coach battery connections

[derfgrly]

Removed my coach batteries last spring and recently replaced. Like a dummy I didn't take a picture of connections. Have the series and parallel figured out but there are three cables that connect them to the gen set and chassis. As you face the MH a red (hot) and black (ground) on the left and a single super heavy cable on the right. Is the one on the right a hot or a ground?

[Gilleshps]

Do you have any pics? What color is the larger cable you're referring to?

[Gary RVRoamer]

Ground is easy enough to determine. Use an ohmmeter and check for continuity between the cable and the chassis. The ground cable is wired direct to the vehicle frame.


Are "coach batteries" the engine starting ones or the house power ones? The usual terms are "chassis battery" and "House battery", but "chassis" is sometimes called "engine" as well.

[Kiawah]

Ground is easy enough to determine. Use an ohmmeter and check for continuity between the cable and the chassis. The ground cable is wired direct to the vehicle frame.

Well careful, a high current device will be a low ohm resistance...and if your meter isn't good enough it will look like a dead short to ground as well.


Your original note isn't clear what you have. How many batteries do you have, and are they 6 or 12 volt batteries?

Are you saying there are (2) cables (1 red and 1 black) that head off into the basement? Is that third cable a little short cable of what color?....or does that third cable head off into the basement as well?

If that third cable heads off into the basement, you should track it back and see where it goes. You could do some serious damage if you mis-connect it. It probably goes to the terminal of the color it is, but I wouldn't connect it without verifying where it goes.

[dpinvidic]

The cable in question is "PROBABLY" the hot which goes to the generator starter. Some details in your post are not clear.

I say this because the general method for ground is to use the metal chassis as the ground conductor. That is why you usually see a short ground cable from the NEG terminal of a battery to the Chassis.

If you have your two cable already connected, I assume you have checked your 12V lights and they work....and you Test panel will show you your house battery voltage.
If you have not connected that third cable yet, your generator probably won't start.

If you ever are concerned about connecting a big cable like this (your not sure of the connection point) use a 12v headlamp as a indicator. connect it across the cable and terminal. If it does not light, you are not shorting anything. If is does light, you need to check out why....could be a short.

Regards,

Dan