Major Repair Choices

[Joe Camper]

I would like much input here as much as I can get.

I'm spending someone else's money.

94 Marathon XL owned 10 yr not used frequently up to now and similarly going forward limited use with no intention of selling.

3 different major expenditures.

1. Chassis suspension and brakes no help needed there.

2. Alternative tire choice pretty set there too, currently 12.22.5 on a 40 non slide lightweight bus.

3. Here is where I need some input. Inverters and battery bank.

Chassis has OTR AC so inverters r 24v heart with 6 4d batteries. No extreme inverter loads hearts r 2500w.

Fridge microwave tv and outlets r extent of inverter loads.

For a couple that has the budget to go whatever way but an older lighter bus that is almost never boondocking a huge amount of money could be saved with alternative choices on the tires inverters and batts.

Prices and choices on batts and inverters r numerous and all over the place.

Please help me give them good suggestions?

[sandz]

I have been looking at tires for my 85 xl in 12r22.5. I am springing for a set of 8 Yokohama 104zr.
$4500 out the door Reliable tire in Sacramento. Looks like a good tire they install them on 500 school busses here.

Batteries I really haven't decided yet so cannot give recommendation there. My coach has 4 brand new interstate fla deep cycle for the 12 volt house system.
They seem to be doing well. Not fancy the seller installed them. I don't have a problem with fla batteries.

I will be shopping for a 24 volt pack for my trace inverter. Originally it had a 400ah 24 volt pack. Limping along right now on 2 group 27 no name fla. We are leaning toward some Northstar telecom batteries.
https://www.northstarbattery.com/blue-plus-battery
Jury still out on the batteries but they sound like they would work in our case.

[truk4u]

Assuming your looking for a budget battery, consider Fullriver. My price is 475.00 each delivered to a commercial address.

15312

[Joe Camper]

Tom what is the price on a 4d lifeline delivered?

[Joe Camper]

After sleeping on it I'm going to suggest a magnum inverter, or inverters 4000 watt, 24 volt. Lifeline batteries 2, 4, or 6.

They will decide.

If they decide to go with 1 inverter and 2 batteries the bare minimum but completely adiquate if going from pole to pole, and, in the future get to boondocking or decide to sell, the bus could very easily be brought back to original spec.

Steve although those Northstar batteries look too tall to fit without modifying the spot I'm always curious. Looking for dimension and cost on the spec sheets and did not see either. I'm thinking 4d Lifeline at 550 or so each is hard to beat but always looking, and, new products always present.?

This is not the first old Marathon I'm invertering up. The prior projects were done with the very informed and professional assistance from Dick Wright at Wrico electronics. He is so educated on the older coaches he was able to tell me over the phone, wire numbers and colors for the panel and relays for the aniquated auto start marathon put in years back and getting the autostart function to go with the new Magnums with very little fuss.

I've also bought "marathon generator heads" (American made) from him and those also came with a tremendous amount of coustomer service that was revolving around those installs. Never made smoke with his product and direction.

When looking for components carried by Wrico there is no one else with coustomer service and knowledge after the purchase even close to theirs .

[Gil_J]

Stephen,

Those telecom batteries are exactly the ones I was considering. My sole reluctance was that I'm not sure they were built to withstand vibrations.

[Joe Camper]

Numbers

2 magnum 4000w 24v inverters with remotes with leads Shipped 2000 each 4000 for the pair.

6 lifeline 4D shipped 3500

Total 7500 this is how the bus is currently configured.

Here r the numbers as I see them if u Boondock infrequently.

1 inverter 2000dollars 4 lifeline 2500 bucks 4500 total.

That's a 3g swing for many who may need it elsewhere.

Current total watts with 2 inverters 5000 would be decreased by just 1000w going to 1 4024 magnum and IMHO still almost twice what the bus requires to run the fridge micro outlets and tv.

Someone do the amp hrs for me here. How long will a fridge pulling aprox 7 or 8 amp when compressor is running run on inverter with 4 fully charged 4D lilifelines before they get to 12 flat or so?

If it will be 8hr that's fine. And thats 3000LewBucks less with the option to make the bus whole again at any time in the future and your giving up very little in capabilities with the downsize.

Where am I going wrong with this logic?

How long will a fridge run on inverter on just 2 but the bigger lifeline 8D. Come on somebody help me out with the math?

[Joe Camper]

Here's some more food for thought for those with the older coach.

If your thinking about downsizing and wondering just how far to take it comfortably.

I overnight frequently the fridge relying on inverter to stay cold and I never even come close to deep cyclin the batteries and my battery bank is 2deka 8D. I don't plug in and I don't run the generator.

