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Is my thinking of the electrical system right?
Hi guys,
I’m wanting to make sure I understand how my electrical systems works in my bus and their relationship to the batteries. My coach is a 1991 Beaver Coach with a Power Tech 15KW Kubota Diesel generator without auto gen start.
It’s my understanding with my bus, when I’m plugged into shore power or using the generator, my house batteries are being charged but not the coach batteries. The coach batteries only charge from the generator while the engine is running. Do I have that right so far?
I bought a slow charger from Jeff while I was there that he was good enough to install for me. Jeff’s recommendation is to plug the charger into an AC outlet in my house battery bay so when I’m using shore power or generator power, my coach batteries are also being charged!
I thought that was a terrific idea! All this time I thought ALL batteries were being charged when on shore power or using the generator.
Do I have all this right so far?
Harry
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7 Replies
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You have it right. The chassis is completely independent from the house with respect to batteries.
If you need a battery charger for the chassis batteries you have a current draw or old batteries.
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Hi Jon,
My batteries were new in June. When I left the coach with Jeff he told me when they went to start it the batteries were dead and had to be jumped. There was obviously something or some things draining them. They tried to find them but wasn’t sure if they got all of them. When I came up for the seminar it had to be jumped so they could move it
His recommendation was the charger that I mentioned earlier. He then told me Prior to moving to 50 amp service, to start the bus in 3 days (which was yesterday) and run it at high idle for 30 min. Then I should extend it to 4 days and keep to four days until I have the 50 amp service where the charger can take over.
Harry
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Harry , do you leave coach with master switches off. I turn mine off even to leave it overnight. I had left mine for about 3 or 4 months last year while in leased storage barn while I was getting my barn built and it cranked right up. Might be time for a draw check. Somebody told me the ECM still draws juice even in the off position but must not be much.
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I am not sure about Harry’s vintage but on my 97 CBs 19,20, and 21 in the rear electric box were hot all the time, including with the master switch off. I could still go several months before the chassis batteries were at a 50% rate of charge.
By Harry’s post above it appears his coach sat for 4 or 5 months and needed a boost to start. It might be he just needs to exercise it more often or after every couple of months of non-use recharge the chassis batteries. I think he does need to verify if there are no phantom loads by monitoring voltage often until he knows one way or the other.
My batteries would be at about 25.2 to 25.4 after a trip and would take a long time to get down to 24.4 or 24.5 at which point I would recharge them. I think it would be at least 2 to 3 months before reaching that point.
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Hi guys,
I always turn the switches OFF for chassis and house even overnight. How long Jeff went without starting the coach I have no idea. I also don’t know if the shutoffs were shut off?
Now that my bus is home I’ll be exercising it with a full hours run at minimum every other week and will top off the tank before I park it.
I’ve just finished my 2nd reading of the two huge books that came with the coach, including the full bus schematics which is very cool! I’m a little surprised there’s so little consumer information? There’s all kinds of technical info, diagrams, parts and mechanical stuff. But nothing on the “how too” stuff. Although I did come across a Detroit Diesel brochure with great info on the use of a Jake brake, an excellent read!
So many things are “you find it” & “you try it”! It would be so great to have a book from Beaver Coach showing “here’s what’s in your coach, here’s what it does and hears how it works”. You know, a Quick Start Guide!
Oh well, I’ll have fun figuring it all out and probably learn more by doing it on my own. But have no fear… When I come upon things I’ll not hesitate to yell Hellllllllllllllp!
Thanks for everything and boy oh boy is it nice to have my bus home! I’ve owned it for 5 months and finely I can get to know it! Oh Ya!!!
Harry
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Well Harry, you now have the undaunted task of getting to know your coach. Fear not. I had a full head of hair when I bought mine 7 years ago. Now slick as a peach. Wife gets on me about my mumbling. Put all sharp objects away and enjoy!
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Harry,
You are the quick start guide for your coach. It seems all coaches have things that are different from all others and each owner has to wing it occasionally. That makes this forum and seminars like the one at Jeff’s so valuable to new owners like myself. Just knowing that there are others out there that sometimes struggle with what seems like it should be such a simple issue makes me feel better. I love my coach and can’t wait to tackle the next “project”. Who knew that ZERO would be such a great thing?
Best of luck getting wired for the winter,
Doug
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