A couple of recent purchases: Battery watering system & 50-15 amp ad June 14, 2008, 02:14:09 am Yahoo Message Number: 1220Just installed the Pro-fill battery watering system for the two Costco6V golf cart batteries in our Jayco Greyhawk. What a cool product!Battery access on the Greyhawk is pretty decent with the slideouttray, but this makes it much easier to maintain the batteries.Also, happened to pickup a Marinco 50amp to 15 amp adapter. Basicallyallows me to run the fridge and the lights when we have the MH parkedin front of the house while we pack for a trip. While plugged in thisway, do you know if the house batteries will be charging? I imagineit would. Quote Selected
Re: A couple of recent purchases: Battery watering system & 50-15 am Reply #1 – June 14, 2008, 09:44:02 am Yahoo Message Number: 1222Rich, we've used to pigtails since back in 2003-4. First we had only 30 amp and got a 30 to 15 to run things on the pad at home and at the occasional campground that only had 15 amp. When we got the 50 amp service on trading to the Journey, I had to get a 50 to 30 pigtail.Then we added the 50 amp service out of the pool shed**but the MH cord would not reach. So I used my 30 amp extension but had to get a reverse 50 mail to 30 female to plug in the extension, then back to a 30 to 50 at the other end of the extension. This only gave me 30 amps at the MH of course. Then I broke down and bought the 50 amp extension cord (30 ft) and now we are 50 amps all the way.When did you get the 6V golf car batteries? Are you happy with them. We too only have the one house battery that came with the MH and since we don't dry camp in the Greyhawk (or at least haven't to date) have found that adequate. I'm sure one night of dry camping and the gennie would be running a lot. I didn't want to add another 12V Interstate since then I'd have an old one and a new one and everything I see says "don't do that." So, I figured sometime in the future I'd get two 6V and then make darn good and sure I connect them the right way to get 12V out of them. Not being an electrical bug, I have to approach anything electrical with extreme caution. We are moving to the Windsor area across from Detroit sometime after July 16 and will no longer have a pad next to the house or any room at all for the MH. There is a Jayco trailer dealer a half mile away (talk about luck) and it appears we will pay $50 per month to store the Greyhawk there. I'm not pleased with the idea of leaving keys though. All winter I lifted the hood and disconnected the battery at the remote connection (one day I might find a kill switch for that location) and that seemed to work as the battery didn't run down too much with the various power drains gone. I'm going to disconnect the battery at the dealer as well and turn off the house battery at the switch by the house entrance door. (which makes one wonder why Jayco didn't put in a kill switch for the chassis battery). Our Journey chassis batteries (2) drained so quickly when we were parked in Florida that we had to keep a Battery Minder on them. When we got the Ambassador it had a kill switch for the chassis batteries (2 again) and that worked well. Went the entire winter without having to charge them. Winnie has since had to add a chassis battery kill switch since there are so many parasitic power drains.Don**We had 100 amp service to the pool shed as the original owner had a electric pool heater and we found that putting the 50 amp outlet in the shed was not very expensive since it did not have to be weather proof as would have been the case if it had been outside.On 14-Jun-08, at 2:14 AM, rich_panganiban wrote: Quote Selected
Re: A couple of recent purchases: Battery watering system & 50-15 am Reply #2 – June 15, 2008, 12:46:36 pm Yahoo Message Number: 1230Hi Don, I installed the two 6V golf cart batteries in March and they are anoticeable improvement when dry-camping. We don't do a lot of it, but it is much better than running the generator every hour to keepthe single 12v battery charged. As a matter of fact, if you werecloser I would give you the 12v Interstate battery I took out. Thebatteries fit in the battry tray quite nicely, I only had to add a#4 gauge jumper lead to connect them. Also, I was surprised to findthat the batteries came strapped down with a backpack-style strap(1" webbing and a plastic buckle). Of course, the plastic hadtotally disintegrated. So I replaced it with a metal buckledstrap. Turn out very nice.Thanks for the info on the pigtail. I was pretty excited to findone that had the Marinco twist end that comes with our coach so Iwouldn't have to get a bunch of adapters.How is your Greyhawk holding up?Regards, Rich Panganiban. Quote Selected
