Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 16 total)
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    • #2265
      MyPrevost
      Keymaster

      Been busy working on the Wishing Star.

      Got 8 new tires installed today. Yokohama 104ZR in 12r22.5. Spin balanced and torque tubed. Left front rim was badly bent, so I got a new Accuride rim too. Replaced all drive studs and new nuts all around. There were 10 rounded over nuts, and the drive studs were too short—no threads showing. Reliable Tire in West Sac was great, and I got out the door for less than $5k.

      Got 4 new Northstar SMS-AGM-480 batteries to feed the Trace 4024 from Battery Systems in Sacramento.

      Greased the chassis.

      Installed a new ride leveling valve at the left rear to replace the leaking one.

      Changed the oil in the 8V92.

      Replaced some hoses on the 8V92.

      Rewired messed up and redundant battery cables in the engine compartment.

      I installed a new 12-volt alternator and 12-volt house bank (4 group 27 FLA) plus a new 12-volt genset start battery. I installed a new 60 amp 12-volt “Boondocker” 4-stage converter from Best Converter. It also has a manual mode with a user-set constant voltage.

      The coach also has a 24-volt alternator, a new 24-volt starting pack (4 group 31 FLA), and a new 24-volt inverter pack (the 4 Northstar SMS-AGM-480 @215ah each for 430ah @24 volts).

      I installed two new Blue Sea Systems automatic charging relays. The 7610 SI-ACR connects the 12V house pack and genset battery when charging and separates them when either discharges. The 7623 ML-ACR connects the 24V chassis and inverter packs the same way and has an override switch in the house for manual combine or separate. Wiring is full busbar. I’m watching the voltages.

      I also picked up a Balmar Smartgauge SOC meter (from Marine How-To) to help me keep an eye on things.

      I gutted the inverter battery pack area in one of the bays to bare metal due to lots of acid damage to the plywood. As found, there were 6 group 27 FLA being boiled away by a 75 amp Triad dumb converter/charger. Cables and Romex everywhere. An old isolator with about 8 cables on it and a Vanner 100 that was hooked up but not attached. A real mess! Cleaned up well. Lost the Triad. Lost the Vanner. Lost the isolator. I lined the bay with new ply and FRP and a rubber floor. Installed the 4 Northstars. Built a new ventilated battery box with fans and a thermostat. Full busbar system. Trace is happy again 😄.

      Other work:

      Replaced the generator water pump.

      Replaced all belts on the engine and genset.

      Replaced two obsolete and non-repairable macerator toilets (Raritans) with Jabscos.

      Repaired the leaky front shower valve.

      Pulled up over 30 loose floor tiles and installed new ones, then regrouted.

      Got the Webasto working (bad switch). Installed a new nozzle, and it works great!

      Got the headlights and wipers working, but still puzzled by the horn. It worked once about a week ago, but that’s it.

      Pulled out the stuck pocket bedroom door and installed new HD hardware. What a bi_ch! The solid wood door had 1/4 inch plate glass mirrors on both sides and was just too heavy for the track. Screws pulled through the track. We replaced the mirror with mahogany ply. Looks better and is much lighter. New latch too. Getting the door out required major effort and disassembly.

      Went through the dash replacing burnt-out bulbs and recrimping shoddy connections. Replaced old tiny backlight bulbs with LEDs. Cleaned and lubed the many switches and connectors. Replaced the old fuzzy greyscale CRT backup camera and monitor with a wired color kit with infrared.

      Replaced all 120-volt bulbs throughout the coach with LED and replaced old touch dimmers with new Leviton dimmers. Replacing most of the 12-volt bulbs with LED as well.

      Replaced the nice old 220-volt 4-burner Gaggenau cooktop with two new vertical 2-burner induction cooktops @120 volts each. Together, they fit in the existing hole perfectly. Only have the one Trace @120 volts, and we wanted to cook sometimes without having to start the generator or being plugged in.

      Removed the dishwasher, trash compactor, and icemaker. What do we need these for? Building in some big pantry drawers in the spaces.

      We’ll be replacing the stupid Norcold absorption fridge… 120 volts and propane! What were they thinking? All-electric coach. Anyway, we’ll get a new Novakool RFU9000 to fit in the existing hole. It will fit perfectly, be a 12/24 volt compressor unit, 3 cubic feet bigger inside, front-venting, and much more efficient. We have to stick with the same size refer as there’s a baseboard heater below and a Cruisair evap unit above.

      The 3 Cruisairs are working well. I need to clean them up, but for now, I’m pooped!

      Will be posting some before and after pics when I get a chance. Have a wonderful holiday and be safe!

      #2267
      MyPrevost
      Keymaster

      Wow, you’ve been busy!

      Why do you have both 12V and 24V house banks? The Vanner equalizer is typically used to satisfy 12V needs from a 24V bank.

      I recommend you seriously consider a residential refrigerator. The Trace inverters are more than capable of powering a fridge.

      A bent aluminum wheel… I wonder how often one of these gets bent?

      Pictures… we need pictures!

      #2268
      MyPrevost
      Keymaster

      Pictures will be coming soon, Gil. I’m swamped right now, but I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

      The Vanner was outputting over 17 volts with a 26.5 input. Don’t ask me why. From what I understand, the 12V output should only be connected to the loads, so I probably didn’t need the 12V batteries. I had it wired into the positive 12V busbar. Oops.

      If I knew why this coach was set up like this, I’d tell you. I think the client asked Royal to build it this way.

      Everything is working fine, with the 12V pack handling all the 12V loads and the 24V powering the Trace. The Trace currently runs some electric heaters and the center CruiseAir unit. It’ll also need to handle the induction cooktop and the Norcold fridge once I get those on the right circuits. I could really use some help with that!

