Wanderlodge Gurus - The Member Funded Wanderlodge Forum

From: Chuck Wheeler
Subject: RE: [WanderlodgeForum] electrical issue
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 8:26 PM

Ernie,

I was a supervisor our there on the railroad many years ago. HQ at Barstow territory ran from Cajon and Mojave on the west to Needles on the East side.

Sorry about your electrical problems. I have run our WB on the generator for days to get home after an alternator failure, but I only have one set of batteries. Do you chargers just charge both sets or just the house batteries? I would expect that there is an isolator to prevent the “house” side from discharging the starting batteries.

- Chuck Wheeler-

1982 FC 31SB Fort Worth TX

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From: WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com [mailto: WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com ] On Behalf Of Ernie E
Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 7:45 PM
To: WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com
Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] electrical issue

While driving my coach from Santa Barbra, I noticed that my engine volt meter was at 12. Stopped the coach and just as I suspected, no belts on the alternators. No problem, I started the generator and all is well.
The question I have is, my generator volt meter is still at 12. I am currently "camped" on the side of the interstate as I don't drive at nite and I didn't think the charger could handle all the lites.
Does the main engine alternator charge the generator battery?
If the house charger does not do that I might have to add a charger for the generator battery.
I have cell phone, internet, and tv. Life is good. and I'm in the coach, which is even better.
Ernie- 83PT40 Newberry Springs, Ca- beside the tracks

From: Bluebird Bob
Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] Re: electrical issue
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 9:06 PM

Hi Ernie,
Sorry for the belt loss.
If your rig is like mine, on the passenger side at the rear,there is a isolator bar. It is down low on the side that you open up. Mine had given up the ghost and wasn't charging the gen bat.
I ran a seperate wire from the rear batts to the gen bat, with a fuse inline. This makes sure that the gen bat always gets juice.
My gen set is probably like yours and doesn't have an alternator.
I also carry a battery charger in my pod in the event the alt. gives out and I need to charge any batts.
If seems from what you are saying the gen bat isn't getting a charge.
Hope it starts for you tomorrow.
Do you carry a set of jumper cables with you? If so, and the gen doesn't start, if you have the tools, remove a engine bat and jump the gen bat to get it started.

Bob Lawrence
84 PT36
Elko, Ga

--- In WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com, "Ernie E" wrote:
>
> While driving my coach from Santa Barbra, I noticed that my engine volt meter was at 12. Stopped the coach and just as I suspected, no belts on the alternators. No problem, I started the generator and all is well.
> The question I have is, my generator volt meter is still at 12. I am currently "camped" on the side of the interstate as I don't drive at nite and I didn't think the charger could handle all the lites.
> Does the main engine alternator charge the generator battery?
> If the house charger does not do that I might have to add a charger for the generator battery.
> I have cell phone, internet, and tv. Life is good. and I'm in the coach, which is even better.
> Ernie- 83PT40 Newberry Springs, Ca- beside the
tracks
>

From: Fred Hulse
Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] electrical issue
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 9:15 PM



Ernie

Sounds like you have a handle on the situation for the evening anyhow.

The trains will let you sleep for a few minutes at a time,but you might get used to it.

I am sure you will be ok until you get to Rods and put new belts on the alt. and maybe pick up a little 25 amp.battery charger for back up.

Keep us up to date.

Fred Hulse
Morristown Arizona
1997 Wanderlodge WLWB41

From: Chuck Wheeler
Subject: RE: [WanderlodgeForum] electrical issue
To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 9:40 PM

Ernie,

Unless you have a very small charger you should be able to run on the generator/charger during the daytime. I did an all nighter trying to stay ahead of a blizzard and every thing kept running. On our coach there is something about where the voltmeter is connected that doesn’t give an accurate reading when all the lights are on and it is running off the charger. I think it may be a ground issue because reading right at the batteries the voltage was 13.7vdc but the gauge only showed 12 and a hair. (Scientific term) I have been thinking about taking the voltmeter leads all the way to the battery so I would have an accurate reading of what is going on. Remember, if your batteries are in good shape and they have been run down they will come up to voltage slowly as they accept a charge.

- Chuck Wheeler-

1982 FC 31SB Fort Worth TX

---

From: WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com [mailto: WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com ] On Behalf Of Ernie Ekberg
Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 9:08 PM
To: WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com
Subject: RE: [WanderlodgeForum] electrical issue

Hi Chuck, I have a total of 4 house/starter batteries. After being parked with generatorrunning, I now have 13 volts on generator battery. So somewhere along the line, after the initial start of the generator, that battery has come up. Ernie- hearing trains every 20 minutes will have to turn on all fans to drown out the noise. Ernie Ekberg 83PT40 Wanderlodge Weatherford, Tx 817-475-3991 http://autos. groups.yahoo. com/group/ erniesremodeling andrepair --- On Tue, 11/10/09, Chuck Wheeler < cwheeler@kathleenwh eeler.com > wrote: From: Chuck Wheeler < cwheeler@kathleenwh eeler.com > Subject: RE: [WanderlodgeForum] electrical issue To: WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 8:26 PM Ernie, I was a supervisor our there on the railroad many years ago. HQ at Barstow territory ran from Cajon and Mojave on the west to Needles on the East side. Sorry about your electrical problems. I have run our WB on the generator for days to get home after an alternator failure, but I only have one set of batteries. Do you chargers just charge both sets or just the house batteries? I would expect that there is an isolator to prevent the “house” side from discharging the starting batteries. - Chuck Wheeler- 1982 FC 31SB Fort Worth TX From: WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com [mailto: WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com ] On Behalf Of Ernie E Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 7:45 PM To: WanderlodgeForum@ yahoogroups. com Subject: [WanderlodgeForum] electrical issue While driving my coach from Santa Barbra, I noticed that my engine volt meter was at 12. Stopped the coach and just as I suspected, no belts on the alternators. No problem, I started the generator and all is well. The question I have is, my generator volt meter is still at 12. I am currently "camped" on the side of the interstate as I don't drive at nite and I didn't think the charger could handle all the lites. Does the main engine alternator charge the generator battery? If the house charger does not do that I might have to add a charger for the generator battery. I have cell phone, internet, and tv. Life is good. and I'm in the coach, which is even better. Ernie- 83PT40 Newberry Springs, Ca- beside the tracks