Batteries

[0533]

King,

Any charger will continue to pump the juice to the batteries, not knowing there is dead cell or two sucking the life out of the others. It's an easy answer with the Guest, if the red light is on for a prolonged time, you have a problem. I check mine after about 24hrs from turning it on to make sure it's in float (green light). Mango never looks in his engine compartment, he's too busy repairing whiskey dents.

Hello Tom,

I have a question. When you are speaking of charging your batteries, you are talking about a separate charger?

I have a 1999 Marathon with 2 4K invertors, AGM Jell Cell batteries that stay charged using the invertors with either shore or Genset power source. I have no other way to charge the batteries.

Why does one need to charge the batteries using a charger?? I leave my coach plugged into shore power, with the frig, air set to low a few other electronic items on and all seems fine. What am I missing here, should I be considering something else??

How can I monitor the AGM's other then with the invertor monitor??

I have read on this forum about batteries failing but mostly because of low fluid levels, cooked. What can happen to the AGM's and doesn't the invertor monitor how much charge is required? batteries like all else are expensive and would sure like to ride these 2007 ones for a while.

Thanks,

Bruce

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

Bruce, I think the battery charger the guys are talking about are primarily for keeping the START batteries charged, not charging the HOUSE batteries.

I have a timer switch on my start battery charger that I can turn on when I get in the bus, if I haven't been in it for a week or two, to get the (4) start batteries topped off to the correct charge. This charger is in the engine bay with the start batteries. I forget the name of it, but most of the busess have some sort of battery charger system.

Now having said that, my start batteries were only 13 months old, when I bought the bus back in March of this year, and I had to replace all of them at the POG V rally in Sevierville. Of course with help from lots of guys, both POGGERS and two specific convertors, Parliament and Panterra. They all were tremendous help to me.

They suspected that because the bus had been for sale for over a year, it didn't get the use or attention that it needed, after the batteries were installed and thus the batteries just drained down and couldn't hold the proper charge. They tested bad, so I replaced all 4 of them.

Hope this helps.

Gary S.

[0533]

Bruce, I think the battery charger the guys are talking about are primarily for keeping the START batteries charged, not charging the HOUSE batteries.

I have a timer switch on my start battery charger that I can turn on when I get in the bus, if I haven't been in it for a week or two, to get the (4) start batteries topped off to the correct charge. This charger is in the engine bay with the start batteries. I forget the name of it, but most of the busess have some sort of battery charger system.

Now having said that, my start batteries were only 13 months old, when I bought the bus back in March of this year, and I had to replace all of them at the POG V rally in Sevierville. Of course with help from lots of guys, both POGGERS and two specific convertors, Parliament and Panterra. They all were tremendous help to me.

They suspected that because the bus had been for sale for over a year, it didn't get the use or attention that it needed, after the batteries were installed and thus the batteries just drained down and couldn't hold the proper charge. They tested bad, so I replaced all 4 of them.

Hope this helps.

Gary S.

Thanks Gary,

I think I better understand this now. I had to replace all four of mine when I purchased my bus. It had set for a while as well.

I do still wonder about one thing that I have noticed on my bus while running the genset underway. I have recently noticed a red light on my dash comes on indicating a battery drain when the genset is running. When its off there is no light and the battery voltage is fine, when its on the voltage starts to drop a little, from 28/29 down to about 25 or so. Does anyone know why this happens or has experienced this on their coaches?

Thanks,

Bruce

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

Bruce could the light just be telling you the genset is operational?

Find the light in the owners manual or online on the prevost site, and see just what that light indicates? Maybe it is just letting you know the genset is running?

Do you have a TEST Dash light button on your dash? Push this button and all of the dash indicator lights turn on, so you can make sure all "idiot" lights are at least functioning and it gives you more of an opportunity to see what each light represents.


Gary S.

[0533]

Bruce could the light just be telling you the genset is operational?

Find the light in the owners manual or online on the prevost site, and see just what that light indicates? Maybe it is just letting you know the genset is running?

Do you have a TEST Dash light button on your dash? Push this button and all of the dash indicator lights turn on, so you can make sure all "idiot" lights are at least functioning and it gives you more of an opportunity to see what each light represents.


Gary S.

It shows a battery symbol. I will check. I did not know about the dash idiot light test, maybe I am the idiot?

Bruce

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

It shows a battery symbol. I will check. I did not know about the dash idiot light test, maybe I am the idiot?

Bruce

Bruce, I was not infering you were anything other than a questioning newbie, like myself. I was merely bringing the lights to your attention.

Hope you weren't offended?

Now back to the battery light coming on. Does the battery light on the dash ever go out while the bus is running? Maybe it is in a constant state of charging? I better let this get answered by someone that knows the answer, cause I may just be confusing the issue. Sorry !

Gary S.

[0533]

Bruce, I was not infering you were anything other than a questioning newbie, like myself. I was merely bringing the lights to your attention.

Hope you weren't offended?

Now back to the battery light coming on. Does the battery light on the dash ever go out while the bus is running? Maybe it is in a constant state of charging? I better let this get answered by someone that knows the answer, cause I may just be confusing the issue. Sorry !

Gary S.

I was making fun of myself Gary. I am always learning about this stuff and never seem to learn fast enough. The idiot light makes sense, and I had wondered about it.

The battery light only comes on when the genset is operating. I initially thought it was simply charging the bus batteries when it came on, but I noticed that the voltage was dropping on the dash voltage meter when the genset was running. My concern is that there is some type of short or wiring issues here. I was hoping that the genset was charging the bus batteries but do not actually know.

[rfoster]

Bruce and Gary:

I want to confirm that in my case I was talking about the chassis batteries, not the house AGMs. The AGMs are charged by the inverters.

I had assumed that my chassis/engine battery charger was smart and would change to a trickle charge when the house batteries were full, - as evidenced by this past week and ultimately digging up the chargers manufacturer's owners manual - I have learned that the charger needs to be turned on only for about 10 hours a month if the bus is in storage. If the bus is used then the batteries are charged from the engine and the auxillary charger does not to be used. I had been leaving the charger on and ultimately ruined the chassis batteries by overcharging.

Education cost.

[0533]

Bruce and Gary:

I want to confirm that in my case I was talking about the chassis batteries, not the house AGMs. The AGMs are charged by the inverters.

I had assumed that my chassis/engine battery charger was smart and would change to a trickle charge when the house batteries were full, - as evidenced by this past week and ultimately digging up the chargers manufacturer's owners manual - I have learned that the charger needs to be turned on only for about 10 hours a month if the bus is in storage. If the bus is used then the batteries are charged from the engine and the auxillary charger does not to be used. I had been leaving the charger on and ultimately ruined the chassis batteries by overcharging.

Education cost.

Thanks Roger,

I am talking about the chassis batteries now that I fully understand the thread.

My question on this is can the chassis charger be more like the invertor is to the house, only charge when the house batteries/chassis need it, in other words be hooked up at all times to an external power supply but only come on when it senses a need? This is how my boats have been charged while at the dock, plugged in to shore power, but charging as needed.

So to summarize, you guys are saying that the chassis batteries do not get any charge from the invertors at all at anytime. The only way the chassis batteries will receive a charge is if the coach is operating or if you use a separate charger? I have none.

[rfoster]

Bruce --this is were the Quest Charger comes in to play that Truk suggested. He has installed one on his bus, Mango has one, and I think Phorner has one as well. They are designed to be three stage, from bulk to float (or trickle). My coach is a 97 vintage and the Quest charger must be from a later more modern era. May have to get one some time in the future.