Under Dash Wiring Diagram for 95 Chinook Concourse

[Blue~Go]

Good morning!

Not to get too "caveat-ish" on you, but just to mention that I'm having to assume that your rig is set up similarly to mine. My previous (other brand) camper van was also set up similarly, as are many boats, so I think that's a reasonable guess. Of course seek a professional if you are not comfortable, etc. Anyway....

So yes, a relay (of which the Blue Sea 7622 is one example - a good one) does automatically what you can also do manually with a switch. Automatic is preferable to many, but switches have their place too.

A switch does the same thing but you have to switch it. The 9004e is a simple manual switch, although it's a bit more expensive and slightly larger than some of their other switches. I chose it because it has two small screw terminals that make it really easy to connect LED lights to let you know when you have the switch combined or not combined. It's around $50 with free shipping (for example, see http://www.pkys.com). Another option is their 6010. It's physically slightly smaller, and also has a second set of studs for hooking up lights, but the second studs are 3/8" which makes it slightly less convenient to hook up small wires than on the other one. I do actually have the 6010 though, because it fit better in my space. But I had to attach small wires to 3/8" ring studs, which meant I had to order in some of them (vs. #8 or #10 rings, which I had on hand). The 6010 is around $35. Or there is the 6005, which is a straight on/off, cheaper, but no extra terminals to attach lights. It's around $25. Most of these also come in black (these part numbers are for red ones).

The 7622, in contrast is around $180-$200. In my case, it wasn't about saving money - I just wanted the simple, robust, manual control, and it works very well for my setup. But, it could also be done for other reasons such as cost saving, simplicity, etc.

Essentially what you are doing with any of these is this:

-- You have a positive wire running from the start battery positive terminal to the house bank positive terminal. This is the wire that allows the Ford alternator power to "share" with the house bank and charge when you are driving. Either the manual switch, or the 7622 (or the Sure power 1315) close or open a break in this positive wire. Thus the start bank either does or does not connect to the house bank.

-- The Sure Power 1315 is an older style that doesn't do the job as well as something like the 7622. Without going into details, the 1315 style robs some power whereas the 7622 type doesn't.

On the wires, if your Chinook is like mine was, there is a #4 (4 AWG gauge) wire going from the positive terminal of the start battery, across the firewall up at the hood seam, and then down to the driver's fenderwell where the 1315 sits, to one big terminal on the 1315. Then the "same" #4 wire goes from the other big terminal on the 1315, down by the steering column (under the hood), and along under the van along the driver's side frame rail to just ahead of the battery box area, then into the forward side of the battery box and onto the positive terminal of the house battery.

You *can* just move those two #4 wires to the same terminal on the 1315 (they have instructions for this on their website, to temporarily bypass the recalled separator which can catch on fire...) and that just makes it a join in a long wire. I went a step further and just ran a new wire, a larger one (1/0), and never even made the side trip to the 1315, but just ran the direct route as if the 1315 were not there (which it isn't anymore).

The separator isn't really supposed to be "outdoors" anyway, so even if I had gone with the 7622 I would not have put it under the hood. It can be anywhere along that line (wire) between the start battery and the house bank.

One additional note is that that wire should be fused on both ends. We can talk more about that if you want to, but there is also the option to just leave it as-is. Not ideal, but no worse than you have now. I don't want to totally overwhelm you.

BG

[kyidletime]

I'm sorry BG but I'm afraid that I'm already overwhelmed. I'm still looking for the components that you mention, I don't know whether my rig is an oddball or I am just that dense. I haven't given up just yet, but I am struggling.

[kyidletime]

I've still been looking and trying to figure out how my system is setup. I have not found anything other than under the hood, except wiring under dash and the solar power system indicator. I am attaching some pictures of several solenoids or relays under the hood, maybe you will recognize them and make some sense out of it. One of the pictures shows two solenoids which link the two batteries together with red #4 (I think) wire. Both are grounded with #12 white wire. One has a purple #12 wire on the other post and the other has a blue #12 wire connected. I did find what is called a power distribution box down in the engine compartment, very hard to access.

