Aux Battery, Battery Banks, Wheelchair lift power!!!

[thennyvinylguy]

I may be crazy but I have a couple questions -

1. I have a 2001 Ford E50 5.4L Gas Goshen Shuttle with an auxiliary battery. Does anyone know if this is truly auxiliary or a 2nd starting battery?

2. I found the BIG, old positive cable from the wheelchair lift. Can I bring that up through the floor to charge my battery bank that is deep cycle batteries? Before anyone says or asks, they are already properly vented.

Thanks in advance,
Matt Denney
School Bus Driver, CCSD

[Booyah45828]

Typically, on the ford e350 cutaways with a gas engine, the 2nd battery is an auxiliary battery that is connected to the multi-function switch, main light switch, and trailer lights all the time. When the vehicle is running, a relay will kick on and connect the rest of the system to the auxiliary battery, which will provide charging to the auxiliary battery.

[magnakansas]

I would be inclined to say that you can use that wheel chair lift cable to charge house bank. I would advise to make sure you dont backfeed the bus's electrical system when the bus is not running.

william

[Rucker]

Originally Posted by thennyvinylguy

I may be crazy but I have a couple questions -

1. I have a 2001 Ford E50 5.4L Gas Goshen Shuttle with an auxiliary battery. Does anyone know if this is truly auxiliary or a 2nd starting battery?

2. I found the BIG, old positive cable from the wheelchair lift. Can I bring that up through the floor to charge my battery bank that is deep cycle batteries? Before anyone says or asks, they are already properly vented.

Thanks in advance,
Matt Denney
School Bus Driver, CCSD

1. I have the same chassis, Thor body ('99). I don't know if it it is connected so it will 'jump' the main battery. I'm assuming yes-my isolator is capable of feeding back into the 2nd chassis battery if everything is dead. I haven't needed to test that, so if anyone else knows, it would be nice to confirm.


2. I don't know but you can't wing it, and my guess is no you can't use it because the wire is sized for the motor on that hydraulic unit and it isn't likely to be drawing near the current even a single house battery would when run down. Having said that I've been surprised before, so I'd probably research things like voltage regulators that may allow you to control what comes over the wire. A solar panel controller has little wires, so hey.

Because this forum is full of wingers I'd add that if one did decide to try it at least determine the wire's carrying capacity and put an appropriate fuse on the end of it. That way it blows a fuse if you're wrong and doesn't burn the bus down. Probably.

[peteg59]

Most busses with a wheelchair lift have a circuit breaker built in line between the start or aux battery(ies) and the lift.
You could run a house battery connecting that cable to it.
You should also run an isolator so it is separated from the start battery(ies), and so you don't find yourself stranded with a dead vehicle/starting battery.

Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...IYF4FRSK&psc=1