Starting Battery hookup for 92 Bounder

[1992 Bounder]

I am the proud new owner of a 1992 Fleetwood Bounder, Model K. There are no batteries and the battery connector cables are there but not marked.
I want to install a starting battery and see if I can get her started. Does anyone have any information on how the batteries are to be connected. And any advice before I just install battery and turn the key?
It hasn’t been started in 18 months,
I am excited to be part of the group and plan to give a detailed storyboard on the rebuild. Hopefully it will help someone else along the way and you can learn from my mistakes. But first I need to get it started.

[mbridinger]

My motor battery has side terminals.

[1992 Bounder]

Mine does too.

[D Gardiner]

Originally Posted by 1992 Bounder

I am the proud new owner of a 1992 Fleetwood Bounder, Model K. There are no batteries and the battery connector cables are there but not marked.

Going to assume you have a Ford gasoline chassis Bounder, and not a Chevy 454 or a Diesel pusher version.

Ford used top mount batteries and Chevrolet used side mount terminal batteries.
Ford normally did not color mark the terminal ends, unlike Chevy.

If you have oem cables, the negative terminal cable end is slightly smaller in diameter than the positive terminal end.

If the battery cable ends have been cut and replaced with universal aftermarket ends, or the entire cable was replaced, you will need to investigate. Follow the cables one at a time, and see if they terminate at the frame/engine block, or the starter.

Originally Posted by 1992 Bounder

I want to install a starting battery and see if I can get her started. Does anyone have any information on how the batteries are to be connected. And any advice before I just install battery and turn the key?
It hasn’t been started in 18 months,

The best advice is to pull the spark plugs and spray some WD-40 down each cylinder, and let it sit overnight. Check the oil and transmission fluid level before firing the engine up. Of course make sure coolant is in the radiator.

Originally Posted by 1992 Bounder

I am excited to be part of the group and plan to give a detailed storyboard on the rebuild. Hopefully it will help someone else along the way and you can learn from my mistakes. But first I need to get it started.

Fleetwood had a tendency to move the 6V deep cycle house batteries around. On our coach they are on the frame ahead of the radiator. On some coaches the 2 batteries are under the entry steps.

[Arch Hoagland]

Does one of the cables have a red connector?

If so I would assume that is the positive lead.

[Argosy]

If you have side terminals check cable ends to ground with an ohm meter. The one that's a short is ground. Might as well do the same with the house battery cables as long as you're there, mark both so you know them in the future.

[1992 Bounder]

Thanks to everyone for there assistance. These cables are side post connections. It looks like there are cables for 3 batteries. Would they all be 12 volt ? Obviously the starting battery is 12 volt. Are the 2 house batteries 12 volt in parallel or 6 volt in series? I will put a meter on them and then label each cable.

[Argosy]

Find the 3 grounds and set them aside. It's a safe guess there were 2 12v house batteries in parallel and both charged by the converter. Pick 2 of the unidentified + cables and use the meter to check for a short between them. If no short make another pair and check them for a short, if still no short the final pairing should be the house connectors and go to the converter.

[1992 Bounder]

Thanks for the information, I will test on the weekend and see how it goes. It’s going to be -33 tonight so hopefully it will warm up on the weekend to hopefully -17 or so, lol.

[D Gardiner]

Originally Posted by 1992 Bounder

Thanks to everyone for there assistance. These cables are side post connections. It looks like there are cables for 3 batteries. Would they all be 12 volt ? Obviously the starting battery is 12 volt. Are the 2 house batteries 12 volt in parallel or 6 volt in series? I will put a meter on them and then label each cable.

Took a couple pictures of our 1996 Flair 29V with the Chevy 7.4L (454) engine.

Engine/Chassis Battery: 12V group 78 or group 34/78DT

-The Chevrolet chassis battery on ours is located under the hood, on the passenger side, right behind the headlights. The picture shows the factory side mount (red) booted battery cable, which runs directly to the starter motor.

-The second red cable attaches to the battery (+) positive terminal via a special bolt and brass nut. The cable then leads to a RV Custom battery engine disconnect latching relay. Located on the drivers side near the Fleetwood fuse box.

-The battery ground cable starts at the battery (-) negative terminal and bolts to the chassis frame.
Note: The negative cable, on our coach is hidden below the battery, and is hard to see even when laying under the coach.

Coach/House Batteries: 6V group GC2, deep cycle batteries

The Fleetwood House batteries on our coach are under the hood, mounted between the frame rails. The picture here is hopefully worth a thousand words.
-On our coach the passenger battery (-) negative terminal goes to the chassis frame ground. It actually goes to the same bolt at the engine battery.

-The battery interconnect cable only goes between the two deep cycle batteries, to achieve 12 volts. That cable runs from the passenger side battery (+) positive terminal to the driver side battery (-) negative terminal.

-The battery positive cable is on the (+) positive terminal on the driver side battery. It runs up to a RV Custom battery house disconnect latching relay.

[1992 Bounder]

Thanks D Gardiner. That will help for sure. Can’t wait to get under the hood and get this hooked up.

[OldWEB]

D Gardiner, I do like the post, even though it does not apply to ME, you did put effort into it. Also a very clean unit for being 26 or so years old!


Stay cool

[MinntoMich]

For the chassis/starter battery shouldn't the positive run to the starter? The negative at some point to the frame/ground?

[1992 Bounder]

I was hoping to do some testing this weekend but it is just too cold. -32 tonight and more of the same all week.. The daytime high this week is -19 C . I need to get this motorhome running and fixed up and drive south lol