MH
----- Original Message -----
From: Gus Rodriguez
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, January 06, 2008 10:32 PM
Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Shorepower for 89 PT40


Hello. I have recently purchased an 89 PT 40 w/ 8V92T. It seems to
use quite a bit of electricity while hooked up to shorepower. By my
calculations, it would consume 1200 kwh in one month to just sit w/ nothing
on except the battery charger. I have it hooked up to its own meter.
I tried isolating the batteries and charging them w/ a battery
charger and cosumption drops off drastically. This does not seem normal.
What is normal cosumption for this BB? At this rate my electric bill
would be around $180/mo just to sit w/ nothing in the coach running. Also
I only show power to one leg according to the gauges but everything
seems to run ok. I have a Heart interface Charger/Inverter. I do not
have a wiring diagram for this BB. I would appreciate any info. Gus

---------------------------------
Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.

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





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

[pattypape]

Could be a lot of things,

Weak ,low batteries, requiring a lot of charger time,
Check all electric heaters, block heater, freeze heaters,
hot water heater, Instant hot water, Something may be turned ON.
Turn circuit breakers OFF one at a time to isolate current draw.

Bill 88 FC Michgian

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Gus Rodriguez
wrote:
>
> Hello. I have recently purchased an 89 PT 40 w/ 8V92T. It seems to
> use quite a bit of electricity while hooked up to shorepower. By
my
> calculations, it would consume 1200 kwh in one month to just sit
w/ nothing
> on except the battery charger. I have it hooked up to its own
meter.
> I tried isolating the batteries and charging them w/ a battery
> charger and cosumption drops off drastically. This does not seem
normal.
> What is normal cosumption for this BB? At this rate my electric
bill
> would be around $180/mo just to sit w/ nothing in the coach
running. Also
> I only show power to one leg according to the gauges but everything
> seems to run ok. I have a Heart interface Charger/Inverter. I do
not
> have a wiring diagram for this BB. I would appreciate any
info. Gus
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

[Michael Brody]

Gus:

Check to see if the what breakers are on. When you are plugged into standby
shore power, turn off all the 110 breakers that you don't need.

The electric heaters may be working.

Mike
'97 BMC 40'

Michael Brody
P.O. Box 281
Dresher, PA 19025
(V) 215-572-0663
(F) 215-572-6992

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

[sfedeli3]

Hi Gus,

Where are you located?? (sign posts with name, coach model, and
city,state) Your PT will have freeze heaters, water heater, freeze
tape, block heater that could all be turned on unless you know
where/how to shut them off. Combined, those few items will draw 30
amps or more which is 3,600 watts per hour at minimum if they are all
on in a cold climate. If that was the case, you'd be looking at 2,600
kwH per month!! If your batteries are in bad shape, the Heart
interface charger/inverter (A great unit!!!) will try and dump a
charge into them too and they may never get charged. That's probably
worth another 300 watts per hour (216 kwH per month). The key is to
find out where your heat tape, freeze heaters and such are and turn
them off if the coach is winterized. Even though one of the breakers
may say "freeze heaters", Blue bird had a funny way of powering them
from other plugs in the coach too. The easiest way to be stingy with
the 'lectric is to plug the heart into an extension cord by itself and
keep the rest of the coach powered down- also, make sure that the
Heart's "inverter" mode is turned off or you'll be powering the 110
circuits through the batteries. If it's cold- make sure that you fully
winterized all plumbing first.

Shane Fedeli
85PT40
Hershey, PA

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Gus Rodriguez
wrote:
>
> Hello. I have recently purchased an 89 PT 40 w/ 8V92T. It seems to
> use quite a bit of electricity while hooked up to shorepower. By my
> calculations, it would consume 1200 kwh in one month to just sit w/
nothing
> on except the battery charger. I have it hooked up to its own meter.
> I tried isolating the batteries and charging them w/ a battery
> charger and cosumption drops off drastically. This does not seem
normal.
> What is normal cosumption for this BB? At this rate my electric bill
> would be around $180/mo just to sit w/ nothing in the coach
running. Also
> I only show power to one leg according to the gauges but everything
> seems to run ok. I have a Heart interface Charger/Inverter. I do not
> have a wiring diagram for this BB. I would appreciate any info. Gus
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

[Glenn Allen]

Gus,

For the meter not showing anything, there is a breaker in the closet
that probably needs resetting. It should be labeled.

I know there are two converters that run to keep the batteries up. I
don't have the specs or know the current draw. But they could be
power hungry. I'm about to remove my converters and replace them
with a Magnum MS2812 Inverter/Charger. The modern chargers are
multiple stage chargers with a "float" charge. My understanding is
the old chargers are either on full charge or off.

