Skip to main content ↑ ↓
Topic: Battery and Inverter Compartment (Read 1032 times) previous topic - next topic
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Battery and Inverter Compartment

Yahoo Message Number: 5999
Hey folks Larry's photos are posted! I will attempt to describe the process in which we modified the battery compartment of his 99 Intrigue

First off, was to remove the batteries and the Heart Interface inverter. This coach suffered from CC designing an inferior way to vent the inverter. CC drilled holes in the compartment along the inside and back. As many of you know, this compartment becomes a dirt and dust magnet, if your coach is equipped with a heart interface inverter (the black box) I am sure that you have suffered with the great design the circuit board connections and its ability to stop functioning when it gets dirty.
Thus a great combination, a dust filled compartment and a piece of electronic hardware that is sensitive to dust! When it malfunctions, it shuts down most of the AC power in your coach!

Once removed, we cleaned out the compartment, and blocked off the inside holes (toward the center of the coach) with an acrylic panel. Leaving the holes to the rear exposed. As shown in the photos, we installed a 120-volt fan on a piece of acrylic I believe this fan runs about 15 CFM. We insulated the mount with silicone and foam to assure a tight seal and insulate it against vibration. This fan is wired to an "Attic Fan" thermostat control that is wired to one of the inverter outputs.

What this all means is... When the compartment reaches temperature (We are still experimenting but around 89 degrees) the fan pulls fresh air through a 3" tube duct from outside the coach.

The air exits the compartment through holes that CC drilled at the rear (back by the relays) this creates airflow over and around

the inverter. Filters are installed around the holes in order to keep

road dirt from entering. The air movement is managed only when needed, only runs when the inverter is either operating, charging or up to temperature. When the system is idle, no air moves! It all stays clean.

After experiencing so much grief with the old inverter, We made sure to have all wires color coded. Inputs one color outputs another. We mounted terminal blocks on an acrylic stand in the compartment this is where the AC connections are made to the inverter. This stand also mounts the echo charger and thermostat for the fan.

We were certain to have cables and wires long enough to be able to remove the inverter while still completely hooked up. This is so a technician can service the inverter, hook it up or un-hook it without breaking his back or getting the wiring wrong I felt that this was very important because of the nature some repair facilities they could possibility introducing backfeed to the inverter, which causes instant death! Where the CC factory black steel plate covered the inverter compartment we installed a clear acrylic panel secured with heavy duty Velcro and screws, this can be easily removed for cleaning or service.

And allow you to keep an eye on things. To top it all off we installed a link 1000 to monitor the battery banks, and control the inverter The reason that we choose the freedom 458 is an other story... If interested, let me know.

Mike Hanson (Larry's kid)