RobinsBill
Well-known member
Heeerrre we goooo :-\ Our brand new to us 1998 Beaver Patriot is running with the voltmeter pegged all the way over to 18. Help? :-\
SargeW said:I would put a volt meter on the alternator output ASAP. It it is cranking out that many Amps, you don't want to fry your batteries and who know what with than kind of amperage.
SeilerBird said:The volt meter on the dash reads 18 volts. That has nothing to do with the amperage the alternator is putting out. Does your husband own a volt meter and does he know how to use it? If not you should hire a competent RV mechanic to fix it. I would look on Craigslist for a local mobile mechanic.
muskoka guy said:Could be the voltage regulator is not reducing the voltage output of the alternator. Agree with having good mechanic look at it before something blows up.
Good idea. A voltmeter is almost essential equipment for an RV. You can get a nice digital voltmeter at any Walmart auto department for under $20, and you do want to get a digital and not an analog. Digitals are much easier to read. They are easy to use. You can Google instructions. It is a good idea to test the voltage of any shore power before you plug in. Make sure you are getting close to 120 volts. Too much or too little could cause problems with appliances.RobinsBill said:We will be getting a voltmeter and learning how to use it.
Gary RV Roamer said:If this is the dashboard voltmeter, we are talking about the engine alternator. You don't want an RV mechanic for that - it is a chassis issue. You may be able to get a mobile engine mechanic, but they usually don't do house calls for non-emergency problems. You can drive it to an engine & chassis shop.
If you drove it for a few hours like that, it's obvious that you engine based electronics are somewhat tolerant to 18v (if the gauge is actually accurate).RobinsBill said:So, no RV repair shops... Only chassis truck type places? With the CAT, Freightliner, etc. logos?
Oh how much new stuff to learn!
Here is the strange thing... We took it to Peterson CAT for the mechanical inspection. That is where the guy told us about that gauge being like that. Of course the motor coach wasn't ours yet, but, they had a total lack of interest in having us back in for the maintenance or anything, should we purchase the coach. In fact, when we asked them to work up a quote on the much needed maintenance, so we could present that to the owner of the coach, the guy flat out said "weee cccaaan... but you really don't want to bring it to us, we are expensive."
They run $98.00 an hr...
We asked him if it was charging at 18 volts, would it hurt anything? He said, naw, just get it checked out when you get home. We DID tell him that home was over the mountain and a couple of hours drive.
RobinsBill said:So, let us get this right...
1. Check the water in all batteries first.
2. Start the coach and check at the lighter with the multimeter to see if it really is at 18 volts.
3. If it is not charging at 18 and reads normal range, then it is probably the gauge?
4. If it is reading at 18 (or higher than it should be), take it in to a nearby shop that can test the alternator and or regulator?
Molaker said:May be a dumb question, but the OP is looking at a 1998 Beaver Patriot DP. Just how difficult is it to access the alternator on one of those?
RobinsBill said:If it appears to be the alternator, we will not attempt to do this ourselves... It goes to the mechanic![]()
Gary RV Roamer said:If it is already at a Cat garage, let them diagnose it. Not rocket science - it's either the alternator or the gauge. And even if it is the alternator, it may be the voltage regulation circuit than the alternator itself.
Are you contemplating buying this "as is"? If not, advise the owner of the problem and stipulate it has to be repaired before you buy. Or negotiate a sales price that includes the necessary repair(s).