Author:
Don
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Date Posted: 09/ 9/ 08, 1:27pm
Hi Brian and others,
I had an '80 and now an '87. Before you have someone look at it besure that you have the AC & DC electrical diagrams for it; best if their blown up and as a working copy that can be written on. Have a list availlable that clearly states where all AC and DC load centers are physically located. Also list where the battery chargers are located, relays, load switches on and on. Go through the manual for them.
A shop could easily spend 1/2 hour looking for the battery chargers, and get sidetracked for much longer. Tackle a single system at a time, and read up on it. If the bus is new to you then thing might be working correctly. For examply, if the A/C units are not working, did you bump one of the switches by your left knee while driving. A/T switch if it won't start and so on.
There are typical problems for both the AC and DC system, a search of this site and others will make them apparent. Touch the various DC connectors when in use, if hot, a repair is needed and so on. Generally, splice points/barrel connectors become poor connectors in the DC systems, wires get chaffed, dirt and grime provide new electrical paths to ground, rubber parts fall apart and fail to insulate or provide physical protection.
People make changes to the original factory install. These can be for the better, or mind bendingly stupid, even unsafe. Just be awary that a few idiots have probably touched your bus before.
Be nosey, if you see a poor termination, see to it that it is not energized and returminate it. If copper is exposed, re-insulate if it is ok, or replace. Remember, it is very simple, one termination at a time. You don't even have to understand the circuit. Get a few descent tools if you do this, don't go cheap here, and use quality parts. You could pay an electrician w/a service van to spend an hour or two to show you the correct ways to do these thing, even tell you what tools to get, or you could figure it out yourself by doing some reading.
Except for things like new battery cables, you probably can't have this thing worked on in an economical fashion. Maybe you can if you have clearly stated what the specific problems are and can walk him through the systems. But don't be surprised if your charged for 8 hours shop time and see little for it; for this reason, some shops won't want to touch it.
I found on my 1980 that anything I took apart, someone had been there before and only put it partly back. But generaly any non-factory electrical work was third rate at best. Usualy these poor installs will stand out.
Again, some problems you don't really need to understand to repair, especially at first. If there is a poor looking connection, replace it and at the least one eventual problem will go away. If a connection gets hot, replace it, magically a light gets brighter, a heater now lights etc.
Hope this helps.
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