So much battery talk prompted my question. I have had my 74-FC-31
plugged in for a week under the assumption that plugging in charges the
batteries. Engine and house battery seem fine, just the generator
battery continues to lose charge to almost dead. I did remove and
charge the battery, but what could i do to keep to it that way?
thanks for the help.
Jim
74-FC-31
MAI TAI FINE
Jim On my 79 FC 33' I put a trickle charger in the gen compartment &
plugged it in. That always kept it charged.
Don
89 SP 36'
Butler, PA
So much battery talk prompted my question. I have had my 74-FC-31
plugged in for a week under the assumption that plugging in charges the
batteries. Engine and house battery seem fine, just the generator
battery continues to lose charge to almost dead. I did remove and
charge the battery, but what could i do to keep to it that way?
thanks for the help.
Jim
74-FC-31
MAI TAI FINE
************************************** See what's new at
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Jim -
If the '74 was wired anything like the early 80's FC, then your genset
battery should charge whenever there is charging current available
(that is, the chargers or the engine are running).
BB used a battery isolator between the main batteries and the genset
battery. The isolator is there to keep the genset battery from
discharging along with the main batteries. If the isolator has failed,
or if the wiring has been modified, then the genset battery won't get a
charge.
With old birds, it is almost essential to get a wiring diagram and then
follow the wiring in the bus to see if it agrees with the diagram.
Many of these rigs have been modified - and not always for the better.
In the meantime, you could get a small "smart charger" - Napa has them
for about $40 - and install it in the genset tray so the genset battery
will charge while you are plugged in.
Bob Griesel '84 FC31 WLII WA
--- In
WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Jim Benson"
wrote:
>
> So much battery talk prompted my question. I have had my 74-FC-31
> plugged in for a week under the assumption that plugging in charges
the
> batteries. Engine and house battery seem fine, just the generator
> battery continues to lose charge to almost dead. I did remove and
> charge the battery, but what could i do to keep to it that way?
> thanks for the help.
>
> Jim
> 74-FC-31
> MAI TAI FINE
>
Hello Jim, You have helped me in the past, and hope that I can repay the
favor. I have a 1977 FC31 with a Ford 534 Ci. On my dash is a button that
allows you to send juice to the house/ starting/ batteries, from the gen.
battery, in case those batteries are to discharged to start your rig. I have
been told that this switch does not work in reverse. Your gen. battery
stands alone. As some else mentioned,(if it exists on your BB), you may have
a bad isolator. Have you had the gen. battery checked, (as you may have a
bad cell). Even fairly new batterys have been known to have this problem. I
have heard of some people using trickle chargers in the gen compartment, but
I asked a previous owner of my bus,( he owned it for 10 yrs.), about this
practice and he said he never found it to be necessary, the gen batt. always
stayed charged. I have a gas Onan 6.5 KW, that has stayed mostly parked
since last Dec., and the gen has always started without any problems. Hope
this helps. G.Burke Charlotte
On 10/2/07, Jim Benson wrote:
>
> So much battery talk prompted my question. I have had my 74-FC-31
> plugged in for a week under the assumption that plugging in charges the
> batteries. Engine and house battery seem fine, just the generator
> battery continues to lose charge to almost dead. I did remove and
> charge the battery, but what could i do to keep to it that way?
> thanks for the help.
>
> Jim
> 74-FC-31
> MAI TAI FINE
>
>
>
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]