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Old 03-08-2003, 06:48 AM   #21
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Angry Fried my NEW radio!

I was running the furnace the other day, on Univolt, with no battery. I flipped on the radio, and it sounded buzzy and distorted, so I turned it off. After putting the battery back in it still sounds crappy, AM, FM or CD. Glad it was only a $59 Jensen I picked up at Wally World. When I replace it, you can bet, I'll put a filter capacitor across the power leads at the radio, this time!
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Old 03-08-2003, 07:25 AM   #22
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73Andy

What you need is a double pole double throw center off switch. Get one for 20 amps. You will have to cut into the 120 wiring feeding the univolt, or pull it out of the univolt and add new wire from the switch to the univolt, depending on the location of the switch. The wire that fed the univolt should go to the 2 center taps on the switch, the univolt on the 2 taps on one side, the battery minder on the 2 taps on the other side. Make sure you keep the polarity the same, black-black, white-white.
Center will be off, univolt flipped one way, battery minder the other.
While you are in there working, do like Pick said, put a big filter capacitor across the output of the univolt. It will drop the voltage some and filter the ripple so electronics aren't destroyed.

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Old 03-08-2003, 06:25 PM   #23
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Univolt with battery minder

Hey thanks everyone for the info!

Thanks especially to Craig and John.
Craig your solar chargers really look like something I ought to consider in the future, I looked at your pics and they look good.
John that switch sounds good except for using the furnace and water pump, if I turn off the univolt won't that keep me from using the furnace and water pump? My wife and kids go out to the A/S all the time, winter and summer. I need to keep the 120 volt line plugged in all the time. That is why I was considering putting in a pair of spade switches right on the battery. Does this sound like the right way to go, or am I all wet on the furnace and water pump not working if the univolt is turned off????????

I am defintely still learning!! The former owner didn't advise me to not keep the shore power plugged in all the time so I have cooked my battery and I really don't want to do it again.

Any more input on this would really be great!!
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Old 03-08-2003, 07:16 PM   #24
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Originally posted by davidz71
59toaster,
Good plug on the distilled water for batteries as well as radiators. Mineral deposits do cause problems and this is why I use to run straight anti-freeze while down in TX. They say that straight anti-freeze does not give you as much protection as an anti-freeze/water mixture so that is why I run a 60 % anti-freeze and 40 % water mixture in TN.
Truthfully straight anti freeze lowers your max cooling capacity. Water has a better heat transfer rate then the glycol in the anti freeze.
Antifreeze has two purposes #1 to prevent freezing and #2 is to provide chemicals to prevent corrosion and electroliss between the different metals in the cooling system. Why you change coolant ever 2 or so years is because those protective chemicals have been exhausted.
I play with Toyota Supras also and when you start screweing around with them and pulling 450hp out of a 3 liter motor cooling becomes critical. Lots of cooling post sprout up on those lists. Most guys run 60% water durring the summer to help them run cooler and add a product called "water wetter" that helps create better heat scavaging properties with the coolant.
Either Csaba Csere or Patrick Bedard from Car&Driver had a series of cooling stories last year that were great and very educational. Well worth the read. We tend to tax the cooling systems with the weights we are dealing with. Might still be available on their web site www.CarandDriver.com
Found one of them concerning the different antifreezes available. There was a follow ups as well concerning cooling systems that I did not find. Here is the one about Antifeeze

Ok here is the other one on Cooling
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Old 03-08-2003, 07:31 PM   #25
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59toaster,
You're right about the straight anti-freeze but I never had any problems with it in my '70 GTO. It seemed to run cool no matter what I did to it. Wish I still had it. I'm also familar with the "water wetter" and hear that it is some good stuff. I was at Advanced Auto Supply last week and saw some stuff that does the same thing but I can't remember what it was called. They sold it by the gallon. I would think it would be just the ticket for the MH owners and those who tow heavy trailers. I watch Car and Driver when I get the chance but spend more time concentrating on Trucks!, Horsepower TV and My Classic Car on Saturdays. Makes the wife mad sometimes.
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Old 03-08-2003, 07:44 PM   #26
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Quote:
Originally posted by davidz71
59toaster,
You're right about the straight anti-freeze but I never had any problems with it in my '70 GTO. It seemed to run cool no matter what I did to it. Wish I still had it. I'm also familar with the "water wetter" and hear that it is some good stuff. I was at Advanced Auto Supply last week and saw some stuff that does the same thing but I can't remember what it was called. They sold it by the gallon. I would think it would be just the ticket for the MH owners and those who tow heavy trailers. I watch Car and Driver when I get the chance but spend more time concentrating on Trucks!, Horsepower TV and My Classic Car on Saturdays. Makes the wife mad sometimes.
Ohhh the couch potato comes out LOL. I'm waiting to get to meet Sam Memlo. He's one of my friends next door neighbor. Here is a picture when Sam brought a H2 over to show my buddy Brian.
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Old 03-08-2003, 08:27 PM   #27
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Yep, seen him more than a few times on TV. Your friend sure has a smug grin on his face. Must be the H2 Ohhh effect.
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Old 03-09-2003, 06:21 AM   #28
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73Andy

The furnace and water pump run off 12v, they will run off the battery even without the univolt. All you are really doing with the switch is changing the charging method, fast with the univolt or maintenance with the battery minder.

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Old 03-09-2003, 10:33 AM   #29
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Vintage Univolts

Just in case anyone is still using an original Univolt in their vintage unit (my Univolt is still in use since 1967) and has had problems with battery boiling here is Airstream's bulletin to dealers on how to deal with the problem.
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Old 03-09-2003, 10:40 AM   #30
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And here is the accompanying diagram (I had to split the dealer bulletin into two parts because of size restrictions).
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Old 03-09-2003, 11:39 AM   #31
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Forrest,
Now that is some great information for those with the original setup. Thanks.
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Old 03-09-2003, 04:52 PM   #32
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Univolt with battery minder

Still learning and learning alot!!!!!!1

I am going out to the A/S and getting my service manual and actually studying it this time!!!

Thanks again to everyone for the excellent info and experience.
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Old 03-10-2003, 07:59 PM   #33
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Univolt with battery minder

Okay, so I am going with a double throw switch as John suggested, and a filter capacitor. AS far as the filter capacitor goes where would I obtain this and what size would I look for?

Also while I am picking your brains, I am really going to start to watch my battery voltage, what #'s am I looking for? A full charge is 12.63? then get it back on a charger at 12.18? are these right? if they are, when I get it down to 12.18 do I try the BM and if it keeps up with usage at the time I just keep it on? If I try the BM and it starts to dip below 12.18 do I kick in the Univolt until I reach 12.63 then go back to BM????

Have I told you lately how awesome you guys are to be helping out an amateur like me
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