Sure power 135001 where to get one

Split from General / Technical for discussion of anything electrical, electronic... 12v, Inverter, Satellite, Headlights, flashlights etc.
Goodlife
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Joined: October 26th, 2016, 10:11 am

Re: Sure power 135001 where to get one

Post by Goodlife »

Well guess what, in looking through the cabinets in preparation for winter storage my wife found what might be the build sheet from days gone by. It would appear it is in fact a 1996 on a 1995 chassis. Everything seems be original less the tv and vcr.

As far as the large red wire is concerned, the splice is done with a properly crimped wire terminal which seems to be satisfactory for the time being. I would very much like to get the sure power unit you speak of and I will be very happy to compensate you for the unit and your trouble. As mentioned, I will be storing the RV soon and will wait patiently until you have an opportunity to retrieve the original sure power from your RV.

I should be able to find a schematic some where that will direct me on where to attach the wires on the unit and where the power and ground wires are connected.

Thanks for your help and input and I will wait to hear from you on the unit.
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Blue~Go
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Re: Sure power 135001 where to get one

Post by Blue~Go »

Aha! Interestingly, you appear to have the electrical system that didn't show up in the manuals (I don't believe) until 1997. Maybe it was the very last 1996 made :D Probably everyone, but certainly kdarling (and me) would love to see some other shots. You seem to have a unique one (unless the system I thought started in 1997 actually started in '96?). At any rate, I'd say having the 1997-on electrical setup is a good thing. Even though I find the stock electrical system a bit dated and not to really suit my needs, the big plus (even if you do change it later on) is that you must have the larger battery compartment so it's easy to fit two batteries, plus a few other system tweaks that are a bit better plus maybe a bit easier to upgrade. Some of the earlier systems (1995-ish?) had the house battery under the hood (only room for one, not a common size, etc.), individual solenoids, and various other things. They upped their game a bit in '97.

I'm pretty sure I know where I have the LVD stored. I can't tell you how many times I almost threw it away. The horror! :o I'll be back in the vicinity of that particular storage tub ("removed stuff") in a month or so. It seemed to work just fine. I have notes as to where all the wires go. Yours may be just the same, or, if not, it should help.

Here are some photos for now, to give you the idea and some info in advance. Clicking on any of these makes them larger. Only three photos are allowed per post, so I will continue in the next one. Actually, you might want to skip down to that post first, as I'm going to attach an overview from the diagram in the 1998 manual.

First of all, here are a couple of photos of the LVD in my rig:

Front:
IMG_9584.jpg
Side:
IMG_9587.jpg
Labeled, before removing (I hadn't decided how I was going to handle the new wiring yet, so wanted the info for reference):
IMG_1375.jpg
Okay, more in the next post.
Last edited by Blue~Go on October 31st, 2016, 2:42 pm, edited 2 times in total.
1999 Concourse
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Blue~Go
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Re: Sure power 135001 where to get one

Post by Blue~Go »

Here is a page from the 1998 manual. Even after you click to enlarge, it may be a bit blurry, but the original entire manual can be downloaded from our "reference" sub-forum here, and should be of better quality. Since your rig seems to resemble a 1997, and since the 1998 is very similar from what I have seen, I think you will find it very useful. Great diagrams of all the systems (electrical, plumbing supply, drain/waste/vent, etc. Plus tank capacities (which are nearly accurate) etc. Here is a link to the manuals thread. The 1998 manual is a link in the very first post.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=279

In the below diagram, the part in the red box is the LVD. The left-hand facing side of the LVD on the diagram is the top as it is fastened to the pillar in the coach. The blue box above that represents the "over the shoulder" switches by the driver's seat. The green box is the battery combiner under the hood (presuming you have that too; it's a Sure Power 1315 and is on the driver's fenderwell, although they must have had a trained mouse to install it - it's buried in there. You may want to look for the serial number on the combiner, as some were recalled due to fire danger (mine was). The purple box represents the 80 amp breaker for the generator start wire (again, if yours is like this). If you raise the hood and stand facing aft and looking at the start battery, then look up to the "seam" where the back of the hood meets the body, you will see it if it is there. A black breaker about 1-3/4" x 2-1/2", with a red button, and held on by some perforated metal strapping. (Later models, after around 2000, used the house bank to start the generator, thus shortening a wire run that is considerably too long and skinny.)
1998 Diagram.png
Here is the Sure Power combiner (formerly) on my rig, on the driver's fenderwell. This is without the cover piece on it. This has the green box around it on the diagram.
IMG_9164.jpg
And here is the generator start breaker, top center in the photo -- the one with the purple box around it on the diagram. BTW, not a great arrangement on the positive post (terminal stacking). One of mine was just about torn through and making bad contact (I have since changed it).
start batt.jpg
BTW, glad to hear the connections made after the LVD was removed are not just taped. You never know.
1999 Concourse
Goodlife
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Re: Sure power 135001 where to get one

Post by Goodlife »

I can't thank you enough for all the information and the prospect of getting this unit back to 100%.

I noticed in my looking around the forum, at one point you had a generator for sale, I was just wondering if you had sold it?

Anyway thanks again for all the help.

Jim
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kdarling
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Re: Sure power 135001 where to get one

Post by kdarling »

Goodlife wrote:When I bought this unit the owner who was just flipping it said he thought it was a 1996 but the title said it was a 1995. I got no documentation or manual with the unit and I can find no plate on the passenger door jam. It is powered by a 360 engine with an overdrive transmission.
Apparently, it's a late 1996 model year Chinook house body on a 1996 model year Ford chassis. It's a bit surprising that your local DMV didn't correct the title when you registered.

