charging 6 volt batteries

[tqracn]

I took the 6 volt batteries out of the Rv.I would like to charge them , but I only have a 12 volt charger.Can I connect + to + and - to- , making it in series?

[doc]

Negative Connect the positive from one battery to the negative of the other. Then hook your charger to the corresponding poles that are not connected. This hookup will be 12 volts. Negative to negative and positive to positive will result in only 6 volts - even if you stacked a whole bay of batteries this way.

[RVDude]

Actually + to + and - to - is PARALLEL. Still 6v, just double the amp capacity.

You want to take 2 of the 6v batteries and connect the + on one to the - on the other using a wire (one side of a jumper cable works great) and then connect the 12v charger to the remaining + and - terminals (1 on each battery). This + to - wiring is SERIES, the batteries strung together on a string or in series.

You can then add other 6v batteries in parallel as long as you do so in pairs wired as above.

[Wayne M]

Make sure the wire (jumper cables are good) heavy enough to carry what may be different current until a stable charge is reached. If one batter is real low compared to the other one it will be drawing more amperage and a small wire may not be suitable between batteries.

[wa8yxm]

Hook them up exactly as they are hooked up in the RV

-{Bat}+T-{try}+

And then you charge the resulting 12 volt battery

Just like you do when they are in the RV

I'm fond of saying there are no six volt batteries in RV's.. The reason for this is when you put two six volt batteries in series, as I did above.. you wind up with, electrically and electronically, one 12 volt battery.

Think of them, when so wired, as a single 12 volt and all your "six/twelve" questions are answered..

Examples of such questions:

Can I replace just one of the six volt batteries?
(Can you replace just 1/2 of a single 12 volt battery?)

How do I charge them (you charge IT)

Do they need to be the same age/make/size/model/ and so on?
(Would you buy a 12 volt that was half Interstate half Excide?)
(Could you find such a battery?)

As you see. when you think of the pair, in series as one 12 volt battery many questions answer themselves.

[tqracn]

Thanks for the info.Just ask and he will be told.