      I agree, it’d be great to rely on the Vanner and not have to lug around four 12V batteries.

      A residential fridge would be nice, but there’s no model that would fit. The Novakool is 12/24V, so I can power it from the house 12V, the 24V Northstar AGMs, or the chassis batteries if needed. Plus, it fits perfectly in the current space. I’m also planning to add solar panels. Did I mention we rarely plug in? We prefer to find a quiet spot in the desert or mountains, away from everyone, and enjoy nature. You don’t get that in an RV park or resort. On our Airstream Landyacht, we managed just fine with two Group 29 NAPAs and a 1,000-watt Magnum inverter for the residential fridge. But we had 500 watts of solar to keep the food cold.

      I understand that this Prevost is a whole different level, and I admit I’m still learning as I go. This site has been a huge help, and each issue teaches me something new. Right now, my biggest problem is the horn not working, and I don’t have a clue how to troubleshoot it. Any guidance would be appreciated!

      #2269
      MyPrevost
      Keymaster

      Gotcha on boondocking. I’ve never really compared power usage between a residential fridge and a DC-powered one. Of course, fitting the space is key.

      I’ve come across a few Prevosts with solar panels—one even had the whole roof covered. I wonder why we don’t see wind generators installed, like the ones used on sailboats. Sure, they’d need to be stowed while traveling, but they aren’t that large.

      #2270
      MyPrevost
      Keymaster

      Solar fabric. The possibilities are endless. Awnings, window shades—I’ve even seen it used on purse flaps for phone charging.

       

      #2271
      MyPrevost
      Keymaster

      Figured out” the horn issue.

      There’s a 3-way switch on the dash I couldn’t figure out. Center is off, up for air horns, and down for the city horn.

      Figures! Horns are working now! I think I’ll start labeling these switches once I know what each one does.

      Prevosts sure have a way of keeping you humble, don’t they?

      #2272
      MyPrevost
      Keymaster

      Stephen, that’s a ton of work—good on you for sticking with it.

      Add me to the list of people requesting pictures! Also, which specific cooktop did you go with? I’m looking into possible replacements for a Gaggenau 2-burner myself.

       

      #2273
      MyPrevost
      Keymaster

      John,

      Many owners have replaced their cooktops with induction models. There’s a seller on eBay out of St. Pete who offers a German-made unit that fits well for most people.

      My coach’s original cooktop was a 120V unit, so it was pretty much useless. I managed to snag a deal on a Wolf, but I had to get a stainless steel plate made to cover a small gap on one end where the original unit used to be.

      https://photos.app.goo.gl/Qnuiinjs5zg2q16z7

      #2274
      MyPrevost
      Keymaster

      I went with two side-by-side two-burner units—NutriChef Model: PKSTIND52—found on Amazon. They’re 120 volts each, running at 1800 watts. I’ve got one powered by the Trace inverter, and it works perfectly! I did have to trim 1/4″ off the side of the cutout in the Corian.

       

      #2275
      MyPrevost
      Keymaster

      Stephen, that’s an interesting find. I don’t recall ever seeing an appliance with two power inputs. I’m guessing it has two 1,800-watt burners, which means 20A each. It should perform really well.

       

      #2276
      MyPrevost
      Keymaster

      We swapped out the ineffective Gaggenau quartz unit for a 220VAC two-burner induction model that fit the existing cutout, so no modifications were needed. It was straightforward to disconnect the old unit and wire in the new one. When we’re dry camping without the generator or on 120VAC 30-amp shore power, we keep a portable unit in a kitchen drawer (find one that fits the width and length of your drawers). This portable unit sits on the kitchen counter when needed. Using it off the inverter, it draws 144 amps on high, according to one of the Magnum inverters. It boils water for French press coffee in about 5 minutes, depending on altitude, consuming about 12 amp hours to make a pot. We also keep another portable unit in a drawer in the outdoor entertainment center for outdoor use. So far, we haven’t noticed much difference in performance or reliability between brands. All of them are a huge improvement over the old Gaggenau unit.

       

      #2277
      MyPrevost
      Keymaster

      In our previous coach, we had a 120V cooktop, and when we switched to induction, I could only find two-burner units that “shared” the circuit. If one burner was on high, the second burner could only be set to warm. We recently upgraded to a 240V induction cooktop in our 2006 Country Coach XLII, and it offers full, unrestricted control over both burners.

       

      #2278
      MyPrevost
      Keymaster

      Gil, I’ve installed two of the German induction cooktops in our H3s—one in the Vantare and one in the Liberty. We’ve had a large one in our home for years and absolutely love it. It heats up quickly like gas and cools down just as fast. They’re the best cooktops ever!

       

      #2279
      MyPrevost
      Keymaster

      Since there’s no 220V in the bus, we used two 120V units side by side. Each unit is 1800 watts, but so far, sharing hasn’t been an issue. We’ve been able to cook everything just fine. When we’re not running the generator or plugged in, we just use the left-side unit off the inverter.

      The two units are plugged into separate 20-amp 115V receptacles.

      #2280
      MyPrevost
      Keymaster

      Stephen, I misunderstood your previous post, but I get it now. Installing two units seems to be a good solution for using the cooktop while on inverter power.

      All coaches with a 50A shore cord typically have 240V available, even if it’s not currently used. It’s also possible that your generator is only 120V.

      For those who don’t have any 240V appliances, it’s relatively easy to rewire a cooktop to 240V. However, if your generator is 120V, you might want to avoid introducing 240V appliances.

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