| [GMCnet] Questions about Batteries [message #247386] |
Mon, 14 April 2014 12:18  |
Brian Oakes
Messages: 23
Registered: October 2013
Karma: 0
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Junior Member |
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Howdy!
I know this question has come up a few times but I wanted to get some
clarification on what is "best". I know best is subjective anyways. but you
guys get the idea.
1. Since the engine part of the coach only need 12v (1 battery to
run), why have I seen/heard references to 2 or 3 of them in the engine
compartment? Just extras?
2. Since the house part only needs 12v, why would you put in 1-2 12v
battery's or 2 or 4 6v?
What is the benefit to each? Just spares? In my case, everything is working
but I will be redoing the compartments, so I wanted to make sure I took all
the feedback into consideration before I planned for the updates?
If you have a link to examples, or recommendations in batteries etc. that
you have seen work the best, send them over. Thanks!
Brian Oakes
Burleson, Texas
75 Eleganza - "Harvey the RV"
TZE165V101227
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| Re: [GMCnet] Questions about Batteries [message #247389 is a reply to message #247386] |
Mon, 14 April 2014 12:32  |
A Hamilto
Messages: 4508
Registered: April 2011
Karma: 39
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Senior Member |
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| Brian Oakes wrote on Mon, 14 April 2014 12:18 |
Howdy!
I know this question has come up a few times but I wanted to get some clarification on what is "best". I know best is subjective anyways. but you guys get the idea.
1. Since the engine part of the coach only need 12v (1 battery to run), why have I seen/heard references to 2 or 3 of them in the engine compartment? Just extras?
2. Since the house part only needs 12v, why would you put in 1-2 12v battery's or 2 or 4 6v?
What is the benefit to each? Just spares? In my case, everything is working but I will be redoing the compartments, so I wanted to make sure I took all the feedback into consideration before I planned for the updates?
If you have a link to examples, or recommendations in batteries etc. that you have seen work the best, send them over. Thanks!
Brian Oakes
Burleson, Texas
75 Eleganza - "Harvey the RV"
TZE165V101227
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1. The batteries are in the engine compartment because the upfitter put them there, reserving storage in the living space for other things.
2. People have more than one house battery so they can stay off the power grid longer before they have to run the Onan.
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| Re: [GMCnet] Questions about Batteries [message #247420 is a reply to message #247386] |
Mon, 14 April 2014 18:01 |
powerjon
Messages: 2446
Registered: January 2004
Karma: 5
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Senior Member |
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Brian,
Yours is a 75 Eleganza and you have a Chassis battery up front on the passenger side and typically a single deep charge battery in the back. Many have changed the rear batteries to twin golf cart batteries (2 6 volt batteries in series for 12 volts) for extra capacity when not plugged in when camping. There are several battery layout combo’s. Our 75 Avion and 78 Buskirk stretch GMC coach have 3 battery sets. A singe up front for the Chassis, twin golf cart in the front and twin golf card batteries in the back. The 73 had the batteries in the front, both chassis and coach batteries and a small 12 to start the onan. That didn’t work very well and that was changed sometime in 1974 or early 1975.
JR Wright
78 Buskirk Stretch
75 Avion
Michigan
On Apr 14, 2014, at 1:18 PM, Brian Oakes <brianoakes@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Howdy!
>
>
>
> I know this question has come up a few times but I wanted to get some
> Clarification on what is "best". I know best is subjective anyways. but you
> Guys get the idea.
>
>
>
> 1. Since the engine part of the coach only need 12v (1 battery to
> run), why have I seen/heard references to 2 or 3 of them in the engine
> compartment? Just extras?
>
> 2. Since the house part only needs 12v, why would you put in 1-2 12v
> battery's or 2 or 4 6v?
>
>
>
> What is the benefit to each? Just spares? In my case, everything is working
> but I will be redoing the compartments, so I wanted to make sure I took all
> the feedback into consideration before I planned for the updates?
>
>
>
> If you have a link to examples, or recommendations in batteries etc. that
> you have seen work the best, send them over. Thanks!
>
>
>
> Brian Oakes
>
> Burleson, Texas
>
> 75 Eleganza - "Harvey the RV"
>
> TZE165V101227
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
J.R. Wright
GMC GreatLaker
GMC Eastern States
GMCMI
78 30' Buskirk Stretch
75 Avion Under Reconstruction
Michigan
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| Re: [GMCnet] Questions about Batteries [message #247429 is a reply to message #247389] |
Mon, 14 April 2014 19:14 |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
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Senior Member |
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Brian,
You are correct. One 12 volt starting battery is all that is needed and normally installed in a GMC.
Early 26 ft. GMCs, and I believe all 23 foot GMCs and tranmodes, had their house battery(s) up front. There was also a very small Onan engine starting in the rear.
Somewhere around 1975 GM moved the house batteries on 26 foot coaches to the rear. At the same time they eliminated the Onan starting battery and started the Onan off of the rear house battery(s). My January 1976 built coach has the house batteries in the rear.
The house battery is a different type of battery. It is designed with thicker plates and designed for lower discharge rates over a longer periods of time when compared to a normal starting battery. Some times 2 batteries are used which usually give twice the storage capacity of one battery. The preferred configuration is two 6 volt deep cycle batteries wired in series for 12 volts. Two identical 12 volt batteries wired in parallel can also be used, but this arrangement tends to self discharge to some extent and ends up not being double the capacity of one battery. Also there is a sight risk of explosion if one battery has a shorted or defective cell during use.
Some people want more storage than 2 batteries can provide. In this case they add one or two additional batteries. The problem doing this is where to install the additional batteries. The obvious place in a 26 foot coach is the front if you have rear batteries or in the rear if you have front mounted house batteries.
I have 2 rear mount 6 volt golf cart batteries and have never need more capacity than that.
Dan Gregg who camps out in the desert for weeks at a time and lives off of solar power thinks he needs (and installed) 4 golf cart batteries. I do not know how low he has ever discharged those while he was out there.
Dan is in the hospital right now for a treatment. Maybe he will respond after he returns home and rests up for a few days.
Over the years there have been many PO modifications to the battery arrangements so you are likely to find many different arrangements out there.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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