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Subject |
Author |
Date Posted |
Forum
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RE: Winterizing question
If the temp. goes below 32 degrees outside, I would.
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visch1
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10/21/08 05:57am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Smaller C class
I'm a recent purchaser of a used 29 foot '06 C. At first I thought it was huge, then it got smaller in every day PARKED use. From the back of the drivers seat to the rear wall is about 25 foot, the queen size bedroom is about 7-8 foot, from the bedroom wall to the end of the counter is about 9 feet which includes closet, refrigerator, bath room, sink, stove and counter space. This leaves 6 feet from the counter to the drivers seat for the dinette and 2 barrel chairs, 48 sq feet area of what I call living space. Not much for a few stormy days for me. Fortunatly my children have their own so there are only 2 of us. I know, I'm spoiled by living in a decent sized house a lot of years.
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visch1
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10/18/08 03:49am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: NEWBEE HOUSE BATTERY QUESTION
"If a battery is as low as you say and doesn't charge right back up first thing, then it is toast."
OK I agree with your post, I like the card idea, I do some that really tees of the wife. But in looking a little deeper: SO WHAT if both went totally dead as all my stops are at camps with 120V hookups. If for some unknown reason I'd need to start the generator with dead batteries I have a very heavy set of battery cables to use from the chassis battery to the coaches to crank it over.
Then again quite often I may have a plan and overlook a simple thing that will negate or defeat the plan. Like doing the above in the middle of a storm and I'm exhausted and the wife is on my back, etc.
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visch1
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10/14/08 05:43am |
Tech Issues
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RE: NEWBEE HOUSE BATTERY QUESTION
I'm from a different mentality than just replace an item that maybe causing a problem. 1st it's a challenge, next I'm cheap! I'm not saying I won't change 1 or both if necessary, I'm just wondering if it's necessary. another fact is very shortly I'll be winterizing and if battery (s) are purchased now, in effect I've lost 5-7 months of warranty time.
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visch1
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10/13/08 08:55pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: NEWBEE HOUSE BATTERY QUESTION
Thanks for all the responses. Presently I'm at a campsite & tomorrow will disconnect shore power for awhile, take a voltage reading, drain down the batteries for a couple hours and take a V reading again, hook up shore power and charge for a day, disconnect again for a few hours with no load and take another V check. Then probably go get at least 1 new battery. Thank God for a CC. I hate to buy a good new float type hydrometer, because then I'll find the one in hiding!
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visch1
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10/13/08 01:58pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: NEWBEE HOUSE BATTERY QUESTION
"How could you discharge the batteries completely when they were already at 11.7? How did you then start the "recharge" that didn't work? Where are you taking those Charge Wizard voltages from--the battery posts or elsewhere?
You need to read the voltage at the battery posts to see if they are getting a charge from the converter with the battery disconnect in the right position."
After finding the low voltage of 11.5 I tried the generator, it wouldn't start in the firs 15 seconds but did crank, waited a minute and cranked again and it started in 5-10 seconds which is it's normal procedure.
My discharge procedure was to put a bunch of lights on overnight. then I plugged the 120V shore power back in.
The readings were taken at the battery posts. 11.5V not charging,14.5V charging under Charge Wizard control, 1st 4 hours, 13.4 thereafter until 120V disconnected.
I'm using a Fluke meter which I checked on my car and the RV chasiss battery. Also got the poor reading using the hydrometer.
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visch1
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10/13/08 10:38am |
Tech Issues
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RE: NEWBEE HOUSE BATTERY QUESTION
In your rig does "shutting off the main DC switch" not cut off the converter (which charges the battery) from the battery?
No I don't think so because as soon as the 120V is connected the DC indicator light goes on and the battery voltage goes up to 13.5V indicating the converter is on. In rereading your question it reminds me of the confusion I have with converters & inverters. Both in general mean the same, both change something, so I want to convert 120V AC to 14V DC.
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visch1
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10/13/08 10:22am |
Tech Issues
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RE: NEWBEE HOUSE BATTERY QUESTION
In your rig does "shutting off the main DC switch" not cut off the converter (which charges the battery) from the battery?
I refer to the switch located in the enterance which has a red light on when activate, when plugged into shore power the red light comes on automatically, probably caused by the converter coming on.
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visch1
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10/13/08 07:01am |
Tech Issues
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NEWBEE HOUSE BATTERY QUESTION
Hi. I've only been RVing with my 29 footer since June '08 purchased second hand. It's a '06 which I think was put together in early '06. I have not nor do I expect to overnight without 120 volt connection. I've on several days this summer, living on Cape Cod, gone to a public beach for a day to "get away". Just Previous to the one week trip I'm on I checked the batteries of the coach and the voltage, using a Fluke Meter, read 11.7V. I then used a cheap hydrometer with the floating balls and no balls floated, indicating dead batteries. This finding was about a week before leaving so figured there was enough time to recharge. I did try to start the Owan 4000 gen and it had enough to turn over and start. ?.
I have a Charge Wizard and reading the voltage it was 14.6V par of the time and dropped down to 13.4v most of the time. The balls never floated at all. I next discharged the batteries completely and started a new recharge with the same results. All this says to me I need new batteries.
