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Old 07-28-2013, 06:03 AM   #361
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I'm bad.. haven't read all the previous posts
1. are you sure the batteries are ok?
2. If this charger is only capable of boost mode for 15 mins as Norm says you aren't charging them correctly anyway. In the solar world a good three stage charger will first of all let you set the bulk charging time (absorb), normally an hour then drop to whatever set point you have for float for however long you have the sun to maintain the level then slowly drop.

sorry for mixing solar with converter charging but the battery charging theory is the same.
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Old 07-28-2013, 07:04 AM   #362
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the normal process for the PD unit is :
Boost (14.4v ~10amp max for ~1 or so hours) Then
Normal (13.6v ~1amp to 100% charge)
De-Sulfate (14.4v for 15min each day)

Per PD4045 manual/info.
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Old 07-28-2013, 12:07 PM   #363
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De sulfate is once every 21 hours for 15 minutes at 14.1 volts. It works, our batteries were on year 13 or 14 when we sold the motorhome.

Boost Mode is triggered by low battery voltage. Boost voltage is 14.4 volts. The trigger level seems to be undefined in my reading of the literature. It stays in boost until the batter reaches 90% of full charge.
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Old 07-28-2013, 06:31 PM   #364
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Every make of deep cycle battery has different set points for proper charging.. not critical in an RV battery normally but essential in the solar world as battery banks are larger and more expensive.
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Old 07-28-2013, 06:34 PM   #365
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but enough of that.. back to the converter problem and resolution of
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Old 08-03-2013, 07:10 PM   #366
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Lightbulb

UPDATE ON CHARGING...

I have just completed a two hour test of the Optima 1200 Digital Charger i installed in my Parkliner #35. I spent about an hour installing it and am happy with how it turned out. Here are some pictures:

Here is what it looks like from the cabin:


And here is a bird's eye view with street side bench cover up:


And a view from the open side door located under the street side bench front face:


As i had tested the PD4045 a couple weeks back for two hours writing down volts/amps every 15 minutes i did the same with the new charger. I also checked back at the three hour mark to see what it was doing.

Here is a summary:

When i plugged unit into 120v and turned it on it asked to select what type of battery... i chose the light grey optima deep cycle setting. The charger then spent about 2 minutes analyzing the bank. On the VOM the bank read 12.5v. The charger then began to charge by sending out a voltage of 12.5 volts/5 amps and by 5 minutes in was sending 13.8v/11amps. Over the next two hours it went up to 14.2 volts and 8.2amps. When i checked it at the third hour it was at 14.4 volts / 4 amps. Here are the readings every 15 minutes:

Time..........Bus-Bar..........Xantrex..........VOM..........AMPS
0000..........12.4................12.5............ .12.50..........5.00
0015..........13.8................13.8............ .13.84..........11.2
0030..........13.8................13.8............ .13.84..........10.8
0045..........13.8................13.8............ .13.80..........10.6
0060..........13.8................13.9............ .13.86..........10.4
0075..........13.8................13.9............ .13.91..........10.0
0090..........13.9................13.9............ .13.93..........9.80
0105..........14.0................14.0............ .14.10..........9.00
0120..........14.0................14.0............ .14.20..........8.20

This concluded the 15 minute data-watch period.

I came back an hour later and the reading was:
0180..........14.4................14.4............ .14.42..........4.20

PS note for check at four hour mark... reading was:
0240..........14.7................14.7............ .14.68..........2.20

I will check things every hour or so until i head to bed, then check things in the morning before heading to the office (~0630 Sunday morning). So far the charger is doing precisely what the Optima manual states it should do with a ~1/2 depleted battery bank... start out slow and ramp up to 14.4 volts.

Two parting shots showing some more detail of install:




: ) Thom
Another MacGyver Wanna Be project out of the way!
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Old 08-03-2013, 08:34 PM   #367
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Is battery stuff something we have to worry about if we buy a ParkLiner? I'm usually pretty good with wiring, but all this battery stuff is like Greek to me!

