Mango, what do you think is causing you to go through alternators? Is it picking up to much moisture in the back. That doesn't sound right that you need to have it replaced already.
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Mango, what do you think is causing you to go through alternators? Is it picking up to much moisture in the back. That doesn't sound right that you need to have it replaced already.
Mango: There is a plastic shield bolted to the front of my 12V alternator. I suspect it is there to prevent water splashes from below from drowning it out. Do you have one of those on yours. I lunched a 24V alternator on the POG trip, it's in the shop for repairs now. In replacing batteries the ground wire going to the Vanner got hooked up to the positive post. I suspect this caused the alternator to quit. An electrical wizard I'm not. I make it habit to take my rolls of red and green plastic tape and wrap the end of each wire POS or NEG with colors to prevent screw ups during BATT chg. That one wire was not so labeled and the fifty / fifty choice was wrong. Yeah Jon I know, trace each wire before hooking them up. I have to have it idiot proof when sparks are concerned.
When I replace the 24V alternator I'll fashion some sort of water splash shield for it also.
"Sparky"
I had the standard type altnerators going bad on my 94 Prevost also. I think these are rated at around 125 amps. I think mine went bad because my house batteries were hurting and that made the alternator work itself into the ground. I have a 97 coach now and when the same (stock) type of 12v alternator went out on it, I replaced it with a 270 amp Leese Neville brand alternator. It cost $1,300 but I think it will last and I get two beneifts from this more robost sollution.
First, I hate running my generator just to charge the house batteries. I move around more than average in my bus instead of sitting in an RV park for days and days so in my case, this alternator helps keep my house batteries up even if I only drive for a half hour or so. On a longer driver, it gives a real good deep charge as you would expect.
Second, I took all that extra available power and used it to run two of my roof A/C's while driving. Another thing I hated doing was having to run the Gen in order to A/C the rear if someone was in there while driving. For people with bus air this isn't an issue but I will never buy another bus with bus air. A waste of two storage bays in my opinion. So anyway, what I did was modify my two fuse boxes in order to let me toggle between shore / gen power and inverter power. I put another post about this somewhere else in the last week. I can tell someone how to do this or post a photo or something if anyone let's me know there interested. Your running the A/C's right through the inverters with this mod, not directly off the 12v alternator. So the alternator is just keeping up with the draw I'm putting on my house batteries. I never tried it with the smaller altnernator but this big one works great. I've heard that the newer coaches let you run one roof A/C but I wired mine for two and it's fine.
So that's how I justified spending the dough on the better altnernator. By the way, the new one had the exact same mounting pattern ad the old one. Save your receipt. It has a 1 year full replacment warranty.
I'd like to learn more about using the 6 volt batteries to solve house battery issues. I have not been happy wiht my house battery performance with either brand new Lifelines or Acid batteries which I have now. I figured for the price difference, I can afford to throw the regular batteries away every year for new ones for 4 years and be at the same investment as the Lifelines with the exception that you have to water them (that is a pain with my set up).
Jeff
Jeff
When motoring if we engage the 24 volt equalizer switch in charges the house 12 volt bank as well as the 24 volt house batteries.
Are 2 seperate alternaters prefferable?
Answer to my previous posts problems.:
Jon:
Thanks for your input. OK I went through the sequence you described. Individual batteries disconnected and tested. All were fine. In surveying everything else I found the reset button hiddin under the Vanner had tripped. With the Vanner not sending power to the batteries during the trip, they continued to discharge with the engine and lights running. The generator or shore power to the 24v charger kept us going until the problem could be found. The Vanner reset has been reset.
Further checks using the PREVOST wiring diagram to compare, it was found two wires had been added to the batteries at the negative post, drawing 12V off. One wire was the 12 V feed to the control panel that transfered power forward to the headlights and the DDEC. The other wire for reasons unknown ran to the power side of the 12V disconnect switch sharing that position with the 12V wire from the Vanner. The Prevost wiring diagram indicated the later wire was not needed. The 12V wire feed to the DDEC and lights was then attached to the ON post of the 12V disconnect.
With no extra wires attached to the batteries, when the two disconnects are off there should be no discharging during storage. The 24V power is still connected to the positive battery post and to the ON post of the 24V disconnect.
With fingers crossed I think the problems are solved.
It proves once again when buying a used coach you have no idea how much the wiring has been cobbled up or changed from original before you got it.
Harry
Way to go Harry, I'm proud of you!;)
Another reason to buy a new one - eh Harry?Quote:
Originally Posted by win42
Just shows that tenacity in fixing these buggers pays off. Good job.
MM
No new ones Mango. The more I learn about how much stuff, that will eventially cause problems, they have been continually adding to the new one's. I'm getting happier by the day with my simple manually operated jump in and go coach. Since meeting you POGers It has sparked a desire in me to get my coach at least up to original specs. Fix things neglected for the last nine years of ownership and get out and enjoy it. It's really a nice coach with a pretty new paint job.
Start over with a new one? Maybe at your age it would make sense. You youngsters jump out there and enjoy the new stuff, I envy your ability to get into this hobby at a young age. Most of us couldn't do it until we slipped the harness off. But were doing it and enjoying it. Ooops' just slipped off the soap box.
Ole Harry
Harry you're absolutely right, let those dogs like Sting have the new ones. Polish up beast, fix the leans and hit the road.Quote:
Originally Posted by win42
Mango
Hey Mango...does that mean you are going to fix yours up?:D I know you really want a Millennium;) Doesnt MILLENNIUM MANGO have a nice sound to it??Quote:
Originally Posted by MangoMike