dbrown18
Phoenix AZ
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Joined: 01/08/2008
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Hi All,
A couple of weeks ago I traded our toy hauler in for a 1997 Jayco Designer Class C 3230S. So far so good the maiden voyage went pretty well, boondocked for 3 days in the national forest. On Sunday morning both the chassis and coach battery were drained. I expected the coach battery to be pretty well spent but not the chassis battery.
In trouble shooting the problem I found the aux start switch is closed applying 12 volts to the isolator relay keeping that closed and connecting both batteries in parallel. When the aux switch is pushed in it opens and the isolator relay open. Am I correct in assuming this switch should normally be open and closed when pushed.
One of the other things I was thinking of doing was upgrading/changing the converter which is a Magnetex 6345. Is the Magnetek 6300/7300 Upgrade Kit worth the price or should I look to replacing the unit with another manufactures unit.
Thanks all for the education and insight these boards have given me.
Doug
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Hurricaner
Hurricane Utah
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Joined: 02/17/2007
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Quote:When the aux switch is pushed in it opens and the isolator relay open. Am I correct in assuming this switch should normally be open and closed when pushed.
Yes, but I'm not sure how that could happen unless someone messed with it.
Replace the magnetek with a 3 stage charger such as the PD9260, do not use the parallax replacement as it is a single stage which is not what you want for boondocking.
Sam
Sam & Kari
Hurricane, Utah
2004 34' Damon Challenger 315
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RJsfishin
Winston Or.
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Joined: 10/16/2007
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It would seem to me that the switch had been replaced w/ the wrong switch just before it was sold ...???
Sam has it right, on the converter. Make sure any replacement is a 3-4 stage, and preferably a 60 amp like the one he mentioned, that has manual overide control of the charging stages available.
Rich
'98 Flair, 454, Onan Microlite 4k, Intel PD 9155 w/ wizard, Sta-power 1500 watt Inv, 2 6v batts, ammeters, KingDome/sat, Oly Catalytic Heat, hauling 2 Bent Bikes and sometimes towing a Tracker F&S boat.
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BFL13
Victoria, BC
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Joined: 02/15/2006
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As a discussion point, not being a MH owner, but wondering---
With several threads started by MH owners on their wish to float the engine battery as well as their house batteries, perhaps it is not necessary for them to have more than a two stage converter (bulk and absorption)
If they have a separate float/minding charger for the engine battery, can it not be hooked up so that it will float/mind both engine and house batteries at the same time? Then they wouldn't need a converter that will do low voltage float.
Or is it possible to float all the batteries in a MH from the converter?
As an aside topic, any low voltage floating seems to be viable only in southern winters anyway. The proper float voltage at 50F is 13.9v apparently, with lower voltages for higher temperatures than that. Battery maintenance while not camping calls for more than just leaving the rig plugged in for many of us where it gets below 50F, where even the float voltage of the single stage converter is invalid. The three stage converter then becomes just a sales gimmick.
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Hurricaner
Hurricane Utah
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Joined: 02/17/2007
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Quote:As an aside topic, any low voltage floating seems to be viable only in southern winters anyway. The proper float voltage at 50F is 13.9v apparently, Where do you get that info? 13.9 volts might be OK at 50 degrees but it is certainly not ideal and any voltage above 12.6 will keep the battery somewhat charged no matter what the temp. One of the features of the PD units is to do a short boost charge every 30 hours and this helps keep the battery fully charged in cold weather as well as prevent stratification
Many motor homes have an intellitec battery control, which parallels both battery banks whenever the voltage is above 13.2 volts and disconnects at 12.6. I have used this setup for 5 years with a PD9260, my chassis battery is still in good shape.
Sam
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Harry Havasu
Lake Havasu City, Az.
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Joined: 02/27/2004
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Replace the switch. Replace the Magnatek.
Just as Sam told you and as many, many of us have done.
Harry Havasu
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BFL13
Victoria, BC
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Where do you get that info?
-----------------
Managing 12 Volts, by Harold Barre.
p85, "A battery in the float stage should be at 13.1 to 13.9 volts depending on temperature: 13.1 volts at 90F to 13.9 at 50F for a wet cell battery. If the voltage is high for the temperature, the battery may be overcharged resulting in high water loss and reduced battery life."
Elsewhere he says the float charge is to prevent self-discharge, and that you should still exercise the battery every two months when it is floating.
I see though, that he says a normal 12v starting battery has mostly lead plates which do not self- discharge much while deep cycle batteries with antimony in the plates to harden them make for increased self discharge rates. So the need to float the house batteries would be greater than the need to float the engine battery based on that.
I do find here in the winter that leaving the batteries on the 7355 at 13.7ish is insufficient to keep their SG up, and of course we go well below 50F--around freezing at night and say 40F during the day.
I have no use for a converter that would do 13.2 since I do not have a "storage" period when it is above 50F 
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T18skyguy
Eugene, OR
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Joined: 12/13/2004
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I did the 6300/7300 upgrade and it's been better than the old unit. The upgrade doesn't have the loud humming noise and I'm not boiling the batteries anymore. If I was aware of the 3-4 stage units I probably would have gone that route.
Retired Anesthetist. Pilot with mechanic/inspection ratings.1996 Jayco C 22 foot with 460/Banks Powerpak/Bilsteins.Wife and daughter. Two cats which control my life. 1975 Ford F-250, 84 Coupe Deville, Thorp T18, tons of tools and tons of junk.
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Matthew_B
The boonies near Dallas, Oregon
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Joined: 08/18/2005
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Right now I'd be hard pressed to pick between two units. I'm a big fan of the Xantrex units, but Progressive Dynamics upped the ante with this:
(click the picture to take you to the website)
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smkettner
Southern California
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Joined: 03/21/2005
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That kit you linked is for a WFCO converter and will work well. Bestconverter also sells PD9200 & Xantrex XADC conversion kits. I think most like these above the WFCO. MY OEM WFCO works great but if I was spending money I would get the Xantrex XADC. For one or two batteries the 40 amp should be fine.
The kit shown just above might be the easiest and should work excellent.
To float the chassis battery get a Trik-L-Start combiner that will keep the batteries separate unless the house battery is charging it will also float charge the chassis battery. Bestconverter sell this also.
2001 F150 SuperCrew
2006 Keystone Springdale 249FWBHLS
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