Frank
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Old 08-03-2013, 08:58 PM   #368
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Quote:
Originally Posted by accrete View Post
the normal process for the PD unit is :
Boost (14.4v ~10amp max for ~1 or so hours) Then
Normal (13.6v ~1amp to 100% charge)
De-Sulfate (14.4v for 15min each day)

Per PD4045 manual/info.
Dear Accrete,

I've received replies to my messages from several members. My problem is I have no idea how to respond to them and express our appreciation. Where in the fiberglassrv site can I find out how to answer messages?

Confused and still in Philly.

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Old 08-03-2013, 09:03 PM   #369
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Hi Willy,
I'm at a loss as to what you mean by not being able to respond to messages sent to you. In the upper right corner of your browser window you should see something like this with your user name instead of mine:

Welcome, accrete.
You last visited: Today at 12:34 PM
Private Messages: Unread 0, Total 11.

You will have an active link on "Private Messages" if there is one to respond to.
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Old 08-03-2013, 09:05 PM   #370
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Frank i don't know if it was my PD4045 that had an issue or something in the mix of the PD + Optima batteries... i was unable to bring my bank up to charge, but my prelim test of the optima charger i installed this afternoon looks promising.
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Old 08-04-2013, 05:48 AM   #371
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Obviously you're too far away to run the ParkLiner back to NC for diagnosis. So there was some problem you had to fix.

Did ParkLiner offer any help at all?

Did they buy and ship you the Optima charger?

So you're using a charger now instead of a converter?

I'm glad you got it worked out, but it still concerns me, as I would not have a clue! We buy a new ParkLiner, then what? Battery/converter problems?

Frank, confused in NY!

Quote:
Originally Posted by accrete View Post
Frank i don't know if it was my PD4045 that had an issue or something in the mix of the PD + Optima batteries... i was unable to bring my bank up to charge, but my prelim test of the optima charger i installed this afternoon looks promising.
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Old 08-04-2013, 07:17 AM   #372
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Hi Frank,

I don't even know if there is a _problem_ with the PD4045... it is just that after speaking to both Progressive Dynamic Techs & Optima Blue Top Techs _by the manual/design_ the PD4045 may not be suited for the nice batteries inside the PL...so i spent the few bucks on the charger on what i perceived as something to work through.

I didn't even contact PL on the issue, to me it was probably something i would have done anyway (and have done in the past for maintaining similar AGM batteries in an older version of my HAM Radio setup.)

Since the PD4045 is arguably one of the best RV converters available from what i read i think Chandler did the first thing that came to his mind...look for a good converter... i think the issue comes in when you put in Optima batteries, which come with an attitude

Thom
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Old 08-04-2013, 10:26 AM   #373
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I commend you for staying on top of your electrical circumstances so well. I wasn't so careful, and as a result my battery got too sulfated and I replaced it this summer, after only 2.5 years. Besides letting it run down completely 3 or 4 times (at first not realizing that my CO detector alone could run the batt dry in less than a month), the WFCO converter in my trailer does not seem to put out more than 13.8V. My solution has been to use a solar panel and Morningstar controller for batt maintenance instead of relying on the WFCO. The Morningstar puts out as much as 14.2V during bulk charging.

Did you wire yours so the batt can get juice from either (or both) the charger and the converter? Or is it now fed just from the charger?
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Old 08-04-2013, 01:44 PM   #374
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Magee View Post
...My solution has been to use a solar panel and Morningstar controller for batt maintenance instead of relying on the WFCO. The Morningstar puts out as much as 14.2V during bulk charging.

Did you wire yours so the batt can get juice from either (or both) the charger and the converter? Or is it now fed just from the charger?
Kudos on the Solar/Morningstar choice...a nice setup. Might go that way down the road, though for now we can go ~10 days out before needing a charge and rarely do anything over our preferred Mon-Friday 5 day adventures (and back to work on Sat/Sun... they don't miss us crew-wise during Mon/Fri : )

The battery bank can still be charged through the PD4045 as both charger/PD are on a common bus-bar (though i would not have both going at once.)

