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1987 Dolphin House Battery


Plain Jane

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Hello all,

I bought my 1987 Dolphin with everything including manuals EXCEPT the original house battery AND, curiously, the battery manual. So not sure what specs a replacement battery should have. Could anyone help with this?

Thanks in advance,

PJ

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You need either a 24 or 27 size deep cycle battery. Find where it goes and measure to see what will fit. There are online measurements for batteries that you can look up. Just make sure the one you buy is a deep cycle. Hopefully you can find someone to help you who is not too stupid. I use the standard flooded acid type. They are the cheapest and mine have always lasted 5 years or more. Gel type is supposed to be better but I have changed out at least 6 Optimum batteries for friends and they were not old at all. Lithium batteries will cost you more than your Dolphin did. Some here have gotten high amp hours , time you can use stuff before power is gone, by connecting 2 golf cart batteries. I'll let them explain

Linda S

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24 and 27 batteries are 12 v.

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In case you like pictures... here's a basic, inexpensive Group 27 deep cycle that lots of folks use (and no, they are not fun to carry!).

 

 

1774509735_ScreenShot2021-09-01at9_35_21AM.png.e63a8c4be9654b2ec4492f7d1667518e.png

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  • 4 weeks later...

Sooo, here I am on the Dolphin's first camping trip to test all systems. Plugged the brand-new plug into the campsite power in the receptacle that took it and ... nothing. It's still a lovely night and don't need the AC, so have given up for the night, but ... WTF?

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When you plug in at the power hookup Box at campgrounds Often the power switches are at OFF position. Just flip them to ON. Could be a simple fix.

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2 hours ago, Plain Jane said:

Power worked fine off the truck battery - all the lights came on when I started the engine. Have combed the manual and can't find out where the fuses are located.

Your fuse box for the camper is somewhere near the floor. A square or rectangle metal door with  vents. Open it and you will see all the fuses. Here's a pic from a Dolphin 

post-2678-0-18806900-1342296520.jpg

Linda S

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Did your interior lights ever work when the truck wasn't running. Is the coach battery new? Check the coach battery with a multimeter with the truck off. Should be showing at least 12.6 if fully charged. Below 12 and your battery is already sustaining some damage. Below 11.3 and it's dead and you need a new one. If it's not too bad check voltage again with truck running. Should be 13.7 to 14.7. 

If battery tests OK then something else is hooked up wrong and the power is not getting to the coach. Fuses are probably not the issue because if they were bad it wouldn't work with truck running either. 

Linda

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Thanks all. It turns out the campsite power was delivering just fine, which I discovered when I touched the ends of the wires that are supposed to go into fuses and felt a brief tingle (yeah, I know, not a smart thing to do). I have two switches which I guess are supposed to be the terminals for those wires, but that's too advanced for me - I'll have to get the skoolie guy back do that. @Linda, I don't know if anything runs with the truck turned off - this trip is my chance to test everything.

I've booked the site for another night because I'm determined to check everything I can. I'll need to get a multimeter today to see what's up with the battery. 

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A lot of the older converters (120vac to 12vdc) have a relay to switch things around between shore power and house power. Very common after all these years for a set of dirty contacts to mess things up.  Emergency fix give the relay a wack with a screw driver handle.

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next time you're in homies or lowes pick up one of these. then you can plug in at home

20210928_094522.jpg

20210928_094537.jpg

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The AC and the lights have nothing to do with each other. Most small RV's have 3 breakers that look like the ones in the house a 30 (main breaker for every thing then a 15 for outlets and a 20 amp for the AC. They should be easy to spot. There are two systems lights, radio, water pump maybe a vent fan. Outlets, AC and charging systems require you to be plugged in. One of the simplest gadgets you can buy is a plug in outlet tester most hardware stores will have them like 5 bucks I leave mine plugged all the time it will also tell you if the camp ground is properly wired!

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  • 1 month later...

1+ month later, and I found the breaker panel. It needed connecting again. My skoolie friend hooked everything up and made it electric campsite-ready. However, I also tried the generator at the campsite and nothing happened. I'm afraid I might have zapped the brand-new battery beyond use. Someone mentioned a multimeter, which I never did buy because I ran out of money. Would this work to test it before I go back and buy another battery?

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you need to know how to test a battery with it, so yes it can work. most auto parts places have a battery specific tester they will use on your battery for free.

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11 minutes ago, extech said:

most auto parts places have a battery specific tester they will use on your battery for free.

Even better! I was trying to remember if gas stations used to have this, but Advance or O'Reilly or Auto Zone are fine. Thanks!

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Take your battery back to where you bought it and have them test it. Many batteries have a 1 year no question warranty. After that it's pro rated. So don't but another new one if you don't have to.

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In the future take the receipt, stick it in a zlplock bag and duct tape it to the battery

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5 hours ago, WME said:

In the future take the receipt, stick it in a zlplock bag and duct tape it to the battery

I do the same thing with one exception. The new laser printed receipts tend to fade out over time. I photocopy the receipt then place in the ziplock bag.

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Some where on your battery is a date code some are obvious some are cryptic but it's there. Generally batteries are dry until they are commissioned then stamped that can give you a starting point. Batteries are expensive now a days! My camper batteries, house generator stay on a smart charger I generally get 5 years or more out of them.

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Thanks, all. Wal-Mart exchanged it with no questions. Now for the really dumb question: I don't want to ruin this battery by connecting it wrong. Could someone take a picture of how their house battery is connected to their Toyota and post it here? That would help enormously.

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Instead of us posting pic of different RV how about you post a pic of your battery area and wiring. The reason is that other owners could have done weird things, so we need to see what YOU have.

Speaking of things you have, do you have a voltmeter?

Edited by WME
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The clamps used to be attached, and I have them. I don't know which wire's they were attached to, though. No, I do not have a voltimeter. Sorry, the picture uploaded sideways.

16362275571171539030207203079355.jpg

Edited by Plain Jane
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oh my.  you're going to have to follow those wires. i assume the whites are negative and the reds positive, but you know assuming lets the smoke out, and you can never put it back

 

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OK S.W.A.G. (semi wild behind guess) white - (ground) black and red +.

Use a volt meter in the OHM function and check the white wires to the MH frame. Should be short.

Care fully make sure red and black are touching NOTHING. Start the truck engine and using the volt meter to DC volts. Measure red and black wire. The black may be 0v thats OK. The red wire should be 13v+ DC. Shut the engine off measure the red wire again should be 0v.

Next plug in the RV to shore power and measure the black wire again, should be 13v+ DC.

If all this happens then hook up your new battery, if not let us know what you found.

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30 minutes ago, WME said:

 

o

Edited by WME
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Problem solved!  A kind forum member (the brilliant Fred Heath) hooked up my battery. My hero! Best and quickest fix that has been done on the camper to date. And now my furnace works too. And WME, you were right - the previous owner's wiring WAS weird.  No match for Fred, though!

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