Im just going to list the issues I had on this trip and wait for any comments anyone has that may help me in trouble shooting.

History:
Last year when I purchased my bus the PO put in all new starter batteries because the prior ones were dead from the bus sitting still ever since he had bought it at auction in 2003.

Shortly after buying my bus I went on an 1100 mile drive and used the bus briefly around town for joy riding on several occasions with no issues whatsoever.

Last summer when I was moving I high centered my bus but was able to rock it and get lose. Following this I made many round trips during the summer that were a few hundred miles each. I had no issues other then one time I got the alarm that I had overheated (which under the driving conditions I thought was likely fair and not mechanical related)

Last August I parked the bus and didnt do anything to it or drive it. In the fall I tried to start it to move it around the yard but it wouldnt start and I had one battery that had a dead cell which caused all the batteries to go bad. Napa replaced all 4 batteries for free.

For the remainder of last fall, winter and up until about a month ago I have parked the bus. I turned off the 12 volt and 24 volt. Once in awhile I would start it and move it around the yard and let it run for awhile. It always started first time up with no issues.

To prepare for this trip I just took across several states and back, I cleaned the battery posts among other normal maintenance stuff like refilling my antifreeze.

When I took off out of home I noticed my water light was on bright red. I stopped and checked the temp (my gage is only on the engine, not the dash) and I shot the engine with my IR gun. Even though the light was on, the engine temp was fine. Eventually the light went out after about 75-100 miles.

On this trip, at night, I tried to use my windshield wipers for the first time ever. They didnt work well at all and could have gotten a couple of friends of mine and myself shot on this trip (that's another story). Then my headlights got dimmer and dimmer over a period of a couple hours. My 12 volt gage also dropped dramatically.

Over the next couple days I had to get jump started a couple times, especially after driving at night with my lights on. I replaced the 2 front parrell batteries at Napa (they said they were only reading 100 amps).

I got to the bus rally in Oregon and was told about the Vanner reset switch by Dick Wright and Cable had checked it and said it was popped out so he pushed it back in. Cable also didnt like the looks of the wiring in one of my headlights. A friend of mine on the bus and myself tightened up the wiring on that one headlight. It shined bright.

Over the next few days we crossed over from Oregon and Washington down thru Idaho. During this trip I had to get jump started almost everytime I started the bus. I didnt want to drive at night because my headlights were almost always dim. One of the guys who jump started me said the batteries smoked a little.

When we got to my brother's house in Idaho we never soldered the headlight but we did disconnect and clean the batteries and all the connections, also we replaced a brake light with a junkyard part that was broke when I bought the bus and had forgotten about.

Inadvertently we did not hook the white wire on the vanner to the ground on the bus. We took the bus for a short test drive and nearly exploded the two back parrell batteries (which had been charging just fine). We took those batteries back to Napa and replaced them.

Finally everything seemed to be working fine, though my brother had noticed some corrosion on the neg cable that connects the two front batteries in parrell. He said that it should get me home but would need to be replaced soon.

On the way to the coast of California I had several issues with the AC not getting cold and shutting off, dim lights, flashers either not working or the fuse for them popping up. I only had to get a jump once but after the jump the 12 voltmeter showed about 17 volts (way way OVER charging) Immediately I stopped and checked the heat of all the batteries (which was only about 85 degrees). I found I could keep the 12 voltmeter in the green if I turned on my headlights with bright lights, ran my hazards and used my dash board fan at the same time. I tried my AC but it only worked briefly (though this popped my flasher fuse up, at one point, behind the driver's seat).

After dropping off my friends at the coast I headed back to the surface of the sun at home. During the 4 and 1/2 hour trip back home the AC kicked in and worked like it is suppose too, the flashers all worked like they were suppose too, the head lights worked fine (though after having them on for a long time they began dropping my 12 volt needle to the bottom of the spectrum so I turned them off), and lastly....... the bus now works perfect and starts up first time everytime.

My thoughts are that I need to replace that front parrell neg cable, tighten up the one headlight REAL good and check for mouse chewings on my other wires.........

Sounds to me like the passengers you had with you and dropped off were somehow offending the bus. Maybe they had gremlins.

On a more serious note, the first thing I would suggest, since corrosion issues have been discovered with the one cable is check them all carefully. Inspect each wire as throroughly as you can from one end to the other and inspect all connections. Then I would use the manual's section on troubleshooting the regulator and check it carefully.

answer seems to be that the front dash area wires are in need of replacement or serious overhaul!!

I wish I had brought the pile of wiring I have removed from my drivers side harness so far. It's more than enough wire to replace all of the wires in the front end and then some. Those terminals and connectors can add up though if they need replacing. I spent nearly $100 on just the terminals and connectors for the wiring I have updated.

