| Author | Message | ||
| Jesse Williams (Buffalo_76)
Registered Member Username: Buffalo_76 Post Number: 5 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 205.175.225.5 Rating: N/A |
I'm trying to figure out how to deal with the 24v bus system and the 12v house system. What is the recomended way to charge the house batteries? Is it best to keep the coach lights 24v or convert them to 12v? Any assistance would be appreciated. | ||
| Greg Peterson (Gpmci102)
Registered Member Username: Gpmci102 Post Number: 9 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 71.228.18.37 Rating: N/A |
There are different ways of handling this problem. Some people have the house system on 12v and put another alternator on the engine to produce the 12 volts to charge the batteries. They keep the 24v alternator just to run the bus 24v systems and batteries. Some people change the whole bus over to 12v even the starter. I am going to keep as much as I can on 24v. The bus alternator can produce several thousand watts at 24v. All the wires are smaller gauge at 24v than 12v for an equivalent power carrying capacity. If you have a 120vac inverter it is better to run it at 24v because the wire and fuse size will be smaller. In theory the conversion efficiency should be better but this is depending if the inverter designer “cheeped out” the 24v design or did it for efficiency. Most things will work on 24v. You can get a 24v water pump and wire two 12v lamps in series. Some things like radios and Sat Ant. Will need 12v but this should not be at a very high current. My bus came with a 12v equalizer. This is a device that balances the two 12v batteries that are connected in series so that you can pull 12v off one of them without over charging the other one. This equalizer is rated for like 50 amps or so and should be more than enough for my 12v requirements. With my house batteries at 24v I can easily charge them with the 24v bus alternator and even run a large inverter while I am on the road. There are always trade offs to all these methods. You will have to determine what trade offs are important to you. | ||
| Brian Brown (Blue_velvet)
Registered Member Username: Blue_velvet Post Number: 369 Registered: 6-2005 Posted From: 67.174.112.202 Rating: N/A |
Jesse, my Buff conversion came with a 12v house system. There's an aftermarket alternator in the back between the radiator and engine that charges the bank. 130A, I think. Of course, it's nothing like the mongo oil-cooled coach alt., a 250A @ 24v beast (that's largely under-utilized now). If I was doing a conversion from scratch, though, I'd go with Greg's method and use a 24v house side and 24v inverter. Most of my house lights would be 120v compact fluorescents or LEDs run off of the inverter, and any small 12v loads could be handled with the equalizer, like he said. All things considered, the 24v systems just make more sense, IMHO. Less amps coursing through, less heat on high loads, less voltage drop, etc. My $0.02, Brian Brown 4108-216 w/ V730 Longmont, CO | ||
| Arnold J Molloy (Ayjay)
Registered Member Username: Ayjay Post Number: 37 Registered: 10-2005 Posted From: 151.203.44.33 Rating: N/A |
Hi; I retained the original 24VDC system but use a Vanner equalizer to provide the 12VDC necessary to run the house appliances. Their 100 Amp model carries anything I throw at it. AyJay 79 RTS | ||
| Cliff (Floridacracker)
Registered Member Username: Floridacracker Post Number: 297 Registered: 7-2004 Posted From: 24.73.133.147 Rating: N/A |
Jesse, I also use a vanner to supply my 12VDC needs I have a seperate set of house batteies that has a seperate charger. The charger only receives 120vac input when I am on shore power. My house batteries are also charged from the 24VDC bus system by a continuies duty solenoid that closes when it sees the 24vdc from the generator. I have switched all my headlights, markers, except the rear turn,stop to 12vdc. All the markers are LED now. Even if the vanner was to die on me i could still tap the 12vdc source to get me home incase of a failure. Just my way, Cliff | ||
| Bob greenwood (Bob_greenwood)
Registered Member Username: Bob_greenwood Post Number: 75 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 65.150.47.33 Rating: N/A |
