IN search of a COACH FURNACE that is good on power

If your battery was at 13.2V then you must have (or just had) a charger connected to it. If then after running your furnace for 15 minutes the battery
voltage has dropped to 12.1V, you must have poor batteries with little charge capacity left in them.

OR... Depending on where you had your voltmeter connected to, you may have a high voltage drop due to a bad connection or small gauge wire somewhere.
Where did you measure those voltages? At the house battery or at the furnace connection?

--
Bruce Hislop
ON Canada
77PB, 455 Dick P. rebuilt, DynamicEFI EBL EFI & ESC.1 ton front end
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=29001
My Staff says I never listen to them, or something like that
 
FWIW,
You might consider the vented "Platinum Cat" catalytic heater. Draws about 1/2 amp after start-up, works at altitude, and no need to leave windows
open. See: < http://www.ventedcatheater.com/ > I've got one, and someday soon I hope to get it installed.

Rick Staples
'75 Eleganza

--
Rick Staples, '75 Eleganza, Johnstown, CO

"Advice is a dangerous gift, even from the Wise to the Wise, and all paths may run ill." -Tolkien
 
> If your battery was at 13.2V then you must have (or just had) a charger connected to it. If then after running your furnace for 15 minutes the
> battery voltage has dropped to 12.1V, you must have poor batteries with little charge capacity left in them.
>
> OR... Depending on where you had your voltmeter connected to, you may have a high voltage drop due to a bad connection or small gauge wire
> somewhere. Where did you measure those voltages? At the house battery or at the furnace connection?

***** *****

I am planning a solar upgrade this summer/spring so I have some "temp" connections. The voltage meter is one of them. It is connected to a wire run
from the battery terminals. But There is no load on the wire from the battery to the meter, just the meter. At this point, I would say the
batteries are pretty beat up. They are scheduled to be replaced with the solar upgrade....
--
GatsbysCruise. \
74GMC260 Former Glacier Model style. \
Waukegan, Illinois \ Keep those MiniDiscs Spinning \ MY GREYHOUND IS FASTER THAN YOUR HONOR ROLL STUDENT \ WindowsXP-Win7-Win8.1-UBUNTU STUDIO -
UBUNTU VOYAGER - Berzin Auto Center
 
> I am planning a solar upgrade this summer/spring so I have some "temp" connections. The voltage meter is one of them. It is connected to a wire
> run from the battery terminals. But There is no load on the wire from the battery to the meter, just the meter. At this point, I would say the
> batteries are pretty beat up. They are scheduled to be replaced with the solar upgrade....

Stan,

If you are serious about going to solar, start by planning to add a real battery monitor to the system. This will totalize that power both entering
and leaving the house bank. Installation is not simple, but it is not rocket surgery either.

A volt meter may tell you how things are right now.
An ammeter may tell you how soon things things may be a problem.
A true monitor will leave no doubt how things really are and may be and when.

The two known devices are the Trimeteric from Bogart and the Xantrex Linklite. Neither of these is inexpensive, but both are less than the cost of a
pair of Trojan T-105s.

Matt
There is a Chinese version on EvilBay, but I have never seen one and do not know anything about them.
--
Matt & Mary Colie - '73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan
OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Twixt A2 and Detroit
 
> > I am planning a solar upgrade this summer/spring so I have some "temp" connections. The voltage meter is one of them. It is connected to a
> > wire run from the battery terminals. But There is no load on the wire from the battery to the meter, just the meter. At this point, I would say
> > the batteries are pretty beat up. They are scheduled to be replaced with the solar upgrade....
>
> Stan,
>
> If you are serious about going to solar, start by planning to add a real battery monitor to the system. This will totalize that power both
> entering and leaving the house bank. Installation is not simple, but it is not rocket surgery either.
>
> A volt meter may tell you how things are right now.
> An ammeter may tell you how soon things things may be a problem.
> A true monitor will leave no doubt how things really are and may be and when.
>
> The two known devices are the Trimeteric from Bogart and the Xantrex Linklite. Neither of these is inexpensive, but both are less than the cost
> of a pair of Trojan T-105s.
>
> Matt
> There is a Chinese version on EvilBay, but I have never seen one and do not know anything about them.

The Victron BMV-700 is great also
--
Justin Brady
http://www.thegmcrv.com/
1976 Palm Beach 455
 
Hey Matt

Interesting how the systems on a GMC motorhome are tied together so deeply, isn't it?

My GMC is coming back from a long hiatus, after finding the area causing all the trouble.
She was a lawn ornament for all this time. And I studied the battery system.

The lighting, incandescent and florescent, have been changed out to COB LEDs in the coach.
The power use, or lack of, is incredible. Went from 3 to 6 amps of just lighting load to
almost NIL!!! The new COB LED lights will run for a very long time before affecting the
battery.

I had added a 55 watt panel to keep the battery up when not in use, worked out splendidly.
Even allowed some load on the inverter for a few hours per day with sun to recharge. very
nice.

The upgrade will be about 500 watts and 300 or 450 AH of battery power. The system remains
12v but I believe this is about as big a system you can go without raising the system
voltage to 24v.

I know of the meters you speak of. I found a regulator and multi meter to
monitor the system. Will have to make some interior space changes to get this all
in place and run the cables.
installing a sine wave inverter but because of the power the inverter needs to make 120v ac,
I am trying to design mostly 12v dc load, I don't consider the inverter efficient.

As for heat, as it stands, the coach furnace is great for park hook up, not so much for
booning. I have a buddy heater but I have voiced my cautions on them, they can be
dangerous and anyone that uses a Buddy type heater, should be aware of the concern. The big plus using
the buddy heater is it uses no power and puts out a lot of heat.

A lot of heating options mentioned in this thread to be perused. Especially if one plans
to camp in the dead of Winter.

Thanks for the info Matt. I am always looking for a better idea and try to offer any
ideas I may have when I can.

Stay warm, Summers coming, Hey hey..

slc
--
GatsbysCruise. \
74GMC260 Former Glacier Model style. \
Waukegan, Illinois \ Keep those MiniDiscs Spinning \ MY GREYHOUND IS FASTER THAN YOUR HONOR ROLL STUDENT \ WindowsXP-Win7-Win8.1-UBUNTU STUDIO -
UBUNTU VOYAGER - Berzin Auto Center
 
The reviews have not been that bad.
One vid says the software had been updated to allow running the fan at slow speed but that over time
seems to be sooting up the burner so that is not a great option.

As for heat output, the consensus has been positive.

REVIEW BY OWNER THAT HAS RUN HIS HEATER ABOUT A MONTH, WINTER WEATHER.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KM2X7hh7Mo

--
GatsbysCruise. \
74GMC260 Former Glacier Model style. \
Waukegan, Illinois \ Keep those MiniDiscs Spinning \ MY GREYHOUND IS FASTER THAN YOUR HONOR ROLL STUDENT \ WindowsXP-Win7-Win8.1-UBUNTU STUDIO -
UBUNTU VOYAGER - Berzin Auto Center
 
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