Battery charger electrical advice and help needed - please.

[sfedeli3]

Terry,

That is an incredibly good price- can they be used in series? If so,
put two or three in the coach so that you only have to run the
genny for an hour or so to fully charge. The last one that I bought
was a Xantrex Truecharge 40+. It ran about $400 at Camping World.

-Shane

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, Terry Neal wrote:
>
> Shane, there are 5-6 Iota 55 DLS chargers on eBay now. You should
be
> able to buy them for around $135-140 each. My last one was $145
> delivered with the smart charger option (New with warranty).
> Terry
>
> Terry Neal
> Bozeman, MT
> 82PT40
> 74FC34
>
>
>
> Rob Robinson wrote:
>
> > Hi Shane I bought my IOTAs from Triangle RV here on Vancouver
Island 30
> > months ago. They were about $150 each and the smart chargers
were $40. I
> > thought the smarties were overpriced.
> >
> > On 05/09/06, one_dusty_hoot > > > wrote:
> > >
> > > Good Deal Rob!, Where did you get those?
> > > Got a smart charger, but could use two of these.
> > > Bob Janes
> > > --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> > 40yahoogroups.com>,
> > > "Rob Robinson"
> > >
> > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Shane I bought my two IOTA 55amp plus two smart chargers for
under
> > > $500.
> > > > With tax I think I paid around $380
> > > >
> > > > On 05/09/06, sfedeli3 <sfedeli3@> wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > Hi John & Adria,
> > > > >
> > > > > I don't think that our coaches are designed to be parked
for 2-3
> > > > > weeks at-a-time without being plugged in. Mine has about
an 8 amp
> > > > > drain from what can only be called "ghost circuits". I
installed a
> > > > > battery disconnect so that I can leave the coach plugged
in and
> > > use
> > > > > the old chargers to keep the 12V circuits on while in
storage.
> > > Over
> > > > > the winter, I completely de-energize the bus and
disconnect the
> > > > > batteries after fully charging them.
> > > > >
> > > > > Prior to getting a smart charger, I used to put the old
chargers
> > > on
> > > > > an outdoor "christmas light" style timer that would turn
them on
> > > for
> > > > > 2 hours a day. This was enough to top off the batteries
without
> > > > > causing them to gas. IF you are getting rid of the coach,
that is
> > > > > the cheapest solution to your problem and won't cook the
new
> > > > > batteries. Othewise, get an IOTA or Xantrex smart charger
that
> > > has a
> > > > > sensor to know when the batteries are charged and turns off
> > > > > automatically. They run around $400 for a 50 amp model.
> > > > >
> > > > > Shane Fedeli
> > > > > 85PT40
> > > > > Hershey, PA
> > > > >
> > > > > --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com
> > 40yahoogroups.com>
> > > > > > 40yahoogroups.com>,
> > >
> > > > > "Adria Haynes"
> > > > > <mrbeebody@> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Gang. Please know going into this thing that I'm well
aware that
> > > > > > I'm wordy - but I do so in an effort to be thorough. So
please,
> > > > > grab
> > > > > > a soda and get comfy.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I lurk here often and post very little. We are in our
3rd summer
> > > > > > with our 80 BB 35FC and it has been bitter sweet. The
payments
> > > > > are
> > > > > > bitter for 12 months a year, and the bus is sweet when
we use it
> > > > > for
> > > > > > about 12 days a year.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Anyways, it's getting harder to justify and we have
toyed with
> > > the
> > > > > > idea of selling it after this past Labor Day weekend,
but it
> > > gave
> > > > > us
> > > > > > a little "gotcha" when it came time to go home. I don't
know if
> > > > > it
> > > > > > was "quitting before we could fire it" or what, but I
could use
> > > > > some
> > > > > > help on the problem if/before we put it on the market.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The problem: I think my battery chargers are hosed.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > When we bought the bus, the Trojan batteries had been
killed by
> > > > > the
> > > > > > PO leaving the fridge set to electrical. We dealt with
them not
> > > > > > holding a charge until last summer when I bought 4 new
> > > batteries.
> > > > > > Even then, it seemed that even though I'd make sure I had
> > > > > > everythign off - something drained them. I got tired of
them
> > > > > being
> > > > > > drained when I'd go out for the monthly "start up and
run for
> > > > > awile"
> > > > > > so I decided to just leave the bus plugged in to my
garage. That
> > > > > > was fine until my new batteries blew up. I replaced those
> > > > > batteries
> > > > > > with 4 new ones in June and all seemed well through our
trip in
> > > > > > July. I was told that my 1980 chargers wouldn't trickle
charge,
> > > > > but
> > > > > > were steady pumpers that over charged the batteries.
Lesson
> > > > > learned.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > When we got home from the July trip, I plugged the bus
into the
> > > > > > house again. It took me about 3 weeks to remember, but I
> > > unplugged
> > > > > > the chargers too. On this past Friday I went out to fire
the old
> > > > > > girl up and she was dead. I plugged in the chargers and
Saturday
> > > > > > morning it fired right up. After work on saturday, I
went to
> > > > > start
> > > > > > it again and it cranked very slowly, then on the last
possible
> > > > > > revolution - she took off and purred like I knew she
would and I
> > > > > > took the bus to the campground where my family already
was
> > > waiting
> > > > > > for me with other family members. I plugged into 30 amp
shore
> > > > > power
> > > > > > with the chargers on until Monday afternoon. When I went
to
> > > start
> > > > > > it to leave, it wouldn't even click. I think I had an
anurism.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I found that with the chargers plugged in, the volts
meter would
> > > > > > wiggle at 12 until I tried to start it, then it would
shake from
> > > > > pin
> > > > > > to pin. It was wierd and I couldn't make any sense of
it, but
> > > > > that
> > > > > > isn't saying much either. About all I have ever learned
about
> > > > > > electricity is that it hurts when I touch it.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I unplugged the charger and removed the 2 batteries that
start
> > > the
> > > > > > bus and put each one on an external 6V charger. They
both took 4
> > > > > > amps for over 2 hours with no improvement. When I
removed the
> > > > > other
> > > > > > 2 RV batteries so that I could take all 4 in for
testing, the
> > > > > ground
> > > > > > posts on those two had some deformation and melting,
which I
> > > knew
> > > > > > was bad.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I got ANOTHER 4 new batteries, hooked up the 2 that I
needed to
> > > > > make
> > > > > > it run and it fired right up. We got it home and I un
hooked
> > > > > those
> > > > > > parallel batteries from one another, the RV ones never
did get
> > > > > > hooked up, and the chargers are also unplugged for now.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > It seemed to me and everybody else that the charger that
was
> > > > > > supposed to be charging the batteries was the very thing
that
> > > was
> > > > > > screwing everything up. It's the only thing that makes
sense to
> > > > > me,
> > > > > > but like I said - I don't know much about these things
and my
> > > pool
> > > > > > of experience is growing, but still VERY shallow.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Thank you for your time and patience with me thus far.
Now that
> > > > > you
> > > > > > have that little bit of history, my questions are as
follows:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Does this make sense to anybody else or am I on
something that
> > > the
> > > > > > chargers are hosed?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Is there a way to check the charging unit that is hard
wired
> > > into
> > > > > > the bus without unhooking it all?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > If it only makes sense to replace this unit, what are
my "best
> > > > > > value" options?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Does anybody have a used one that's still good that
they'd sell?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Thank you very much for your help,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > John, Adria, Blase, Kaleigh, Jade, and Gage.
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > Rob, Sue & Merlin Robinson
> > > > 94 WLWB
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > --
> > Rob, Sue & Merlin Robinson
> > 94 WLWB
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
> >
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>