Re: A couple of recent purchases: Battery watering system & 50-15 am Reply #3 – June 15, 2008, 02:08:57 pm Yahoo Message Number: 1231 Hey Don thanks for the information about the Marinco adapter for50 amp down to 15 amp, I looked but couldn't find it , do yoou have thepart number so we can order one also ..........great idea for just a quick plug in forrefrigerator to cool it down and not use the propanethank againrich_panganiban wrote: Quote Selected
Re: A couple of recent purchases: Battery watering system & 50-15 am Reply #4 – June 16, 2008, 12:14:34 am Yahoo Message Number: 1237Hi Gary, here is a link to the adapter:http://marinco.com/scpt/ProdPage.php?loadItem=115A_Marinco%20Shore%20PowerHope that helps. Rich Panganiban.--- In KodiakChassisClassC@yahoogroups.com, Gary Myers wrote:QuoteHey Don thanks for the information about the Marinco adapter for50 amp down to 15 amp, I looked but couldn't find it , do yoouhave theQuotepart number so we can order one also ..........great idea for justa quick plug in forrefrigerator to cool it down and not use the propanethank againrich_panganiban wrote:Hi Don, I installed the two 6V golf cart batteries in March and they area noticeable improvement when dry-camping. We don't do a lot of it, but it is much better than running the generator every hour tokeep the single 12v battery charged. As a matter of fact, if you werecloser I would give you the 12v Interstate battery I took out.The batteries fit in the battry tray quite nicely, I only had to adda #4 gauge jumper lead to connect them. Also, I was surprised tofind that the batteries came strapped down with a backpack-style strap(1" webbing and a plastic buckle). Of course, the plastic hadtotally disintegrated. So I replaced it with a metal buckledstrap. Turn out very nice.Thanks for the info on the pigtail. I was pretty excited to findone that had the Marinco twist end that comes with our coach so Iwouldn't have to get a bunch of adapters.How is your Greyhawk holding up?Regards, Rich Panganiban.--- In KodiakChassisClassC@yahoogroups.com, grandriver125@wrote:QuoteRich, we've used to pigtails since back in 2003-4. First wehadonly 30 amp and got a 30 to 15 to run things on the pad at homeand atthe occasional campground that only had 15 amp. When we got the50amp service on trading to the Journey, I had to get a 50 to 30pigtail.Then we added the 50 amp service out of the pool shed**but theMHcord would not reach. So I used my 30 amp extension but had toget areverse 50 mail to 30 female to plug in the extension, thenback to a30 to 50 at the other end of the extension. This only gave me30 ampsat the MH of course. Then I broke down and bought the 50 ampextension cord (30 ft) and now we are 50 amps all the way.When did you get the 6V golf car batteries? Are you happy withthem. We too only have the one house battery that came with theMHand since we don't dry camp in the Greyhawk (or at leasthaven'tQuotetodate) have found that adequate. I'm sure one night of drycamping andthe gennie would be running a lot. I didn't want to add another12VInterstate since then I'd have an old one and a new one andeverythingI see says "don't do that." So, I figured sometime in thefuture I'dget two 6V and then make darn good and sure I connect them therightway to get 12V out of them. Not being an electrical bug, I havetoapproach anything electrical with extreme caution. We are moving to the Windsor area across from Detroit sometimeafterJuly 16 and will no longer have a pad next to the house or anyroom atall for the MH. There is a Jayco trailer dealer a half mileaway (talk about luck) and it appears we will pay $50 per month tostorethe Greyhawk there. I'm not pleased with the idea of leavingkeysthough. All winter I lifted the hood and disconnected thebattery atthe remote connection (one day I might find a kill switch forthatlocation) and that seemed to work as the battery didn't rundown toomuch with the various power drains gone. I'm going todisconnect thebattery at the dealer as well and turn off the house battery attheswitch by the house entrance door. (which makes one wonder whyJaycodidn't put in a kill switch for the chassis battery). OurJourneychassis batteries (2) drained so quickly when we were parked inFlorida that we had to keep a Battery Minder on them. When wegotthe Ambassador it had a kill switch for the chassis batteries(2Quoteagain) and that worked well. Went the entire winter withouthaving tocharge them. Winnie has since had to add a chassis battery killswitch since there are so many parasitic power drains.Don**We had 100 amp service to the pool shed as the original ownerhad aelectric pool heater and we found that putting the 50 ampoutlet inthe shed was not very expensive since it did not have to beweatherproof as would have been the case if it had been outside.On 14-Jun-08, at 2:14 AM, rich_panganiban wrote:Just installed the Pro-fill battery watering system for thetwo Costco6V golf cart batteries in our Jayco Greyhawk. What a coolproduct!Battery access on the Greyhawk is pretty decent with theslideout tray, but this makes it much easier to maintain thebatteries.QuoteAlso, happened to pickup a Marinco 50amp to 15 amp adapter.Basicallyallows me to run the fridge and the lights when we have theMH parkedin front of the house while we pack for a trip. Whileplugged inQuotethisway, do you know if the house batteries will be charging? Iimagineit would.