I don't have the AC wiring diagram. I do have the DC diagrams for my
coach if you need them.

Glenn

Glenn & Lisa
1986 PT-40
Marietta, GA

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Gus Rodriguez
wrote:
>
> Hello. I have recently purchased an 89 PT 40 w/ 8V92T. It seems to
> use quite a bit of electricity while hooked up to shorepower. By
my
> calculations, it would consume 1200 kwh in one month to just sit
w/ nothing
> on except the battery charger. I have it hooked up to its own
meter.
> I tried isolating the batteries and charging them w/ a battery
> charger and cosumption drops off drastically. This does not seem
normal.
> What is normal cosumption for this BB? At this rate my electric
bill
> would be around $180/mo just to sit w/ nothing in the coach
running. Also
> I only show power to one leg according to the gauges but everything
> seems to run ok. I have a Heart interface Charger/Inverter. I do
not
> have a wiring diagram for this BB. I would appreciate any
info. Gus
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

[rwoodysurplus]

i have a 90 sp hooked up all the time and the twin 40w smart chargers
along with the fridge and 2 small ceramic heaters and a light bulb in
the hot water comp to keep it from freezing....costs me about 11-13
bux so far every mth.

you must have hot water heater on and or the freeze protection heater
on and or a ice maker and or water pump or a short to run that much juice

what does the meters say above the dash????? amp wise????


start kicking breaker off they are labeled with what they do untill
the draw on the meter is off!!!! then come back here and we can help ya!

woody
90 sp
us army active duty
little rock ar today!









--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Gus Rodriguez
wrote:
>
> Hello. I have recently purchased an 89 PT 40 w/ 8V92T. It seems to
> use quite a bit of electricity while hooked up to shorepower. By my
> calculations, it would consume 1200 kwh in one month to just sit w/
nothing
> on except the battery charger. I have it hooked up to its own meter.
> I tried isolating the batteries and charging them w/ a battery
> charger and cosumption drops off drastically. This does not seem
normal.
> What is normal cosumption for this BB? At this rate my electric bill
> would be around $180/mo just to sit w/ nothing in the coach
running. Also
> I only show power to one leg according to the gauges but everything
> seems to run ok. I have a Heart interface Charger/Inverter. I do not
> have a wiring diagram for this BB. I would appreciate any info. Gus
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

[Bob Lawrence]

We live in our bus full time and travel.
We are presently in Yuma with the electric rate of .16 per kwh. Not
cheap!
We have had our bird for 5 years but this is the first time I am
checking the meter every day as we have to pay for electricity.
We are using 15 - 18 kwh per day and we arn't using the electric
heaters..using the propane heaters.
Our cost per month will average 75 bucks a month here.
Bib Lawrence
84 PT36
Presently in Yuma till Quartzsite.

> What is normal cosumption for this BB? At this rate my electric
bill
> would be around $180/mo just to sit w/ nothing in the coach
running. Also
> I only show power to one leg according to the gauges but everything
> seems to run ok. I have a Heart interface Charger/Inverter. I do
not
> have a wiring diagram for this BB. I would appreciate any
info. Gus
>
>
> ---------------------------------
> Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your homepage.
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

[Pete Masterson]

I went back and looked through pre-bus and post-bus electric bills.
(I keep my coach plugged in next to the house when we're not using it.)

When in semi-wet storage*, I turn off the refrigerator and pull it's
breaker. Also turn off lights, pump, etc. I don't do anything about
the microphor compressor, (I don't have an aux. compressor), and I
leave the electric heating element (2000 watts) in the AquaHot on
(during winter we get a few 'frosty' mornings, so it keeps the
basement above 40 degrees). Inverter is left on, but transfer switch
uses shore power. Heat tape breakers are left on --- but it rarely
gets cold enough here for them to activate. (Although we're in a
sheltered valley back from the SF Bay, we only get temperatures below
30 every couple of years.)

*outings are frequent enough that it's not worth completely shutting
down the coach. The microphor compressor seems to kick in every 3 or
4 days as minor leaks bring down the pressure. I make sure the -
burner- in the AquaHot is off -- no need to use up diesel when the
coach is not in use.

The normal variation in our energy bills is such that it's very hard
to determine what, if any, impact the coach has on the energy use --
it's certainly less than $20 per month, on the average.

Pete Masterson
'95 Blue Bird Wanderlodge WBDA 42
El Sobrante CA
aeonix1@...



<snip>
> We have had our bird for 5 years but this is the first time I am
> checking the meter every day as we have to pay for electricity.
> We are using 15 - 18 kwh per day and we arn't using the electric
> heaters..<snip>
>
>> What is normal cosumption for this BB? At this rate my electric
> bill
>> would be around $180/mo just to sit w/ nothing in the coach
> running. <snip>


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