Shot of user installed busbar in PL#35

...4 fused inputs (2 batteries and future solar?) and three common in/out on busbar. Currently have PD4045, Optima Charger, & Xantrex Monitor on busbar.
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Old 08-12-2013, 01:06 PM   #375
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Lightbulb shower plumbing mod

Greetings,
I'm sharing an image i made of the simple plumbing modification i made to the shower drain to bilge pump. I stated elsewhere that i wanted to be able to hook a hose directly between the shower drain and bilge pump so we could gravity-drain the shower into an appropriate system as an option. I think the parts were ~$12 at my local home depot and install was a simple process. Now we can hook up a garden hose or similar item and drain without utilizing battery/pump : )



========Battery/Charger update
A week or so after installing the Optima Charger i'm finally believing the two optima's are happy. Charger is simple to hook up and use and the Xantrex is continuing to give out good reports on battery bank charging/maintaining process...something that i was not observing under same loads with the stock PD4045.

Cheers,
Thom
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Old 08-12-2013, 01:44 PM   #376
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Interesting shower mod.

My charging volts off ac is 13.4, 13.9 off the generator. Wonder why the gennie pumps more juice in then the ac power at home?
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Old 08-28-2013, 04:56 PM   #377
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Greetings,
An update on shower plumbing mod... it worked as designed : ) as we set up camp i screwed on the short ~4ft section of hose to the outlet and then secured the other end to the small 2.5 gallon reliance water container i used as an exterior grey tank. The water from showers flowed easily into the container and there was no use of shower-bilge pump.

Happy Trails...
The attachment is shot of our camp at quartzcreek in oregon...ring #10 (of about 100 or so available sites along the 11 mile riverbank set aside for gold panning)
Attached Thumbnails
PL35_2013-08QCring10camp.jpg  
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Old 10-06-2013, 03:37 PM   #378
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Lightbulb

I posted this general MaxxFan data at another thread and wanted to repost here for future reference:

====body of post:

We have two MaxxFann 5100K fans in use on our rigs. One on the Parkliner and one on our Van Conversion. I have measured the amperage draw at the various settings and thought i'd share them as an FYI for you and any interested Eggsters. We really appreciate the range of settings (as other owners have also noted).

Starting at the lowest setting i will label as "1" and stepping up in speed to "10" i recorded the following on the installed Xantrex volt/amp meter:
Readings in amps per hour:

1=0.3
2=0.5
3=0.7
4=1.0
5=1.3
6=1.7
7=2.3
8=2.8
9=3.4
10=4.6

We mostly keep ours preset at 3 and during this past season have typically run the fan only mid afternoon for ~20 to 30 minutes after returning from river-time to take any heat out of the PL. Then maybe ~10 or so minutes in the van before we head in for a night's rest. Life in the PNW doesn't see much use out of the fan for our style, though we are happy we've got them installed just in case the heat does show up in camp. And since we dry camp for ~a week at a time between charges i know exactly how long i can run the various appliances with our battery bank. Thus my desire to record amperage draw as noted above.

We love our MaxxFans! & will always request them over the _other_ popular fan out there.

Our MaxxFann couple : )

=====end of post.

Cheers,
Thom
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Old 10-09-2013, 05:18 AM   #379
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That's a GREAT looking trailer and TV, Thom !!
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Old 10-09-2013, 02:51 PM   #380
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Thanks Pam, it's been a fun project.

One of the recent tweaks in the Parkliner might be of interest to other PL owners. As you know the stock setup on the screen door does not allow clearance for an entry carpet.

The modification to the screen door to allow for the fit of the door mat was to trim off 3/8" of an inch from the bottom at the door so it can be opened/closed with mat in place : )

Since Cari & I do all our adventures in the soggy Pacific Northwest we wanted to utilize one of the "Miracle Door Mats" we've grown to appreciate around the _home_ [Thom's note, i have no affiliation with MM. I purchased our units at Costco during a roadshow which has much better prices. . . This week i purchased the 30"x60" runner for $69.95 which is listed at the MM website at $119.95). We use the door-mat size at the entry way of our 5th wheel & also Parkliner. Then we have the 30"x40" in the van and Parkliner dinette. And recently purchased the 30"x60" as a runner in the PL galley area. So you might say we are satisfied customers!

Here are two pictures i took of our mod:
Attached Thumbnails
PL35entryCarpet01.jpg   PL35entryCarpet02.jpg  

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