Batteries info

[Philmont man]

I have a 2006 Gulf Stream Sun Voyager and would like to know which set of batteries are for the chassis and which are the RV batteries.

One set has cables marked inverter + and - connected to it.

Dennis Peterson

[jamesham]

The RV battery(s) commonly called the "house" battery would be the one with the inverter cables on it. There may be other positive wire connections for converter, slideouts, steps, etc, or they may all route thru a single power management system where all the fuses are in a remote location away from the battery location.

The chassis battery, commonly called "engine-starting" battery usually is located closer to the engine, with large #4 red battery cable from alternator to battery as main charging cable.

Are yours all mounted together in the same space? House battery may be more than one, and wired to produce more capacity. Engine battery is usually only one. Some motorhomes have a solenoid to allow the house battery to bridge for a few seconds to start the engine in an emergency.


I have a 2006 Gulf Stream Sun Voyager and would like to know which set of batteries are for the chassis and which are the RV batteries.

One set has cables marked inverter + and - connected to it.

Dennis Peterson

[W0JON]

one of the most frustrating battery issues with my 2006 Tour Master is that the battery compartment is on the street side and the batteries are on stationary shelves and you can't tell how they are hooked up or where.... to get the batteries out takes an act of God to pull the two batteries on the top up over the ledge.... the 2 batteries on the lower shelf are easy to get at (I also believe that the lower 2 batteries are the chassis (engine starting batteries I presume) the top shelf batteries appear to have multiple connections to the batteries, which I would tend to believe are the house batteries due to the multiple connections ... please verify :)
Jon

[jamesham]

I know about your battery pain. We had a Travelmaster motorhome with the house batteries on the street side mounted in a compartment about 5 feet off the ground. Had to get on a ladder just to see the top of the batteries!

It should be easy for you to tell which is which because one set should be labeled deepcycle/marine and the other starting or no label at all pther than the brand name. It would be very unusual to have more than a single large 12 volt starting battery for the engine. If anything different, I wonder if some modifications have been made from the factory setup.

Many house batteries are multiple 6 volt deep-cells for more reserve capacity. Two or even 4 are sometimes wired together, especially on rigs with lots of solar panels. Since you mention two shelves, total of 4 batteries, that makes me think all are wired together as your house battery bank.

It would certainly make it easier for you to service if the house batteries were on the lower shelf, and they even sell a metal rollout tray that might make them more assessable.


one of the most frustrating battery issues with my 2006 Tour Master is that the battery compartment is on the street side and the batteries are on stationary shelves and you can't tell how they are hooked up or where.... to get the batteries out takes an act of God to pull the two batteries on the top up over the ledge.... the 2 batteries on the lower shelf are easy to get at (I also believe that the lower 2 batteries are the chassis (engine starting batteries I presume) the top shelf batteries appear to have multiple connections to the batteries, which I would tend to believe are the house batteries due to the multiple connections ... please verify :)
Jon

[W0JON]

thanks for the quick reply, well the owners manual and brochure state that there are 4 inverter batteries (6 volt series/parallel to keep them at 12 volts) and 2 coach batteries (12 volt in parallel) and 2 chassis batteries (12 volt in parallel).... the 4 6 volt batteries are located just under the main windshield and feed with the inverter for 110 volts when not on generator or shore power, the 2 chassis and 2 house batteries are in the same compartment.... the lower 2 12 volt batteries are also connected to the converter (changes shore power and generator to 12 volt power.... so it could be the house batteries and the top batteries could be the chassis batteries to feed the 12 volts throughout the MH for lights, thermostat, water heater igniter, MH indicator panel for fluid levels, etc.... so all batteries in the back chassis and house batteries are interstate heavy duty 12 volt batteries (31 MHD 12 volt batteries) both sets of course are hooked up parallel..... so the top maybe Chassis and bottom maybe house batteries....
Jon....

