Jump Starting The Bus

[LarryB]

Is a jump start for dead chassis batts. a good idea or should the batts. be charged by an external charger?

I really don't have a way to do either but want to focus my energy in the right direction.

Thanks for the help.

[Joe Cannarozzi]

I have heard that folks used cables and jumped off of the toad with good results.

If you use a charger you can use a 12 volt charger I have done that. It started and it did not take 1 hr.

I do not believe it is going to "hurt it" either way.

[LarryB]

Joe, thanks. That is my thinly veiled question. Will I screw up something if I use a 12 volt source [the manual say to use 24 volt] and secondly will I get the engine started with only 12 volts?

[JIM KELLER]

Larry, If your Engine Bus Batteries are dead and won't start the Bus, replace them. They are not designed to be drawn down to that level and then perform properly. I am also against putting your alternator under the stress of charging your " dead " batteries.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I agree with Jim. If the batteries are dead (test them) and the reason they are dead is because a bad one in the set pulled the juice out of the others a jump start will get it running, but the alternator will be working at max output creating a lot of heat which will adversely impact the life of the alternator.

If they are not dead, or bad, but the voltage is too low to spin the engine, charge them and you should be good to go. A number of conversions are set up so the house batteries (24 volt house systems) can jump start the bus and that is a good thing if you absolutely have to do that, but that should be a last resort.

[LarryB]

Jim and Jon, thanks for the info. I just neglected to turn off the disconnects--thinking we were leaving again soon, then that trip got cancelled and I forgot the switches. So under those conditions, your suggesting I just blew $800. ?

[GDeen]

Can't you just push start it??

[JIM CHALOUPKA]

Larry, in light of the circumstances, you'll probably be OK with a charging of the bat's. Depends on how low they went in voltage and for how long.

To be sure, after the charge, test each bat., individually in a disconnected configuration, with a battery tester.

Good Luck JIM

[phorner]

Larry,

I think you'll be OK. I drained my at-the-time-new chassis batteries all the way down when I first got the bus, not realizing that there was no provision for keeping them charged while plugged in.

At that time, I used a 12 volt car battery charger to charge each one back up. All has been fine ever since.

After Truk helped with my Guest battery charger installation, that is....

[Denny]

Larry,

You need to add a Battery Tender or Guest charger to your batteries to keep the charge up on them. Several of the CC owners have made this addition and have not have any trouble. CC does not add a charger on the chassis batteries so unless the engine is running there is no charging capability.

I use the 24 volt Battery Tender and am very satisfied with it.