If the only thing you're really needing the inverter for going down the road that's a constant load is the fridge and all the other power requirements are intermittent loads like the outlets or the microwave or the TV you don't need a huge bank of batts and 2 inverters either.

My camper is such a motorhome and because my fridge is my only constant load I cycle my inverter on and off. If I run my inverter for a half hour I can watch my load meter and as soon as my load meter drops off and I know the compressor in the fridge has been turned off by the thermostat and it's cold enough I shut my inverter off. I can go an hour or two easy before I have to turn it back on and run it a little bit again. when I'm cooking and I know I'm going to be in and out of the fridge shopping a lot I turn the inverter on while I'm cooking and when I'm done cooking I turn it off.

I do that when I'm boondocking too. I've got only 2 8d and using this method I can go for days keeping my fridge cold before I have to charge the batteries again and it's only 2 of them. I've gone 3 days boondocking on 2 batteries comfortably

. Just a thought.

When you need the microwave turn it on when you're done using it turn the inverter off. If really wanting to conserve I have tv time while the fridge is cooling, and a couple hrs of tv with a dish uses almost nothing. My inverter is never on if I'm sleeping. Freezer remains froze till morn. Fridge and tv run again with the coffee pot in the morning and then I turn it off again.

Get to know your fridge. How frequently and how long does it run and with that information you can get a lot more performance out of your inverter and your battery Bank when you need to and or with a lot less equipment and cost.

I take my 30 amp power cord and adapt it down to a 20 and plug it directly into my ac output on a 2500w Heart. It will start and run the roof air no problem even wit the engine off, just not for that long on 2 batts if the engine isint idling. I do not actually use this like OTR AC, I have a red dot system but I have experimented just to see and it works great only a very slite change of tone in the ac motor.

Another thing many r suprised to hear. I moved a cruise air on my bus to a 2000w heart and that worked too and cruise airs start hard. That WAS a 1st Gen heart and a factor too. That worked great it's still like that now.

I understand this topic may be vodo with the bulk of the prevo crowd that normally never under any conditions ever turn the inverters off and without 2 4000s u ain't cool. I ain't skeert

These r time tested methods i use myself. I do not full time but over the past 5yr I've been in this camper more than I've been home. I stay very comfortable and happy and I am doing it on very little over in the inverter battery arena. U just have to keep it in the 70 degree zone but that's what the wheels r 4.

[truk4u]

Lifeline 4DA’s are 525.00 and 4DL’s are 530.00 each Joe, shipping depending on zip commercial or residential.

[Gil_J]

2 4Kw inverters is a bad idea. If the owner turns too many inverter loads on while driving he'll learn what a 50DN alternator cost. Also, realize the cost has to include new 4/0 battery to inverter cables. The marine grade ones are $10/ft!

As coaches get older there is less resale impact on changes, especially those that can be explained. I have eliminated one of two Trace 4Kw inverters replacing it with a transfer switch for one owner. This owner's use of their coach didn't justify inverter replacement. It also afforded him the opportunity to reduce his battery bank size. At $500+ per battery and 120-160 pounds per battery, why invest in dead weight.

Given the age of this coach, modernize the electrical system solely to meet the owner's needs.

[Joe Camper]

Thanks guys.

12 22.5 tires r very difficult to find now. I can't remember how long it's been since I looked for the size looks like their day has come.

Even though 315/80 should be on 9in rims be prepared to either mount them on 8&1/2 in rims or upgrading to 9in rims with the change.

On the older lighter buses where exessive pressure is not required to carry the load the steer and tag position is a non issue and wear correctly. When putting 315 80 on duels on the drive axle with 8.5in rims 100 psi is preferable, no less even with the lighter load and this is to keep the sidewalls off each other at the bottom where they squat when u pressure down. With lower pressure they will touch at the bottom between them at the squat, maybe not static but when driving on rough road they will kiss in the middle at the bottom.

Another thing is if u do go to 9in rims on the drives the inner rim needs to be steel or the added thickness of the flange on an aluminum inner rim will get the outer tire outer side wall right up against the rubber fenders when the suspensions working.

I can hear it already Michilan says do not put 315 80 on a 8.5in rim. For info sake only I had 315 80s on my 84 on 8.5 inch rims and they continue on that bus with its current owner without incident.

Couldn't tell you what a new set of nine inch polished aluminum rims cost don't know. I think they r ugly the style holes r too small and also make the inside tire a bitch to air up but there it is, the disclamer. Buyer beware.

This chassis is going to make a great example of what it takes to really message an older bus and we have quite a few new members with these older vintages. I'll brake it all down as I go, should prove to be help for those of u that have them and recently arrived here with part numbers and prices and labor involved.

[Gil_J]

Joe, will 295s carry the load? Just a thought given the rim width.