I have two completly separate systems,the bus alt. to charge the bus batteries& the house alt. to charge the house batteries, I chose the empty shiv on the front of the 8-71 motor to run a 100 amp. delco remey 12 volt alt. | ||
| Buswarrior (Buswarrior)
Registered Member Username: Buswarrior Post Number: 864 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 67.68.35.71 Rating: N/A |
Hello Jesse. I'm 24 volts house and coach. 12 volt centre tap with a Vanner equalizer salvaged from a scrapped transit. Trace 4024 inverter charger. Stock Coach battery switch will isolate the coach batteries when camping. Second salvaged battery switch will isolate House and inverter from coach. Coach circuits powered by the house when stock battery switch is pulled, and salvaged battery switch is engaged. So all the remaining coach lighting will work off the house, while saving the coach batteries for starting. Going down the road, everything turned on and coach alternator charges underway. I have been running free cast-off batteries for house batteries, so haven't been worried about the charge rates, as well, the Trace will finish off what the coach regulator didn't do. I will be thinking hard about a second alternator and smart regulator for the house when I buy good deep cycles. happy coaching! buswarrior | ||
| Dale Fleener (Dale_mc8)
Registered Member Username: Dale_mc8 Post Number: 50 Registered: 12-2005 Posted From: 4.245.113.200 Rating: N/A |
Hey guys, don't forget that an equalizer is NOT a converter. Vanner makes both a 24-12 equalizer and a 24-12 converter. The converter is designed to run 12 volt systems and the equalizer is not (but in the real world are used to do so.) Just FYI Dale MC8 | ||
| Greg Peterson (Gpmci102)
Registered Member Username: Gpmci102 Post Number: 11 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 64.238.49.65 Rating: N/A |
Dale I don’t understand your point? Why would you have an equalizer unless you wanted to have 12 v from a 24 v system? An equalizer is designed to work with two batteries that are in series and you want the voltage from one of them. The equalizer prevents the top battery from being overcharged, as you are pulling current from the bottom one for 12 volts. A converter is designed to take the voltage from one battery and step it up or down. For example a converter can take 12 v from a battery and make 6 v, 24 v or anything you need. The disadvantage of a converter is if anything fails you are done. If you have an equalizer you can disconnect it and get your 12 v ok. You will just heat up the top battery but you will get home and be able to fix it. | ||
| Ron Walker (Prevost82)
Registered Member Username: Prevost82 Post Number: 239 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 208.181.210.47 Rating: N/A |
I guess I'll put my 2 cent in. I removed the the OTR A/C out of me bus, after I did that I could not see a reason to keep the 24 volts, I saw way to much down side to keeping it, everything cost twice the price. So I rewired the bus to 12V, not a big deal and haven't regretted it at all. The bus starts fine on 12V, I can get all my elec parts at automotive store or truck shop and I don't have to worry about 24 to 12 volt problems such as wiring a towed or trailer brakes etc. I also was able to install a dash out of a NaviStar truck, that I can read the gauges without driving with my reading glasses on  (Message edited by prevost82 on August 11, 2006) | ||
| Bob greenwood (Bob_greenwood)
Registered Member Username: Bob_greenwood Post Number: 76 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 63.233.6.236 Rating: N/A |
neat dash-----------------even a place for a beer | ||
| Greg Peterson (Gpmci102)
Registered Member Username: Gpmci102 Post Number: 12 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 71.228.18.37 Rating: N/A |
Cars are going to 36 volts. In the future all the cheap stuff will be at that voltage. I might need a converter then to go up from 24v to 36v. | ||
| Ron Walker (Prevost82)
Registered Member Username: Prevost82 Post Number: 240 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 208.181.210.47 Rating: N/A |
I believe that when I see it. An industry as big as transportion take a lot to make a change that big. We're talking cars, trucks, OTR trucks, RV's, ect would all have to change to keep the price down on components. I would love to see it happen ...I just don't see it happening in my life time .. the industry is to entrenched in 12v |