------QuoteNo virus found in this incoming message.Checked by AVG.Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 270.3.0/1503 - Release Date:6/14/2008 6:02 PM Quote Selected
Re: A couple of recent purchases: Battery watering system & 50-15 am Reply #5 – June 18, 2008, 10:03:19 pm Yahoo Message Number: 1282I took, sort of, the same course that you did with the golf cartbatteries - while dry camping in the winter, my original 12voltbatteries would not last the entire night... I sleep using a CPAPmachine that I run off of the inverter. I would not use the heatedhumidifier because to the higher amperage draw of the heating element, and still I would awake at 4 or 5 in the morning because the of CPAPturning itself off (the furnace on the MH would still be working, but Iguess the CPAP is more sensitive to voltage).I removed the two 12v batteries from the slide out tray and replacedthem with 6v batteries. I also sectioned off a section of the nextcompartment and added two additional 6v batteries. I wired all thebatteries together and made up a voltmeter to permanently install inthe compartment to, more accurately, monitor the batteries.I also installed the battery fillers - what a great invention. Theysure make keeping up on battery water less of a chore.Now I can go day, in the winter, without having to fire up thegenerator to recharge the batteries., "rich_panganiban"wrote:QuoteJust installed the Pro-fill battery watering system for the twoCostco 6V golf cart batteries in our Jayco Greyhawk. What a cool product!Battery access on the Greyhawk is pretty decent with the slideouttray, but this makes it much easier to maintain the batteries.Also, happened to pickup a Marinco 50amp to 15 amp adapter.Basically allows me to run the fridge and the lights when we have the MH parkedin front of the house while we pack for a trip. While plugged inthis Quote Selected
Re: A couple of recent purchases: Battery watering system & 50-15 am Reply #6 – June 18, 2008, 10:55:03 pm Yahoo Message Number: 1285Thanks Rich. I guess I am a bit too far away. 32SS is holding up reasonably well. We like it, just don't like all the little things that seem to go wrong and demonstrate shoddy workmanship.I've been pondering whether or not I should do something to the suspension but at this time I'm going to hold off until I'm convinced.We were hoping to use it a lot this summer but with a move coming up and our new granddaughter curtailing out son's racing, that may not be the case.DonOn 15-Jun-08, at 12:46 PM, rich_panganiban wrote: Quote Selected
Re: A couple of recent purchases: Battery watering system & 50-15 am Reply #7 – June 19, 2008, 11:52:22 am Yahoo Message Number: 1288Hi Don, I've been contemplating the rear suspension on the Greyhawk as well, and have been considering having the rear springs upgraded. I thinkthe overall ride is fine, but it's when you hit a big bump that itfeels like the rear end is "bottoming out" it's suspension. Theimpact seems to be really sharp. The rear of the coach alwayslooked a hair too low, and raising it a bit may be the solution.As far as quality goes, I couldn't be happier with Jayco. Surethere are little issues here and there that need to be addressed, but I really went in with the expectation of having to do somehandywork around the coach. Obviously we are fortunate because wehaven't had any major issues to this point.Also, I can't say enough great things about the service we've gottenfrom our local Jayco dealer, Richardson's RV. They've gotten us inwithin a week of me calling (one instance the next day), and havedone the work in a timely fashion. Even when we had them upgradethe window coverings to day/night shades after the originals weredamaged after the coach was broken into at the storage yard.On the other hand, I've been having a hard time finding a Chevydealer who is able to handle the service on our motorhome. Just acouple of small issues I wanted to have taken care of before thewarranty runs out.Anyways, good luck with the upcoming move. Quote Selected