What is the RPM of our alternators ?

[mcirco]

My bus has a system supplied by Auragen. It consists of a device similar to an alternator (actually a multiphase generator) connected to an ECU (electronic control unit) The generator is belt driven off the Detroit Diesel and the ECU delivers 8KW of 240/120 Volts AC at 60 Hertz to power my Air Conditoners, Barney's heating pad, Wash clothes or waterever you want while you are going down the road. God forbid if my Powertech Generator fails while I am dry camping, I can always fire up the Bus Engine and use the Auragen to generate AC Voltage to recharge the house batteries, cook and cool.


Miles and Laura Circo
2004 Country Coach 45' XLII D/S

[Jeff Bayley]

Jon-

I agree about overloading the alternator since I've replaced several of them on both of my coaches and that was just from normal use. Having bad house batteries will burn them up to I'm pretty sure. I finally got tired of the stock 170 amp or so alternators and put a $1,300 Leece-Neville Alternator on the coach I have now. It puts out 270 amps. No modifications were required on my coach. I bolted it right in place where the old one had been. I think this gives a better chance of the overload problem. Yes ?

What WAS happening however was the in line fuse between the battery bank and the inverters kept burning out. The fuses are the large round ones that mount on two heavy posts. One for each inverter and are called "Class T" non arching fuses. They're about $50-$60 each time they burn out. I spoke to my converter and they told me they were now using a larger fuse there and it was safe to bump it up from 350amp to 400amp. It gave me a longer run time but they were still burning from time to time and it was costly. I installed the new style fuse and holders that I got from Burenstein's Distributing in Elkhart IN. in case anyone else wants to do this I can provide info and part numbers and my salesmans name who was very knowledgable and came out to the coach to see what I was trying to accomplish. The new holders are $4.00 each and the fuses are $10.00 each. During the testing phase (still testing as a matter of fact), it's a lot cheaper. Plus the old,original location of the fuse holders required you to be a contortionist to get to so I relocated them. They don't make a 450amp fuse in that style yet but they will in the fall Burnstein's informs me.

Jon- I know fuses and they're rating exist for a reason and I don't want to tempt fate, but do you think it's ok to bump it up another notch to the 450amp ? Besides burning the bus down, what other risks are there ? I presume the answer may be in overloading or burning up an inverter. Currentley, using the 400amp, I try not to leave the air on for extended periods of time. BUT, I did in fact have one of the new style holders have a melt down on me so maybe there's my answer right there.

How do the latest converstions configure the roof airs to work when going down the road ? One post here said he had a generator on his conversion going through a regulator or something. But don't some of them set it up to work through the inverters like my modification does ? I have a toggle switch to move the A/C's between the shore power panel breaker and the house side panel where I had two empty slots for the house side and installed two breakers there. The roof A/C's don't do well when at idle. Only at cruise speed since the alternator is spinning faster.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Jeff,

You are now in scary land. The only help I can offer is to put your bus back the way it was before you make an ash of yourself.

If you want AC while going down the road run the generator.

Alternator power is not free. As the alternators get higher output it takes more HP to turn them and thus more fuel is used. AC is not free. The power to run it can come from your generator which will use some fuel or your big alternators which make your engine use more fuel, just like OTR air makes the engine use more fuel.

[Jeff Bayley]

Jon-

Noted.



PS- The shortest reply I have ever posted. I start for redeming myself for too getting too wordy ?

[truk4u]

I think Jeff has Genaphopea! He is always trying not to run the good ole safe and sound diesel generator!

[Jeff Bayley]

Yes, I'm a something holic. When I was a kid, I was alwasy in trouble for playing with matches. Now I have this fixation with electricity. What happened was the turbo burned up on the generator one time and diesel was leaking all over the generator and it I happened to walk outside at 10pm at night and noticed the smoke. It didn't flash up to a fire but was one step away. Ever since then, I've had this fear of running the generator, most noteably while sleeping at night. So....Guilty as charged. I NEVER used to go to RV parks and always dry camped. But I can't sleep sound at night with the generator running. Hense, more RV parks now OR the 3,500 watt pony generator I keep in the bay and use to run one A/C at night. Runs for 10 hours on one tank of gas.

[Coloradobus]

Jeff,

Marathon uses 2 Trace 4000 watt inverters to run 2 a/c units down the road. The older Marathons with 2 2500W Heart Inverters , are unable to run a/c units down the road without the use of the generator.