The VIN also says it has a 7.5L / 460ci engine, not a 360ci (which had stopped being made in 1976, I believe).

Your VIN: 1FDKE30G0THB30029

1FD = Ford
K = 10,000 GVW, no air bags
E30 = E350 chassis
G = 460 engine
0 = check digit
T = 1996 model year
H = assembly plant Lorain OH
B30029 = late year serial number, since it rolled over to 'B'
Blue~Go wrote:The Ford sticker you are looking for would be on the driver's door jamb, not passenger's.
That's where the Ford plate is. But I meant a possible Chinook build plate. In some of the older models, it was on the passenger door, and gave the month/year that the chassis and the Chinook body each were built. This was before they started leaving a piece of paper inside the closet :)
I have heard of the LVD's malfunctioning during certain electrical operations (involving doing work but not disconnecting batts or etc.). Maybe that happened and so flipper just removed it (or prior owner).
I agree, there might be a good reason someone took out the LVD. No real reason to put one back in, at least not a stock one with a too low voltage trip.
Last edited by kdarling on November 1st, 2016, 12:21 pm, edited 10 times in total.
1994 Concourse dinette, Ford 7.5L (460 V8)
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Blue~Go
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Re: Sure power 135001 where to get one

Post by Blue~Go »

Hi Jim,

It's always fun to have an enthusiastic new owner here. And I can identify with wanting to fix things that aren't quite right. I guess now I know why I never threw that LVD out, even though I almost did quite a few times. Ha, now that just justified future packrat behavior for 27 months :lol:

(Kind of fun to think of parts of my Chinook riding around in various other Chinooks now :D)

I still have the generator. I mentioned it at one point because a member thought he might need a replacement - and I was planning to remove mine - but then he ended up repairing his. So, since I hadn't removed it yet, I haven't put up an ad or anything. However, I do plan to remove it when I get back out west (in around a month). If you are interested, feel free to send me a PM (or let me know here and I can send you one). I'd be happy to see it go to another Chinooker.

BG
1999 Concourse
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Blue~Go
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Re: Sure power 135001 where to get one

Post by Blue~Go »

kdarling wrote: That's where the Ford plate is. But I meant a possible Chinook build plate. In some of the older models, it was on the passenger door
Aha! Now I know.
kdarling wrote: I agree, there might be a good reason someone took out the LVD. No real reason to put one back in, at least not a stock one with a too low voltage trip.
Since I knew I wasn't keeping mine (due to complete system re-design), I never looked to see if the low voltage cutoff could be adjusted. Looks like it can on the newer one. I agree it's not essential. I can see why Goodlife may want to put it back though. It would clear up a bit of a "nest" of wires and restore the function of the over-the-shouder switches (although there are other, perhaps better ways of doing that; putting the LVD back is straightforward).

If the cutoff voltage can't be adjusted up, and is low (say below 12.2 volts or so), then just know that if you use that as a "low battery time to stop using things" alarm then it's a bit hard on the batteries to go that low. But even if you have it, you can still run another type of battery meter. And/or your use may mean you just use the batteries without much worry and replace them from time to time.
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Goodlife
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Re: Sure power 135001 where to get one

Post by Goodlife »

@ KDARLING

Well, I would have to say you really know your way around when it comes to vehicle identification. I appreciate you giving me that information, I should have it in hand if I want to sell it someday. I am not surprised the DMV here in Kansas didn't catch that, I doubt they ever even cross checked it. Anyway, thank you for setting the record straight.

Jim
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Blue~Go
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Re: Sure power 135001 where to get one

Post by Blue~Go »

kdarling wrote: B30029 = late year serial number, since it rolled over to 'B'
I never knew about the "B" meaning late-year build. Thanks for that. Do you know if they go to the B at a certain time each year, or just whenever they have built X number of units, or some other criterion?

BG
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kdarling
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Re: Sure power 135001 where to get one

Post by kdarling »

I believe that it rolls over to the next letter whenever it gets to 99,999.

Ford often sold over 100,000 E-series a year, sometimes almost twice that. Thus his B3x,xxx would make it probably at least 2/3 through production for that year, and maybe even closer to the end since model years start around Aug or Sept, and his Chinook was built in June 1996, and the 1997 model year would soon be starting.

For trucks, the production sequence number starts at A00001 - A99999, then rolls over to B00000 (or maybe skips to B00001 ?) and so forth up to F99999, which is the highest sequence number allocated for a Ford-built truck. (I've never seen higher than B prefix, though there might've been a C.)

Since this is a production sequence, a different Ford truck factory can also start with A00001 after the factory code letter. But all ours were built in the same factory.

As a side note, Lincoln-built trucks/MPVs/buses start with J00001, and Transits start with 000001 (no letter). But I have no idea what Lincoln vehicles they mean! I don't think SUVs count, but maybe that's it. (I only researched post 1992 Ford Chinooks.)

-------------------------

PS> Here's my passenger door build plate put on by Trail Wagons. I think it's a standard U.S. format for RVs built on an incomplete vehicle, to indicate when the body was mated to the chassis, often for model year purposes.

I think it became required in the late 1980s (?) after many RV manufacturers began cheating and constantly swapping a later model year designation onto any old RV that hadn't sold yet :D... sometimes for years. Perhaps you have one too, and it's hidden somewhere?
build-plate.jpg
Last edited by kdarling on November 1st, 2016, 1:56 pm, edited 10 times in total.
1994 Concourse dinette, Ford 7.5L (460 V8)
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