Told you guys I would monopolize the site. After 9 years, I was just getting my brain around the electrical system on the 85 Regal. Now I've got this strange thing with an engine in the back. Do these Breakaways have inverters? Do they have converters? How do the batteries get charged? How's the whole system work? I have no wiring diagram.

Around the corner from that closet, in the hallway, are a bunch of electrical looking things--one says Power Pack(or something like that). Please somebody out there humor me and give me a simple overview of how this thing works. All I know is that it's 50 Amps.
Thanks
Jim

You will find a bunch of white wires. These came from spartan and are labeled. The rest came from Barth and your guess is as good as mine. Our's had been converted to 30 amp before we got it. Probably at the some time the Honda generator was installed. It can be a big mistery. Have most of it figured out now. Do sometimes use a signal tracer to find out where they go.

But we had the same problem with the Newell. No wire diagrams exist.

Good luck on you search.

Jim,I have 6 blue prints from Barth that are the electrical schematics. the are for 28-bs-1b and -2b. they are for my 1992. the biggest problem is the size, they are 24x36. on saturday a friend is coming over to get them and he will make me copies (on paper) and also electronic, if they will help,I will get them to you.I have Bills email address and I could email them to him.I would have to get your mailing address and I would send you the hard copies.
let me know if you would like them.
ken

Kenny, fantastic. 355 Chestua Road, Madisonville, Tn. 37354
Thank you so much
Jim

The "50 Amp" thingy is no doubt a converter. The converter charges on shore power; the alternator charges when the engine's running. The converter charges only the house batteries.

Many of the lessons you learned on the gasser are transferable to the Breakaway.

Rusty, during my quick look, I saw an 'inverter' in the back closet. ZIM told me that the previous owner said that there was a plug on the inverter that had to be unplugged when you were running the generator. ZIM unplugged it for me and put a cap on the end of it. What do you think this is about? Is the inverter tied into the converter somehow or does it have it's own tie in to the a/c system? Do these early Breakaways have an automatic selector switch that goes from shore power to generator power? Our '85 Regal had a manual one with three positions: 'shore power', 'neutral', and 'generator'. Will send pics as soon as I get the Breakaway down to TN.
Jim

quote:

Originally posted by Jim and Tere:
Rusty, during my quick look, I saw an 'inverter' in the back closet. ZIM told me that the previous owner said that there was a plug on the inverter that had to be unplugged when you were running the generator. ZIM unplugged it for me and put a cap on the end of it. What do you think this is about?

The unplugged wire would have to be traced

quote:

Is the inverter tied into the converter somehow or does it have it's own tie in to the a/c system?

Same as above

quote:

Do these early Breakaways have an automatic selector switch that goes from shore power to generator power? Our '85 Regal had a manual one with three positions: 'shore power', 'neutral', and 'generator'. Will send pics as soon as I get the Breakaway down to TN.
Jim

Generally, yes; that's what I had to replace yesterday in mine.

Jim, my inverter is also a 50 amp battery charger. It senses shore or genset power and unlatches after a few seconds and starts charging. The instructions are to switch it off if running on the generator because it will compete with the generators supply and essentially drain rather than charge. This may be the reason for your instruction to unplug it. and maybe not?

quote:

Originally posted by ccctimtation:
Jim, my inverter is also a 50 amp battery charger. It senses shore or genset power and unlatches after a few seconds and starts charging. The instructions are to switch it off if running on the generator because it will compete with the generators supply and essentially drain rather than charge. This may be the reason for your instruction to unplug it. and maybe not?

In my opinion - this is probably the best answer!!!

Hey there gang. Zim was kind enough to clear some things up for us.

quote:

Hello bill, first, the breakaway is a 50 amp. It has a 75 watt converter, the guy I got the Barth from used to mainly dry camp. He installed an inverter in the closet. He wired it from the coach batteries for 12v feed, then to get the inverter 110 volt to the coach,he took the male end of a plug with 6" of wire and screwed it on the 110v discharge side of the inverter. To get the 110v to the coach, he would plug the male end into an outlet in the closet. The outlet in the closet is wired to all the electrical on the passenger side of the coach, thus providing 110v from the inverter to the right half of the coach when there was no shore power. Again, it would only provide 110v to the bathside of the coach. He then cut a female end of a cord, to use as a cap, for the male end, when using shore power or running the genny. If this was not done, it would backfeed voltage into the inverter,thus frying it. A poormans' way of wiring the inverter into the coach, but effective, as long as you remember to always remove the male end from the outlet in the closet. There is a complete wiring diagram for the barth with all the blueprints in the coach, above the sofa. The instructions for the inverter is in the cabinet at the entrance door. ccctimtation and Rusty is correct, but the converter is a 75 amp. I hope you understand what I am typing here so as to help Jim understand the electrical. But like rusty states, there is no difference between jims other barth or any other motorhomes systems sans the way the inverter was hooked up. In all reality, for how Jim uses a coach, he would never need the inverter in the closet because he uses campground shore power, or the genny. I hope this clears things up,and if not u can call me for help...Zim

Based on this Jim, what you need to do is leave that cap on the cord - that male end is hot if plugged into shore power or the generator is running.

Now, if you're not running the generator or plugged into shore power, and you want to use the inverter, you would plug in the male cord into the outlet in the closet - this would backfeed your 120v to half the coach.

Kind of like what I've done to my commercial conversion coach except I have a "make before break" switch installed that would disconnect the 120 shore/generator from the inverter.

If it is hooked up the way I think it is, this would also not try to recharge the batteries, which would eventually completely discharge the batteries. More likely than not, the 75 amp converter (battery charger) is probably on the other half of the 120v wiring system.

Also, to note Jim, 50amp stands for the 120v supply to the coach - it does not mean a 50amp 12v battery charger.

The converter/battery charger is 12v - 75amps and that recharges your 12v batteries.

If you want to think of this in simpler terms, never hook up the inverter male plug to the female closet outlet when on shore power or running the generator. Don't ever try to run anything on an inverter that draws too much power - like a roof mounted a/c unit. The inverter is for lite loads of 120v when you're dry camping or driving down the road.

You should probably not use it the way its wired if you're unfamiliar with 120v systems and how electricity works. Maybe, for you, the best bet would be to remove the 120v male cord and install a female outlet in its place. Then, if you need 120v while dry camping, or driving down the road, just plug the device directly into an extension cord and plug that into the inverter.

Myself? Now that I know how it's wired, it wouldn't make any difference to me.

Thanks for clearing that up Zim!!!

jim wed. morning I sent you 6 prints 11x17. that was the biggest I could get. I also sent you a cd with the same drawings. I sent them priority mail,I would think you should have gotten them yesterday or today. I hope they will help.
ken

Ken, got them Friday. Thanks so much. They are very helpful. Please let me reimburse you for the time and expense. Just PM me.
Jim

Hi Jim, I dont know what PM means. but the paper cost me $1 per sheet and $9 to mail it. my time for your drawings is donated. again, good luck
ken

PM means 'private message'. As they say, "The check is in the mail". Ken, thanks again.
Jim

Hi Jim,I received your letter and check today. that was more than generous,thank you. I don't believe they were for my coach specific, but I really don't know. I was very lucky, Dean, the previous owner had two 3 ring binders with lots of paperwork for my breakaway.Good luck with your new one and keep us all posted.

ken