Bounder: Battery Wiring 1989 Bounder 33W Chevy powered

[searchinferu]

Jut drove home my brand new 26 year old motor home. Unfortunately, none of the batteries were installed and I figured out enough to get one battery to power the engine and associated controls, as well as the exterior lighting.

It would appear that there were originally three batteries, installed behind the front grille of the rig. I assume two of these were for the house and the third for motivation and the don't hit me lights. There is something labeled (don't quote me) batter isolator if I remember correctly. Also a solenoid, possibly to connect the two house batteries to the house or perhaps to add them to the ships battery for engine start, or maybe to add the ships battery to them for additional house power. However, other than a large brass knife switch currently not connected to anything, it may be this isolator only connects the house batteries to the house, when called for by the automatic wajamajiggy box, which houses the circuit brakers, 12v fuseds, and an autoconnect function of some sort. I have a number of schematics for the rig, but none show which battery leads go where. So, my first question is how to make sure I have the leads going to the house and engine correctly connected as I add the two house batteries. The second question would be is there any time that all three batteries would be connect (for engine start, charging, etc) and if so, how is that done. I'm guessing by me with that 1920's knife switch, but not sure how that fits into this picture.

Thanks for any help, cause I'm quite literally in the dark about all this....unless I wish to read the manual using the headlights!

[JohnRR]

Good luck with solutions to your problems.

[ga traveler]

Fleetwood liked to use two six volt batteries in series for the house batteries. They came from the factory with two Trojan six volt batteries in series. One battery went to ground. The positive post connected to the negative post of the other battery. The positive post on the second battery was hooked to the other lead.

[Old Bounder]

This should help. You can get the complete wiring diagrams (also plumbing and heating) simply by contacting Fleetwood RV Customer Support with your Make/Model and VIN/FIN information.

[searchinferu]

Hmmm. Whad da ya think the advantage is of having two six volt batteries as appose to two twelve volt batteries for the house?

[ga traveler]

Originally Posted by searchinferu

Hmmm. Whad da ya think the advantage is of having two six volt batteries as appose to two twelve volt batteries for the house?

There are two advantages. ONE is the higher amp hour rating of the six volt. TWO is the deep discharge rating of the six volt. If you dry camp or like to spend nights in WAL-Mart and cracker barrel, then by all means get the two six volts. We always stay at a campground and never dry camp, so when my six volts died, I replaced the two six volts with one twelve volt battery. I did this to save money and weight.

[Old Bounder]

Originally Posted by searchinferu

Hmmm. Whad da ya think the advantage is of having two six volt batteries as appose to two twelve volt batteries for the house?

See my answer to your PM.