low house battery

I just recently purchased a 1985 prevost-patty


Patty, If you just got the bus there are somethings you want to look at. I would find out about the life of the chassis and house batteries. It they check out using a battery tester (load tester) then you can start looking else where.

we're having to run our coach motor to charge batteries-patty

Why is there a need to run the Detroit?

Sounds like you should break down what is going on...I mean the gen-set should be running to charge the house if the inverter isn't working. Sounds like your plugged in.

The Detroit charges the chassis batteries, but how do you know they need charged it the engine starts.

Patty....whoa!

First of all I think in order to answer your questions we need to know a lot more, and what concerns me is that the best way to communicate might be for you to post pictures. Don't be insulted. I am just trying to help someone very new to this navigate through your systems so we can understand what is going on.

Specifically, what batteries need a charge? Are these your house batteries or the chassis batteries?

Please post a photo or post the name and model number of the device that charges your batteries. If you have someone telling you it is outdated (don't believe that just yet) it sounds like you have CONVERTERS. Look carefully to see if that is what they are, who the manufacturer is, the model number and if you have more than one.

If you have a device that is an INVERTER provide the same information please.

The depth of questions your original post raises is extensive, but if you are willing to be our eyes on this issue I think we can help.

Out of curiosity, what is this specific battery that takes so long to get and why is only one being replaced? Anybody that tells you only one battery in a bank needs replacement is unlikley to be giving you other good advice. (I hope I did not just insult a close family member.)

Patty,

I don't have any motive other than for you to get some good help. You really should come to the Spearfish rally because there are a bunch of folks that will be there that will help you immensely with learning your coach.

If you do not learn your coach you will always be behind the eight ball.

Hi Patty. You have two different sets of batteries. One set operates the Chassis and the other set operates the Interior Coach. Each set, when they have been tested and test bad, should be replaced as a group. Not just one. Unless they are all new and one has failed, also only confirmed by pulling them out and testing each one of the set.
I hope this puts you on track.

Patty,

Adding further to what Gary said, if one battery in a set has failed the reason for failure should be determined. Are the batteries old? Are the batteries being charged improperly?

I think you coach came originally with chassis (bus) batteries set up exactly as they are today, charged by the engine alternator, and possibly a converter installed battery charger for those times when connected to shore power or the generator is running.

The house batteries are also charged when the engine is running, but when parked they are charged through shore power or the generator. The chargers used at that time were actually converters which functioned as chargers, but provided DC power to the low voltage house circuits such as lighting. Supplementing the converters there was usually an inverter that merely converted battery power to 120 volt alternating current so you could watch TV or run small appliances when not connected to shore power or when you did not wish to run your generator.

Today's coaches are set up different electrically and there is much more automation in the electrical system than you likely have, but if you are set up as I presume it is a very reliable and workable system. What is important here is that if you have the system I suspect you have part of your problems apart from a bad battery may be a lack of understanding on how to operate the system to fully use its features. Don't feel bad....we had a system as I describe and my wife had a hard time fully understanding how to turn the knobs and switches.

Ours is an 85 but was built with an inverter not a converter. Being a Marathon wouldn't it be the same. I thought only CC did that crap.

Joe, do you really believe yours was never modified? That's why it is important to understand what Patty has and what devices are in the coach. That vintage of coach was not originally delivered with inverter/chargers. The battery charging was via converters and the inverters only created 120 VAC from battery power and did not charge the batteries. I believe the shift to inverter chargers started around the early 90's.

I am sure (absolutly without a doubt positive) it never was but I do appreciate your concerns and your willingness to be helpful as you always are with your barrage of relevant questions:o

Regarding having to start the coach to charge the batteries, whether these are the house batteries or the chasis battteries, you could get fairly decent charger that has 2amp, 10amp and 25 amp setttings and just plug that into the 110 shore outlet next to your 50amp RV outlet and run an extension cord to the batteries in question. I keep one of these on board all the time as a back up.

As a side bar, I've failed to start my Aqua Hot once a month to keep it maintained and now it won't fire. I think there's a part that needs to have the oil or was cleaned off of it I was told. I know there's a bunch of info on here how to fix that. Don't know if there are any diagram's but if someone knows where the Aqua Hot info I need is within this site and can save me the search time, thank you. Jeff@skincarepro.com

http://www.prevoman.com/Pages/Webasto/Webapage1.html

Thank's Mike!