Sytem Shutdown outside Butte Mt

[David T. Richelderfer]

Not yet.  The Marquis is in storage for about two more months... although I do go visit her every couple weeks, and turn her on... just to make sure she still responds.

[Bill Sprague]

This may have been another case of letting the engine recharge batteries after dry-camping.  It's too big a load.  To avoid the cost of an alternator, always use the generator after dry-camping to recharge your battery banks before starting the engine to hit the road.

Joel

To add emphasis to Joel's post, I will relate a lesson taught at a Monaco rally (when they still had them).  

One of the seminars was about dry camping and the moderator was a long time camper and Monaco employee.  Part of his career included working in the warranty department.  He stated that the vast majority of the too frequent alternator failures could be directly linked to making them work too hard.  

He explained that our alternators are "heavy duty" but intended to quickly replace the energy from two medium sized batteries used to start the engine and then supply a moderate amount of power for lights and other operating components found on heavy duty trucks.  We make it a little worse because we have some household equipment like refrigerators and inverters.

He went on to say that if we add the workload of four larger discharged deep cycle batteries the alternator will do it's best and work extra hard in overtime.  First it gets hot, then parts in it fail - like bearings.  

The "fix" is to use the Onan generator every time you suspect your deep cycle house batteries are discharged.  

The same guy in the same forum went on to explain the more you use your Onan, the longer it will last.  He added that the bulk of warranty work on Onans was the result of lack of use.

(Hope I didn't "steal your thunder" Joel.)

[David T. Richelderfer]

I went to see the Marquis late this afternoon after playing golf... started her generator, and started her diesel burner and engine heat pump.  When the engine temperature showed an increase of 30 degrees from the burner, I then started her engine.  The generator was allowed to run for 30-40 minutes to warm up and put a charge on all the batteries before I started the engine.  I would have let the generator and burner run longer but I was running short of time.  Oh, and by the way, it does have a BIRD system located just above the coach batteries behind a hinged panel.  Yaaaaa, my BIRD is automatic.  I don't have to flip it.

[Norm Green]

I want to thank everyone who has responded to my issue here.  I wanted to give everyone an update.  Our problem was a dead alternator which we had to have shipped to Butte.  One installed, systems and equipment began to work as intended.  Fortunately we have an extended warranty which covered the entire cost of $1605, less $100 for freight and my deductable.
Prior to reading the responses, I would have not thought about running the generator to compensate for a bad alternator.  Also, I wasn’t aware of the preferred method of charging the house batteries with the generator after dry camping before starting the engine.  Both are very good future bits of knowledge.  In my particular case, we found out on our first night of our trip that for some reason the generator would not start, would not even turnover.  I tried both the remote switch on the dash and the switch on the generator itself with no luck.  This is several days before we lost the alternator.  We did stay at campgrounds the next three nights, all with 50 amp service.  I have been able to get the generator to start now by using the start switch on the unit itself, but it will still not start with the remote switch, although I can turn it off by the dash switch.  
Anyway, we did make it to our destination and the coach is presently parked at Infinity Coach in Sumner WA.  We will be having a variety of things worked on while here.  We then plan to travel to Bend for some other work and get some tires.  From Bend we travel to the Mesa area for a couple of months before heading back to TN.

[Joel Ashley]

When I posed the question last summer, the consensus seemed to be to watch the Magnum remote panel until it went from bulk charge to absorb charge, and dropped to around the 30 amp rate.  The alternator should be able to handle things after that point with little extra effort.  If in a hurry, you can run the genset for awhile after you hit the road.  

Of course in Norm's instance, he needs to get to the point of having a reliable generator first.

Joel

[David T. Richelderfer]

Norm - the question begs.  Why did you take a northern route in the dead of Winter to go to Seattle?  I used to originate grain from Alberta, Saskatchewan, Montana, the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Kansas (among other far flung places) for milling on the NorthWest Coast.  More than once I had BNRR 52-car unit trains stuck in snow and ice in Montana.  When I say "stuck," I mean wheels iced to the tracks and unable to move for weeks.  I cannot imagine taking my Marquis into Montana this time of year.  And how did you like that drive over Snowqualmie Pass?  I wouldn't go over Snowqualmie in our studded Subaru this time of year.  I have always gone through Portland and up I-5 in the Winter...  a little longer but much safer, even considering the Westside "Nascar want-a-be's" who drive that corridor.

I am glad to hear you made it.  When people ask me how the drive was I like to reply "Uneventful.  The same way I like my flights."  We have family near Sumner - up on the hill in Bonney Lake.  It's alot prettier up on the hill in Bonnie Lake versus Sumner... although Sumner did have a great football team this last Fall.

[Norm Green]

In response to why a northern route in winter, It was the fastest, if I had a good weather window and no problems with the coach.  For the most part, I had good weather.  I had planned the trip based on the weather forcast, and it I had not had any delays, the weather would have been great.  I needed the fastest time because of a number of family health issues here in Seattle.  I certainly don't plan to make this kind of trip during the winter again.

Snoqulamie pass wasn't bad at all, light mixed snow and rain.  The pass that was a nightmare was Lookout Pass.  Heavy snow and slush, had to go over after dark and everyone knows how great the headlights are on these motorhomes.  At this point, I'm glad to be in Sumner for a little while before heading south.