Shore Power

[chaajoad]

Plugged in the MH today with the new 30 amp service for the first time  - to MH vets it's no big deal but how cool it was to power stuff up and not worry about depleting the battery. As you might expect, I have a few questions.

Is it okay to leave shore power plugged in all the time when we're home? Does shore power charge up the aux batteries at all?

An unrelated question -

I can NOT figure out how to get the front seats to turn around to face the living area. Any advice would be helpful.

I got some questions on the way ... thanks in advance!

Danny Wright
Poulsbo WA
'99 Bounder 34J

 

[Jeff]

Danny:

What model charger/inverter do you have? If it a 2/3 stage inverter that goes into a "float mode" when the battery reaches a charged state then it will not harm your batteries. Common examples of that is the Xantrex Freedom and Prosine series and the Intellicharger with the optional Charge Wizard. These "smart" chargers will prevent boiling your batteries dry. (I believe your Bounder should have the Intellipower charger but willl need the Charge Wizard added. )

Another option if you do not have a 2 stage charging system is to install a Battery Minder battery charger directly to your batteries and use a battery disconnect switch to isolate the batteries while plugged in in storage. That will still provide 110 for refrig, heaters. etc.

 

[Just Lou]

Danny,

I'll address the seat question as I also have a  Bounder although I think the seats are common Flexsteel seats.

On the left side of the seat cushion should be two pull levers.  One is to slide forward and backward.
Pull the other one out and spin the seat around.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

You can leave the rig plugged to shore power all the time. Just keep an eye on the water in the batteries - some chargers are a bit aggressive and tend to boil away the water faster than others. The ones Jeff mentioned are excellent, while others with brand names such as Magnetk or Parallax Power are less so.

 

[chaajoad]

Hi Guys - Because I've admitted I'm often clueless here before, I don't mind admitting I have no clue about the charger/inverter. I don't even know what an inverter is where to find it. My goal is to be able to use the rig for a few hours at a time as an office so it sounds like I don't have to worry about frying anything if I do that. So I'm going out right now to unplug the power and look into that battery stuff recommended.

Maybe a bigger question is: why doesn't all this stuff just come WITH the MH?

Another quick question -

For some reason, there's an annoying buzzing when I start the rig up. This is new. I'm pretty sure it's the seat belt thing but it won't turn off until the rig is out of park and then it stops. Both front seat belts are hooked up and the buzzer still sounds. Can I just snip a wire to stop that annoying noise? We don't need it to use seat belts - we ALWAYS use them ...

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Maybe a bigger question is: why doesn't all this stuff just come WITH the MH?

All what stuff???  Your rig certainly has a converter/charger and we were merely inquiring what brand and model, so we can give more specific answers.  Yes, there are probably better grades of equipment than came standard on your Bounder, but isn't that always the case? Especially when you buy entry-level rather than high-end?

As for your new buzzing sound, you need to figure out what changed since the time when it was not buzzing.  If the buzz doesn't stop when you latch the seat belts, maybe it is warning about something else?  Perhaps a "jacks down" warning?

The simple way to stop the alarm without fixing the underlying problem is to find the buzer itself and remove it - they usually just unplug.

 

[John From Detroit]

Generally alarms sounding means one of two things.

On my Damon Intruder (Workhorse chassis) all the alarms sound when I start it, one after another, What does this mean? It means that the alarms are working, that's what, and they will silence after the test cycle is complete

However if they sound agaain as I'm going down the road... It means sometihing on that dash needs attention and needs it NOW

That buzzing may mean nothing more than "parking brake on" (or parking brake failed) depeding on your system

For an explanation of parking brake failed... Watch Movie RV staring Robin Williams.  Very funny

 

[chaajoad]

I'll have to go out and look but I don't believe the rig has a parking brake - I think the parking brake is automatically applied when put in "park." All systems seem go - what else would cause the buzz other than seat belts? Keep in mind what a newbie I am. I think the answer is to just disconnect it - I think it's a simple malfunction. If it was a "check engine" light I'd be all over it.

As far as "stuff" that should come with a MH ...

I'm beginning to see the industry a bit like motorcycles. Harley is more in the accessory business than the motorcycle business. You can buy a basic Harley pretty reasonably priced but no one wants a stock Harley and by the time you're done, you've doubled your investment. Or you can buy a smaller - but cool - brand bike, already tricked out, and pay a lot more. If you buy an antry-level MH (Bounder) you're going to be wanting to keep adding stuff to it. Tire pressure systems, GPS, air bags, Banks systems, Kingdomes, etc. Or pay a much bigger chunk for a MH with all the bells and whistles. Maybe all vehicles are this way, come to think of it - but motorcycles and MHs seem much more affected by after-market stuff than cars. 

 

[Jeff]

I'll have to go out and look but I don't believe the rig has a parking brake - I think the parking brake is automatically applied when put in "park." All systems seem go - what else would cause the buzz other than seat belts? Keep in mind what a newbie I am. I think the answer is to just disconnect it - I think it's a simple malfunction. If it was a "check engine" light I'd be all over it.

As far as "stuff" that should come with a MH ...

I'm beginning to see the industry a bit like motorcycles. Harley is more in the accessory business than the motorcycle business. You can buy a basic Harley pretty reasonably priced but no one wants a stock Harley and by the time you're done, you've doubled your investment. Or you can buy a smaller - but cool - brand bike, already tricked out, and pay a lot more. If you buy an antry-level MH (Bounder) you're going to be wanting to keep adding stuff to it. Tire pressure systems, GPS, air bags, Banks systems, Kingdomes, etc. Or pay a much bigger chunk for a MH with all the bells and whistles. Maybe all vehicles are this way, come to think of it - but motorcycles and MHs seem much more affected by after-market stuff than cars. 

On our last Fleetwood M/H (98 Pace Arrow) there were buzzers for the following items:

1. Leveling Jacks (Activated by low fluid if the jacks were in fact all the way up)
2. TV Antenna Had to be rotated properly and all the way down.

There was not a buzzer for seat belts. (We bought it used so someone might have disabled this)

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I haven't seen a seat belt buzzer on a motorhome either - out previous 96 Southwind did not have one, nor does the current rig.

As for the extra stuff, you are merely describing the difference between entry and upscale.  You would have similar choices of extra cost features if you were buying a house, a computer, or even a bicycle.

 

[Woody]

About the location of the converter/charger:
On my 93 Pace Arrow it is beneath the pantry cabinet and behind the 110v circuit breaker panel. You should be able to find it by listening for the soft hum while plugged into shore power.

Woody

 

[Jeff]

About the location of the converter/charger:
On my 93 Pace Arrow it is beneath the pantry cabinet and behind the 110v circuit breaker panel. You should be able to find it by listening for the soft hum while plugged into shore power.

Woody

On our 98 Pace it was in the first compartment behind the right front wheel.