1989 Beaver Marquis/control panel/batteries??

[Gary Schenck]

I'm an excited 1989 Beaver coach owner.  I feel like a mule looking at a new gate when I'm looking at control panel with regard to batteries, voltage, etc.  What is the best three or four things I should try to focus on to keep my batteries in good shape?  Should I purchase a hydromoter to check batteries?

[Joel Ashley]

You came to the right place, Gary.  Welcome to the club, literally!

There are plenty of people here who will gladly clue you in, and if you can make it to one of the many rallies, you will get lots of hands-on help understanding your new-to-you coach.  That said, expect many replies here.

For my part, I suggest:
Understand the difference between chassis and coach (house) batteries, and how your coach ones are wired together;  
Keep the battery top and posts/connections clean and corrosion-free;
Keep any batteries that require water topped up to 3/8" from the bottom of the cell ports with distilled water;
Don't allow the voltage to drop much below 12 (frequently check your panel when dry-camped);
Don't drive off from a dry-camp of any length expecting your alternator to recharge everything - you will shorten the life of your alternator,
     and related to that, keep your generator well-maintained and ready to recharge your battery banks while dry-camped;
If you can afford it, get a 100 watt solar system installed - it can go a long way toward maintaining your system, but isn't absolutely necessary;
Buy a Battery Minder or similar brand of maintenance charger for keeping your batteries charged and/or equalized during storage, esp. if you don't install a solar setup, or if you store the coach under cover where sun can't get to a solar panel.

I know that's a bit more than 3 or 4 things you asked for, but you need to do more than 3 or 4 things to take care of your batteries.

As to the hydrometer, I have one, but haven't used it for many, many years since that's how long my batteries last.  If you don't know how old they are or how well your batteries have been maintained, getting one would be a good idea.  Having a good quality multimeter would be a good investment as well.  Many people also use devices for "automatically" topping up battery water, but I personally can't justify the cost, and prefer the old fashioned method which isn't all that difficult a task every few months.

Sharing your excitement,
-Joel and Lee  

[Gerald Farris]

Gary,
The chassis batteries on a 1989 do not need any special care unless it is stored for an extended period of time because the 3208 is a not a computer controlled engine, and therefore there is not the constant drain on the chassis batteries from the computer like the later model coaches have.

The house batteries should only need watering once a month or less depending on the climate that you are in an how much the batteries are discharged and recharged. I find that I only have to add water to my house batteries 3 or 4 times a year. A hydrometer should not be necessary unless you want to check the batteries for replacement. However since the life expectancy is so long on a good set of house batteries, most RVers never use a hydrometer.

Just remember to add only distilled water to your house batteries, keep them clean and corrosion free, and never run them down below the 11.9V to 12V range before recharging them, and they will last for years. With proper care, house batteries will commonly last to the 7 or 8 year range.

Gerald  

[Gary Schenck]

Thank you for your replies.  I appreciate your interest and help very much.