Bob

Considering I am not done with the stripping phase yet, I think I am just going to do some quicky type hack job with splicing and electrical tape for now. With the dash gages you have for me, after I am done with the stripping AND taking care of the fuel sending unit AND I am moving all my electrical stuff from around my seat to the dash area........ THEN I will do it right and nice. I have a ton of wires that I took from my motorhome when I stripped it too. Im still seriously considering redoing all the outside lighting to LEDs and maybe a serious upgrade of headlights anyway.

That makes perfectly good sense.

Teresa, it was really nice to finally meet up with you in person. I'm so sorry that I had to cut your visit short, I had totally forgotten about my speaking engagement. It was booked by a friend of Jeromes only a few days prior, so it was not something that I had planned. The good news is that the producer does want me to sign those consulting contracts that I had mentioned. This means that after my trip to northern CA, I will need to make arrangements to return to this area and plan for that trip out of the country in 2-3 months.

I feel that you probably should hold off on having your RTS electrical revamped by someone else. It is so easy to just implement the seperate 12V/24V coach operating/starting battery setup that I spoke of without having to spend a whole lot of money. Get rid of the Vanner and just use the existing 12V and 24V regulators. Then you can decide how you want to handle your house battery setup, and whether or not you want to use the 50DN to opportunity charge them as well.

Dale, since me and Teresa met up just yesterday, it would be best for us to meet up with you in Bakersfield on Monday. Our group will be passing back through Bakersfield then, on our return trip from ABQ NM. I'll call you about it. I am really beat from the hectic schedule I have had for the past week. I would rather not go to the conference in ABQ NM at this point, but it's been scheduled and paid for already. I called that fellow in LA about the parts on Friday, he said to call back in 20 minutes. He would not answer his phone when I tried calling back. I guess he doesn't really want to sell RTS parts.

Bob

Just typical behavior for most businesses in Los Angeles in my experience. Customer service is a lost art most places anymore. But in Los Angeles it seems to strike most of them as a silly concept that they think was a fable introduced and exagerated in 50's era TV shows, along with the equally silly notions of good parenting, moral values and kids that said funny words like sir and maam to their elders. Certainly not anything that is useful in business.

So true. I hated being in LA the last time I spent a few weeks there. Smog, rude people, aggressive driving, and dishonest business practices, were all common themes there.

As bad as I felt from being worn out, now I find that I have food poisoning from the pizza place we went to for my speaking engagement last night. Looks like my 1000 mile trek to get to the conference might not be possible now, I can't stay out of the bathroom long enough. Just my sort of luck.

Bob

Yes Bob! It was very nice meeting you and Jerome and the guys yesterday! I am going to try to meet up with you and Dale next Monday in Bakersfield. I have to call Don Fairchild and see about getting an appointment for him to do the additional alternator. I had intended on eventually getting another alternator to run my house batteries anyway, so now seems to be as good of a time as any.

Just let me know what you have planned, Bob. One day next week I am taking my daughter to Universal Studios but it won't be Monday so I will be around.

Sorry to hear that Josh did that to you. That has been my experience with them too unfortunately. Guess I need to get back in touch with that guy on the East Coast with a couple hundred RTSs.

Teresa, I don't know how much I would do until you are ready to do it all. Are you ready to move the batteries and add the house bank and everything now? If it were me, I would want to do all of that at once instead of having to add wires now and then rewire later.

I have a guy down in L.A. that used to work for some of the big converters down there. He has started a business helping people convert their buses. Since he is just trying to get this started, I think his rates are going to be pretty good too.

Well apparently there is a problem with my Vanner afterall (see the yahoo group). It isnt charging the 12 volt system right and is overcharging the 24 volt system. Pete's advise to me was to remove the Vanner and either replace it or go with a separate alternator for charging the 12 volts. Since eventually I want a bank of about 8 house batteries and I am going to try to stay away from an alternator and keep the OTR air conditioning system (at least until I have problems with it), I want those batteries charged by a separate alternator. Pete suggested that I go with 100 amps and use it to charge both the house batteries and the 12 volt system. Otherwise, yes I am pretty much ready to build the bay and move the 4 batteries.

Teresa and Dale

I'm sorry that I did not post earlier, but I did not have internet access. The hotel wanted us to pay $12.95 per internet login session!

The timing for stopping at Bakersfield just did not work out. I doubt Dale would have liked being woken up at 4 AM. Will have to reschedule this.

Maybe we can do something to solve the battery issue. I'm going to read the new threads and get caught up on what I missed while I was gone.

Bob