Battery Charger

[philip t. dickinson]

> I have a 1978 Battery (transmode) with three batteries. All three are in the
> front, two on the pass. side and one on the drivers side It appears two are
> coach batteries and the other is for the engine. It seems that when shore power
> is used the coach batteries charge but the engine batteries does not. I keep
> running down the engine battery using the radio. Any help would be welcomed.

 

[stephen j. galovic iii]

Not to sound too simple, however, one of the first things we did to our coach was to
relocate the radio and the interior cab lights to the house wiring (battery) to avoid
the problem you are currently experiencing. In the early year models the battery boost
switch on the dash could be left in the boost position, later years had a spring
return on this switch to the normal position. If put in the boost position when
connected to shore power all batteries will be receiving charge, when dry camping all
batteries are being discharged (beware). In the normal position the motor battery is
isolated from the converter charging and house draining. We installed a fuse block
behind the glove box, sourced from the hose wiring, and fed through fuses to the
radio, cockpit reading lights, and anything else we might put in later such as
ventilation fans etc.
Stephen

> > I have a 1978 Battery (transmode) with three batteries. All three are in the
> > front, two on the pass. side and one on the drivers side It appears two are
> > coach batteries and the other is for the engine. It seems that when shore power
> > is used the coach batteries charge but the engine batteries does not. I keep
> > running down the engine battery using the radio. Any help would be welcomed.

 

[don w pontious]

I too did the same modification on my '77 Palm Beach. I also hooked the cigarett lighter into the house battery so my cell phone would not drain the engine battery. This stopped my problem of a dead engine battery after a weekend outing.

Don
- --

>Not to sound too simple, however, one of the first things we did to our coach was to
>relocate the radio and the interior cab lights to the house wiring (battery) to avoid
>the problem you are currently experiencing. In the early year models the battery boost
>switch on the dash could be left in the boost position, later years had a spring
>return on this switch to the normal position. If put in the boost position when
>connected to shore power all batteries will be receiving charge, when dry camping all
>batteries are being discharged (beware). In the normal position the motor battery is
>isolated from the converter charging and house draining. We installed a fuse block
>behind the glove box, sourced from the hose wiring, and fed through fuses to the
>radio, cockpit reading lights, and anything else we might put in later such as
>ventilation fans etc.
>Stephen
>

>
>> > I have a 1978 Battery (transmode) with three batteries. All three are in the
>> > front, two on the pass. side and one on the drivers side It appears two are
>> > coach batteries and the other is for the engine. It seems that when shore power
>> > is used the coach batteries charge but the engine batteries does not. I keep
>> > running down the engine battery using the radio. Any help would be welcomed.
>
>
>
>

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[none]

Philip.........When you're parked, a heavy jumper wire between both heavy
lugs on the battery solenoid will solve that problem. Be sure and remove it
when you get ready to drive away. I keep mine clipped on the wire next to
the solenoid so it's readily available. I also keep a tag on the steering
wheel to remind me to remove it before leaving. Senility, you
know.........Jim Davis

- ----------
> From: Philip T. Dickinson
> To: gmcmotorhome
> Subject: GMC: Battery Charger
> Date: Sunday, September 27, 1998 6:02 PM
>
> > I have a 1978 Battery (transmode) with three batteries. All three are
in the
> > front, two on the pass. side and one on the drivers side It appears two
are
> > coach batteries and the other is for the engine. It seems that when
shore power
> > is used the coach batteries charge but the engine batteries does not.
I keep
> > running down the engine battery using the radio. Any help would be
welcomed.
>
>
>

 

[gil gilbertson]

>
>Philip.........When you're parked, a heavy jumper wire between both
heavy
>lugs on the battery solenoid will solve that problem. Be sure and
remove it
>when you get ready to drive away. I keep mine clipped on the wire next
to
>the solenoid so it's readily available. I also keep a tag on the
steering
>wheel to remind me to remove it before leaving. Senility, you
>know.........Jim Davis
>
>----------
>> From: Philip T. Dickinson
>> To: gmcmotorhome
>> Subject: GMC: Battery Charger
>> Date: Sunday, September 27, 1998 6:02 PM
>>
>> > I have a 1978 Battery (transmode) with three batteries. All three
are
>in the
>> > front, two on the pass. side and one on the drivers side It
appears two
>are
>> > coach batteries and the other is for the engine. It seems that
when
>shore power
>> > is used the coach batteries charge but the engine batteries does
not.
> I keep
>> > running down the engine battery using the radio. Any help would
be
>welcomed.
>>
>>
>>
>
Phillip..........I found my jumper wire method once caused an
isolator failure....My solution: Mounted a one and a half
amp battery charger below the isolator, on the firewall. Cost
about $30 at Walmart...Ran the 110 Volt wire back to the plugin
under table behimd the passenger seat...The little charger
is about four inches by 3 inches by one inch...Works well for
me, I run both the radio and the front TV off the vehicle
battery. I need all the juice I can conserve for the house
battery to run the old fridge and furnace.....This little
charger, if anyone interested, is called a Mity Mite I think.

77 Eleg II Gil in Iowa

 

[mr.c]

Isn't it easier to jump the solenoid rather than using the jumper to jump the
isolator. I just jump the solenoid, and charge both batteries.

Al Chernoff

> Philip.........When you're parked, a heavy jumper wire between both heavy
> lugs on the battery solenoid will solve that problem. Be sure and remove it
> when you get ready to drive away. I keep mine clipped on the wire next to
> the solenoid so it's readily available. I also keep a tag on the steering
> wheel to remind me to remove it before leaving. Senility, you
> know.........Jim Davis
>
> ----------
> > From: Philip T. Dickinson
> > To: gmcmotorhome
> > Subject: GMC: Battery Charger
> > Date: Sunday, September 27, 1998 6:02 PM
> >
> > > I have a 1978 Battery (transmode) with three batteries. All three are
> in the
> > > front, two on the pass. side and one on the drivers side It appears two
> are
> > > coach batteries and the other is for the engine. It seems that when
> shore power
> > > is used the coach batteries charge but the engine batteries does not.
> I keep
> > > running down the engine battery using the radio. Any help would be
> welcomed.
> >
> >
> >