Now the questions. Will just putting a new good quality battery connected to a near dead one deplete or weaken the new one long term? #2 For my usage do I need 2 batteries? In my figuring the engine and being plugged into 120 should be enough to keep it charged. #3 two weeks previous to checking them I did a trip of about 1K miles shouldn't that have been sufficient to charge them? True I don't know their condition at that point. #4 I had the main DC switch off and the steps shut off so I expect no drainage. During the summer I cleaned all the battery connections along with the body ground and battery case and used Corrosion X on all leads. And last ? would 1 good replacement battery be enough for my usage? TIA
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visch1
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10/13/08 04:36am |
Tech Issues
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RE: CONVERTER question about voltage output. UPDATE
Six year old batteries I would expect to be a challenge to get functioning properly. A lot of times some basic things are overlooked trying to solve a problem. I'd guess the batteries have gone to the end in the aging dept to be dependable. Even if they are replaced CLEAN and tighten all connections, this includes frame ground. It gets really corroded in that area which reduces the voltage. GOOD LUCK
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visch1
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10/07/08 02:58pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Atwood water heater
I’ve had a couple issues with my Atwood, one that is still bothersome is that it takes about 4-6 retries for the gas to stay running. Starts right up after a short shutoff.
I’ve cleaned all connections and contacts on the PCB and have voltage where needed. My last problem was on the last day of my most recent trip was the lose of hot water, gas and electric. I lucked out and found that a recently installed thermostat was defective. I replaced both of them. SUGGESTION: when removing wire from thermostats put some pressure between the wire connectors as mine was extremely tight and when attempting to pull the wires off I pulled the entire thermostat out.
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visch1
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10/06/08 03:32am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Atwood water heater, NO SPARK AND NO GAS
I was lucky and quickly found the reason mine wouldn't heat up, gas or electric, was a couple month old Tstat that went bad. I just pulled the wires off and connected them, it fired right up.
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visch1
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09/28/08 04:09am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Owen Micro Quiet 4000 Generator
I have a condition like yours and found that if I get it running and it shuts in a couple seconds wait about 30 seconds and try again. Maybe something to do with pumping fuel to the carb?
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visch1
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09/23/08 03:45am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Atwood water heater working intermittently
My suggestion is to make sure the voltage is up around 12.5+ and make sure the ground for the heater is clean, I’d even start at the battery(s) and then the frame ground. I call this step # 1 as all other suggestions, though good can easily fail if either of these are below good condition. I recently had a very flaky thermostat, though fairly new, go bad. This can be checked if your up to it by carefully pulling the 2 thermostat wires off and carefully not allowing any contact with other metal, jump the wires with something like a small bent paper clip. If it works change the thermostat. It could also be the wire connectors on the thermostat have corrosion buildup which will lower the voltage enough so it will appear the contacts inside appear open and not fire off.
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visch1
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09/21/08 04:06am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Cover's
I’m not going to use one. I was away for several weeks and covered my 15 foot boat in the driveway to keep out leaves etc. Both ends were wide open. When it was uncovered it looked as black with mold as it does after its 6 month winter vacation. So I won’t cover the RV as I assume it’ll leak a bit and then that’s another spring cleaning project.
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visch1
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09/20/08 02:16am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: WATER PUMP. PROBLEM?
Many people refer to this as an "On Demand" water pump system. It is also another way to tell if you have a plumbing leak... if you hear the water pump come on every so often when no one is using water, that most likely means you have a leak somewhere.
These answers sound good to me. I hate to try to fix something that aint broke. At home a long time ago I hooked a night light into the pump circuit to indicate it's being on, seeing the pump is about 50 feet down the pipe, every so often when I haven't used the water for awhile and see the light on I ask if SO just used the water. THANKS
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visch1
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09/18/08 01:03pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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WATER PUMP. PROBLEM?
At home I have a water pump that comes on after using around 6-7 gallons or when the pressure drops to about 45#. My ’06 RVs pump comes on as soon as any, 1 ounce even, is used and continues to run until water is shut off. Is this normal operation? TIA
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visch1
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09/18/08 03:20am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Atwood = no hot water
OK!!!! I started with the T stats and pulled the wires and jumped them with a paper clip (to bypass the T stat) BINGO, now both gas and electric are working. Ticks me off as about a month ago I replaced the same one because I pulled the whole assembly out trying to get the wires off the original one. THANKS AGAIN
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visch1
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09/15/08 08:05am |
Class C Motorhomes
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RE: Atwood = no hot water
Thanks for the suggestions BUT I'm having a problem with the electric and gas, neither are working. I'm wondering if a cir. breaker or a main fuse is gone though checking what I think are all of them seem OK. Could be an open thermostat I suppose also. Still dark out but am gathering the tools and meter.
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visch1
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09/15/08 03:37am |
Class C Motorhomes
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Atwood = no hot water
I've been getting all the hot water needed,all by 120 volts. With the electric switches in the correct position there is no heated water now. Shutting off switches and trying gas only results in no gas start up try at all. I tapped the thermostats with no results, pulled the edge cir. board connector, and checked the 2 amp fuse on the heater and it's good. I couldn't find any other fuses to check anywhere so need some helpful ideas. Unit is in a RV that was sold as "new" last Oct. as a '06 and is a gas AND electric Atwood GCH6A-10E. HELP!!!! and TYIA
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visch1
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09/14/08 02:46pm |
Class C Motorhomes
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