I'm sure that at this point you wish that you never responded to me in the first place, huh? Thanks for your help though, I guess that I'm going to have to bite the bullet and seek professional help. I hate to think what that will cost me!

[kyidletime]

Additional pictures.

[Blue~Go]

I'm sorry BG but I'm afraid that I'm already overwhelmed. I'm still looking for the components that you mention, I don't know whether my rig is an oddball or I am just that dense. I haven't given up just yet, but I am struggling.

I'm so sorry! I know it's just like greek when you haven't done this sort of thing before, and then there is the "1995 vs. 1999" factor too.

I'll move on to the next post where I see you have posted some photos.

BTW, I don't suppose you're located anywhere I might be getting to? No problem if you don't want to divulge you location, and what are the odds, but I'd be happy to stop by if I were going to be in your neighborhood.

Okay, on to your next post - let's see what we can see.

[Blue~Go]

Okay, I had a look at the photos. I can see why you are confused! But let's see if we can suss this out.

For starters, I can see that your '95 is different from my '99 and similar vintage rigs. So no wonder you're not clear on this.

Let me ask you a few questions, and see if we can start by getting the lie of the land.

So, in the later model Chinooks, the Ford start battery is in the front passenger corner under the hood, and the house battery bank (bank just means there is more than one battery in that grouping, as in "house bank") is two batteries in a compartment that is under the water heater with an outside door. Looking at photos of a '95, I think maybe you don't have that?

It looks like maybe your start AND house batteries are under the hood? Or?

So for starters, can you find both the start battery and the house battery(s) and let me know where they are? Also, can you get a part number from that Texas Instruments solenoid thingie?

Do you have a generator?

The solar controller box is fine - that's kind of separate and I would ignore it for now.

The "Power Distribution Box" looks like a Ford thing to me (i.e. Ford put it there not Chinook).

Okay, let's go from here if you can answer any of the above questions (photos would be a bonus).

[Blue~Go]

PS: Given your impressive solenoid collection , maybe another good thing would be a further back "overall" view of your engine area with the hood open. I'd like to be able to mentally place a few of these things in context.

[kyidletime]

Oh how I wish that I lived somewhere close to you, but alas, I am in Hamilton, Ohio, near Cincinnati. As to the batteries, all that I have found is two, under the hood, one on each side near the front. I do have a generator, The numbers on the "Texas Instruments thingie" are: CDLM-80 over 9414.

I am attaching a few more pictures but it's hard to get a good view showing everything. The others are of the batteries, but I don't know which is which.

[kyidletime]

Additional picture of battery on passenger side under hood. I think that this might be the house battery. Like I said previously, both of the batteries are connected to the twin "coils", with a jumper in between them.

Hopefully you can make something out of the pictures and my setup.

And, thank you so much for trying to help me.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, that flat looking plate with the switch on it is a manual on/off switch for battery(s).

[Blue~Go]

Okay, this starts to become clearer. Or at least it has the potential to

I can see why you were confused previously, because this setup isn't like the later ones. Oh, I imagine the functions are similar, but I mean physically things are very different.

Since you don't have any other batteries, I'm going to say one is the start (Ford) battery and the other is the house battery. I imagine you have the 460 engine (can you confirm)? I'm going to see if I can find where the stock start battery is on that van, but I am going to guess it is on the passenger side. This would make sense because the "Texas Instruments" thingie looks like a Klixon circuit breaker (did a bit of research). My rig has the start battery in the passenger corner, and right where your TI Klixon circuit breaker is, is where my rig also has a circuit breaker (different style but same function and same mounting style). This is (on my rig) the breaker for the generator start wire. For now let's figure that's what yours is too (we can confirm later, but let's suppose for now).

Pizza is ready, but I'll come back afterward and we can move over to the driver's side.

PS: I'm west of the Rockies, so yeah, can't come over. Darn.