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Scenario: I was boondocking and watching TV when it turned off. Figuring the house battery power went low I tried to start the generator and got only the starter solenoid clicking. The generator battery is only four months old and replaced just before I took ownership. I hadn't any problems prior starting the generator.I've driven this 1992 President 26'r well over 3500 miles. Question: Doesn't the alternator charge the Engine, Coach and Generator battery while the coach is driven ? I didn't have time to check any systems before having to put the rig in storage. It is now in Las Vegas and I'm back home due to an emergency.
Thanks in advance,
Tom Edelman
Webster, NY
(585) 347-4288
My 95 uses the coach batteries for generator starting, there is not a separate battery for the generator. I have not heard of a generator that starts off it's own battery, but there are many variations.
The alternator does charge the chassis and coach batteries.
Thanks for the comeback rj. Now I'm puzzled? There are two 12 V batteries under the hood. I figured one was for the Engine and the other for the Gen. I have one 12v Marine Coach battery in the tray. I guess, I've got to get a wiring diagram of this 26' RB 1992 BF to figure this out.
I really like this rig. Much better than the class A's I've owned and want to keep it in top condition.
Tom
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[quote="rjcorazza"]My 95 uses the coach batteries for generator...etc
tedelman wrote:Scenario: I was boondocking and watching TV when it turned off. Figuring the house battery power went low I tried to start the generator and got only the starter solenoid clicking. ... Question: Doesn't the alternator charge the Engine, Coach and Generator battery while the coach is driven ? I didn't have time to check any systems before having to put the rig in storage. It is now in Las Vegas and I'm back home due to an emergency.
Tom,
Do you have a diesel? That would explain the 2 batteries under the hood. (Check the wiring scheme to see if they are wired in parallel.)
Yes, the the alternator normally charges both sets of batteries if the charging relay is operating. ...and the relays do go bad. Given your description of things the relay is a possible suspect. I'm assuming you tried running the engine to charge the house batteries and that the house batteries and their connections are in proper working order.
I don't know for sure how the various batteries were mounted in the 1992 Born Frees but I will make a guess. If, your BF is a diesel, then I believe the two batteries under your hood are probably in parallel and are used to start your engine and then you have only one deep cycle coach battery in your tray. Do the two batteries under your hood appear to be wired in parallel?
There is not a seperate battery for your generator. Your generator is started by using power from your coach battery or batteries if you have two. If your engine is a V8 460 gas engine, then I would guess that one of the batteries under the hood and the one in your coach tray are probably wired in parallel providing you with dual coach batteries. In this case, only one of the batteries under the hood is your engine chassis battery.
When driving your coach, the engine alternator provides charging for both the engine battery and your coach deep cycle battery(s). However, depending on whether you have one or two coach batteries and their state of charge and condition, they may provide only one evening of power depending on how much lighting, TV useage and especially if you are running your furnace - the furnace blower takes 6 amps to run just it.
My dual pair of fresh Interstate SRM-29 coach batteries will last a maximum of two evenings if I am running the furnace during the nighttime hours only. When boondocking, you have only two choices to recharge your coach battery(s). One is to run the generator to recharge your coach batteries each day and depending on the charger/converter you have in your unit, you may have to run your generator from 4 to 6 hours or longer each day to restore the lost charge in you coach batteries. Your other choice would be to start your coach engine with the alternator then recharging your coach battery(s) at a much faster rate but at the expense of much higher fuel consumption.
Some RV owners that do a lot of boondocking install a third choice to help keep their coach batteries charged during daytime hours and that is a system of solar panels.
If your charger/converter in your coach is a Magnetek 6345 unit, this unit is quite slow at recharging your coach batteries either using shore line power or using your generator. An upgrade to a modern 3-stage charger/converter would provide you with a major reduction in the time it takes to recharge your coach batteries each time it is needed while boondocking.
If you discharge your coach battery(s) so far that you can't start your generator, you should be able to start the coach engine momentarily and the alternator will provide enough current to get your generator started.
Bill Hemme - Spencer, Iowa
E-mail: whemme@earthlink.net
2002 Born Free (Ford E-450 V10) 26' RSB
2016 VW Golf GTI - toad
Bill...You guessed right. Our previous coach was a 92-26RB with the 460 gas engine. It had two batteries under the hood and one in the coach battery compartment. The smaller of the two under the hood was paralled with the coach battery.
Well guys thanks for all the info. Probably... I have one battery to start the gas engine and the other battery under the hood is in parallel with the coach battery. I'll check this out when I return to Vegas.
First I'll start the engine.... then jumper the front batteries using one jumper to + terminals. This should give enough current to start the Generator. Next I'll find that charger relay and see if it is working. Then I'll check and see if the second under hood battery is infact in parallel with the coach battery. If this is true I'll buy a marine battery, like the coach battery. Reason: I don't think a marine battery and a starter battery are a good match for retaining a good coach charge (They will always create a common mismatch in charging/discharging use). I'll post to my findings when I get back to Vegas..... Not sure when that will be??
tedelman
When you change or replace the coach batteries, it is generally a good idea to replace them both at the same time. That way they will start out as equal, rather than having the new one doing the majority of the work. .
...And if you are going to replace both it's best to replace them with 2-6 volt batteries wired in series.
2-12V batteries, one under the hood and one in the coach's battery compartment wired in parallel, are automatically mismatched due to the disimilar lengths of wire used to connect them and the different temperatures in their different locations.
The generator battery is only four months old and replaced just before I took ownership. I hadn't any problems prior starting the generator.I've driven this 1992 President 26'r well over 3500 miles. Question: Doesn't the alternator charge the Engine, Coach and Generator battery while the coach is driven ? I didn't have time to check any systems before having to put the rig in storage. It is now in Las Vegas and I'm back home due to an emergency.
Probably... I have one battery to start the gas engine and the other battery under the hood is in parallel with the coach battery. 
I'll check this out when I return to Vegas. 
Then I'll check and see if the second under hood battery is infact in parallel with the coach battery. 
If this is true I'll buy a marine battery, like the coach battery. Reason: I don't think a marine battery and a starter battery are a good match for retaining a good coach charge (They will always create a common mismatch in charging/discharging use). I'll post to my findings when I get back to Vegas..... Not sure when that will be??