[Chuck v]

Jon,


The house batteries are those that are charged by the Converter, and power the lighting throughout the coach. The chassis batteries are charged by the engine's alternator and provide cranking power to the starter for the coach's diesel engine. Everything that runs of the vehicle side of the coach (engine, dash, headlights, etc.) run off the chassis batteries, while everything related to the 'home' side of the motor-home such as the light fixtures, the furnace fans and the like that are 12 volt operated are run from the house batteries.


You can use the disconnect switches on the stairwell to selectively shut off the house or the chassis batteries to verify which items operate off which stack.


In my 2007 Tour Master T40C, the two house and two chassis batteries were also in curb side basement compartment, just behind the rear wheel. Mine were on a single level in that bay, with the house batteries nearer the door edge and the engine batteries further back in the bay, but as you say the access was quite limited. So much so that I added a watering system to keep the electrolyte filled properly since it took a mirror to see down into each cell to verify the level.


Does the original poster to this thread still have questions on his batteries? Not sure the Voyager models are that similar to the Tour Master coaches being discussed immediately above...


Chuck

[W0JON]

thanks Chuck, I didn't mean to high jack the question.... just thought maybe my situation would help with the diagnosis... also I guess the easiest way to find out which pair are the chassis and which are the house by disconnecting the battery negative side of the furthest battery to see which area it disconnects... if engine doesn't start it is Chassis, if the 12 volt panel, etc it is the house battery.... great forum for information... thanks to everyone....
Jon..

[Chuck v]

Jon,


No worries -- I did not think you diverted this thread at all and in fact added to it, just wanted to know about the OP since his coach was a different configuration than our Tour Master coaches.


Chuck

[W0JON]

Chuck,

Well, I really am impressed with the GS customer service gal, her name is Millie and she sent me wiring diagrams and also the rear floor engine access diagrams. Mine is the 2006 Tour master T40 A version. It is supposed to have the 2 chassis batteries, 2 coach batteries, and the 4 inverter 6 volt batteries. The coach and Chassis are on the drivers side rear compartment just after the wheels and before the power chord compartment. The 4 6 volt inverter batteries are just under the windshield... so for some reason the previous owner took out the 2 coach batteries and only replaced them with the 1 battery.... which seemed to be ok but 2 might tide over for the times when the generator or shore power is not available...

[Chuck v]

When you say coach battery, we presume you mean the starting battery.


The general recommendation for diesel coach starting batteries from the engine manufacturers is two group 31 batteries in parallel, each with at least 1150 CCA.

I have read somewhere that Cummins recommends a minimum of 1300 CCA, and then only if starting temps are 40 degrees or above. Reliable starting in cold weather requires more capacity. You an get adequate capacity with a single 8D diesel starting battery, but that will occupy at least as much space as two each group 31 batteries and cost more -- plus it will be massive and difficult to handle, weighing at least 180 lbs and measuring 20.8 x 11.1 x 9.8”

My Tour Master coach came with two each group 31 starting batteries, and I am sure yours did too.


If you really meant HOUSE battery, then those should be two each deep cycle 12 volt batteries in parallel (usually group 27...)



Chuck

[trotline]

From an electrician...

Some people refer to the coach battery as the house battery. Whatever. It is simply NOT the engine battery. The coach is whatever is built on the chassis for living space.

Coach battery is the 12v system for the Coach. Its battery is connected to the CONverter for 110v converted to 12v for charging. That means shore(110v ac) or generator (110v ac) power will charge the 12v coach battery. Note: The generator or shore power does not charge the engine battery.

INverters do the opposite. They convert 12v battery to 110v AC. I carry one to operate a 100v CPAC at night when we are not on shore or generator power.

Engine battery is the engine battery. Period. It is like your car. Jump it off if the engine won't start. When the engine is running it will charge the Coach battery the same as it charges its own engine battery. Some Rvs have a switch that will connect the coach battery to the engine battery to assist (jump) off for starting.

I hope that helps.