Mystery Wire

[Flossy]

I was servicing the house batteries on my Mountainaire and noticed a wire dangling down in the battery/inverter compartment. It's a very heavy gauge wire that is red with an orange strip. It appears to be cut off on the open end. It's dangling from the area right behind the compartment door on the right hand side. Does anyone have a clue what it's for? Everything seems to work in the MH.

Thanks

Dave

[Mr JP]

You my want to use a volt meter to check for voltage. Try with the key off and on and try the coach battery switch the same storage or use mode. That might help you figure out if it was replaced at one time or just not in use. Things like that always bug me. Good Luck JP

[DriVer]

I would like to say this it's not a Workhorse thing. The electrical system at the time of manufacture by your individual OE is just about completely reworked to suit their body style or requirements.

You may want to ask the Newmar folks close to the same question or perhaps Oemy can let us know what it might be. He has a MA.

["007"]

Flossy, are you the original owner of the coach? The wire in that bay near batteries may be a wire for some solar panels that haven't ever been installed.
You may find other end stored in the refrigerator vent on roof.
Like someone said check with a volt meter to frame ground just to make sure there is no voltage on end that you found.
Also if second owner wire may go to trailer hitch area for electric brakes in that area.

[Flossy]

I'm the second owner. I'll check tomorrow with a meter. It seems to be too large a wire for a braking circuit. The wire is about as big as a pencil or maybe a little smaller. It's definately much larger than a #12 or #10.

[FlyingDiver]

Originally Posted by Flossy

I'm the second owner. I'll check tomorrow with a meter. It seems to be too large a wire for a braking circuit. The wire is about as big as a pencil or maybe a little smaller. It's definately much larger than a #12 or #10.

Yeah, that sounds like a solar charge wire. Those are usually #6 or larger.

joe

[a k]

Boy, if you have to use a #6 wire on a solar charger you have one BIG hell-of-charger

[wa8yxm]

Large wires are used on solar chargers because you want as little voltage loss as possible.. That said, I agree with you A K.

Inverters might well use #6 if the original owner had an inverter and took it out.. (That would be a fairly small one, say 300-450 watts, but that is common when you only want to run a Television)

[Flossy]

I went out and checked the wire this morning. It has no power to it. However, I also have the house batteries out and am charging them so I will check again once I reinstall the batteries.

Dave

[FlyingDiver]

Originally Posted by a k

Boy, if you have to use a #6 wire on a solar charger you have one BIG hell-of-charger

#6 is recommended by AM Solar if you have more than 4 panels:

Wire Harness

#8 otherwise.

joe

[a k]

I don't get it. Even if it puts out 35% more amps than stated it's still only about 7 amps. #10 wire is good for 30 amps.Something don't sound right. Pure copper wire? Sounds like they make there profit off of
Monster Cable.

Take a picture of the hanging wire if you can.

Could it be a chassis ground?

[FlyingDiver]

DC power is much more susceptible to line loss than AC. Yeah, #10 is good for 30 amps @ 120V. But at 14V (charging level)? I just remembered seeing that number on their site. I don't know how they came up with it.

joe

[a k]

30 amps is 30amps. weather its at 14 volts or 4160 volts.

The outside jacket is the difference

[Always-RVing]

That's left-over engine floss