[whatsnewell]

Hey Scott.....you're coach is just one year newer than mine.....I replaced my "battery boiler" with a Progressive Dynamics 70 amp multi stage charger 5 years ago, and I love it......haven't lost a battery prematurely since then. As for the batteries I would stay with the 2 8D's for starting. On the house batteries......are group 31 batteries 6 volt? If so, remember they must be wired together differently than 12 volt batteries to be sure as a group they put out 12 volts. All your batteries should be charged by either the charger, when plugged in, or by the alternator while under way. Some say you have to engage the "merge" switch, but I have always left my merge switch in the "off" position.....have never had a battery go dead. I think on the newer coaches you must engage the merge switch one way, or the other for all batteries to be charged at the same time, and I am not sure if by 1983 they had changed their wiring scheme.

By the way, what engine do you have in your coach? Detroit Diesel?

Good luck!