How to hook up my 3 RV batteries
- Thread starter Scards
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Laura & Charles
Well-known member
Why are they uninstalled? Assuming you took them out to have them tested or something like that. It’s always a good idea to take pictures before starting any kind of repair or procedure.
You likely have two 6 volt batteries for the house and they need wired in series to provide 12 volts.
And you likely have one 12 volt battery for your chassis.
If you post pictures of the batteries and the wires for them, it will make giving you guidance much clearer
You likely have two 6 volt batteries for the house and they need wired in series to provide 12 volts.
And you likely have one 12 volt battery for your chassis.
If you post pictures of the batteries and the wires for them, it will make giving you guidance much clearer
Show us a picture of what you are looking at.. even if it wasn't you that took things apart, the tip of the day, since you are going to become handy, always take pictures of stuff before you take things apart, between your pictures, youtube and this forum, anything can be fixed or resolved (rv related).
Kirk
Well-known member
Since you have 3 batteries, I would assume that all of them are 12V batteries and so should be connected in parallel as shown. That of course is only if all three are for the coach. If you have one for the chassis and then two for the coach, the chassis must have a 12V battery and it connects pretty simply, while the other two go in series if 6V or in parallel if 12V.
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Rob&Deryl
Well-known member
I wouldn’t assume. Photos of the batteries and where they go is critical to good advice.
phil-t
Well-known member
Correct - My rig came with 2 GC2 6V connected in series for the house and 1 12V connected for the chassis (engine battery).
Blindly, and unknowingly, improperly, connecting a mix of 12 and 6V batteries can get you into a lot of trouble.
All of your helpful replies are appreciated. Im posting a pic of how they were BEFORE i uninstalled them. I took them to AutoZone for re-charging and ended up with one being replaced for a new one, then my other 2 charged, i re-installed them by this picture. If this isnt correct, i need to know.
My issue : i live in my RV, my batteries would be dead every a.m. im doing something wrong...
My issue : i live in my RV, my batteries would be dead every a.m. im doing something wrong...
John From Detroit
Well-known member
Since he is installing 3 batteries I suspect they are 12's.. HOWEVER key word is SUSPECT
The person who posted the graphic.. Did a very good job. that's how it's done
I no longer have a Motor home. I have an apartment with a 12 volt power system and 3 12 volt batteries. EXACTLY as the graphic poster diagrammed.
The person who posted the graphic.. Did a very good job. that's how it's done
I no longer have a Motor home. I have an apartment with a 12 volt power system and 3 12 volt batteries. EXACTLY as the graphic poster diagrammed.
Mark_K5LXP
Well-known member
I see so many issues with this installation that if I encountered it with anything I owned I would remove it all and start over. While it may be "functional" as shown it is directly counter to proper parallel battery connection convention, and it is mechanically deficient lacking any kind of battery or cable restraints. It appears the connections made were based on convenience, whatever terminal had room and was closest. The tops of the batteries are a mess, promoting self discharge and terminal/cable corrosion. If "functional" is the goal then this may "work" but it's not something I would consider reliable or durable and in this case, even safe to operate.
Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
Ex-Calif
Well-known member
This is typical of an old vehicle. Over time "knuckelhead" mechanics tap the batteries directly when looking for a clean power source.
The battery on the right is the chassis battery. This is used only to start and run the RV.
The center and left batteries are 12V and wired in parallel.
If they are still going dead o overnight and have checked out good at Autozone the next thing to be sure of is whether the on board converter/charger is working.
You could have a real mess on your hands here as there are many other things that could be going on that take fair amount of skill to troubleshoot and isolate.
For the batteries to go dead overnight there likely is no charging going on coupled with a high draw somehere.
Rene T
Site Team
I agree with Ex-Calif. With your lack of knowledge and experience, it may be time to call in a mobile repair guy and have him straighten everything out and do a little trouble shooting to see if everything is up to snuff.
Mark_K5LXP
Well-known member
Is it? I can't tell. The appearance in the photo is that there's a jumper between the positive of the right battery and center one putting all three in parallel. All three are the same kind, not that you can't do that but just based on the photo I think one would be hard pressed to pick out the starting battery.
Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
phil-t
Well-known member
I agree, the photo shows all three in a parallel configuration with the wiring as shown. I doubt the original design is meant to be that way. Lots of "12V taps" off the those batteries as well. A real mess waiting for a problem, if there isn't already one or more.
Kirk
Well-known member
I suspect that it is correct that the far right battery should be the chassis starting battery but as I look at it, I see only a white wire to the negative post and no motor-vehicle negative battery cable as it should have. If you look at the cell caps, the two batteries to the left are definitely 12V as there are 6 cells. The one to the far right looks to be the same but is difficult to see for sure.
All 3 negative posts are tied together so that could be the negative being used for the starting battery, but it is not usually that way in my experience. Only 2 of the positives are connected so they are probably the 2 for the coach working in parallel. There are 2 red cables connected to the positive post of the far right battery, and one of those could be from the RV's converter, but I see no way to know. I also see 4 heavy cables attached to positive from outside, but only 1 to a negative post, and that seems very strange to me.
Scards, it would be my advice that you need someone who is qualified and who has a good volt/ohm meter to figure this out for you.
All 3 negative posts are tied together so that could be the negative being used for the starting battery, but it is not usually that way in my experience. Only 2 of the positives are connected so they are probably the 2 for the coach working in parallel. There are 2 red cables connected to the positive post of the far right battery, and one of those could be from the RV's converter, but I see no way to know. I also see 4 heavy cables attached to positive from outside, but only 1 to a negative post, and that seems very strange to me.
Scards, it would be my advice that you need someone who is qualified and who has a good volt/ohm meter to figure this out for you.
Ex-Calif
Well-known member
@Phil & @mark - Kirk is reading the photos exactly like I am. For some unknown reason it looks like the chassis ground has ben run to the house battery terminals.
It is possible that the one of the positives from the chassis battery is actually paralleled somewhere else but that would be out of frame. Paralleling all 3 batteries together is actually a common bodge by inexperienced mechanics with little electrical skill.
My coach is laid out exactly like this one with the battery tray in front of the radiator.
One thing OP can do is that when the house batteries are low/depleted she can try a start. If the chassis battery is also depleted then things are definitely even more wrong in the wiring department.
Rene T
Site Team
Does anyone see a new battery?
That is her original configuration. (as I read it)
I agree with others, ask someone for help, a mobile guy, owner of rv park? Someone needs to check your charging system and connections.
Rene T
Site Team
You are right. I missed that.
She should take a picture of what it looks like now
DonTom
Well-known member
It is clearly three 12V batteries in parallel. The wires to the battery on the right clearly connect to the battery in the middle. Both of the wires, neg to neg and pos to pos. I can clearly tell here on my large screen.
-Don- Reno, NV
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