1979 empress class C

[Garbear]

Tech question....1979 empress 20ft class c motorhome....2 black wires out from convertor run along under frame and up through drivers area and out through firewall....1 is ground? and other is plumbed into electrical connection that comes from alternator but little wire is going to ignition coil and power on only when engine is running or on key on only.Should this wire if in wrong spot be getting 12 volt battery live with or without key....previous owners had charging issues and a spagetti of engine wires...most have been eliminated....solved my charging issues now the rear coach area...thanks any input

[twinboat]

My 99 MH has a " key on " hot wire to a solenoid, that connects the engine battery to the house battery. That way, it charges the house battery, only when engine is running. The solenoid has battery cables to each battery.

Some older MHs may have had diode isolators. They were installed in the output wire, comming from the alternator and split the charging to both batteries. They would use 10 or 8 gauge wire.

That's the 2 types of systems used back then.

[Garbear]

Originally Posted by twinboat

My 99 MH has a " key on " hot wire to a solenoid, that connects the engine battery to the house battery. That way, it charges the house battery, only when engine is running. The solenoid has battery cables to each battery.

Some older MHs may have had diode isolators. They were installed in the output wire, comming from the alternator and split the charging to both batteries. They would use 10 or 8 gauge wire.

That's the 2 types of systems used back then.

Only thing i have done is change out both batteries and hopefully hook up wires correctly...1 maybe 8 guage is tapped into wire harness from alternator and specific wire that it is spliced into goes to ignition coil....other wire i think is ground. I have 2 new batteries with a continuous solenoid in between.breaker on convertor popping so i think the other black wire would be ground and not a power wire.....my mistake but yet half my coach lights did work