HELP - House batteries dead

It's safe if you know how to hook them up properly. TAKE A PICTURE before removing wires.

2oldman wrote:
It's safe if you know how to hook them up properly. TAKE A PICTURE before removing wires.

Take a picture even if you hire someone to replace the batteries. Then you have a record of how they should be connected.

Yes, you can replace them yourselves.

Take pictures, several of them, as to where the cables go. When people have problems after changing batteries it's usually because they didn't hook up the cables the same way they took them off. They just take off all of the cables, pull the batteries, put the new ones in and then have no idea how to hook up the cables again and do it wrong.

Having said the above, depending on how your batteries are in the battery holder, it's safest to only replace one battery at a time to help get the cables back in the right place.

If he's not used to battery work, have him tape the end of the wrench that goes in his hand so that it doesn't touch anything else and create a spark.

If you put your RV into storage you should be disconnectiing the negative battery cable on both sets of batteries to prevent then from draining and ruining them. The battery disconnect switch someplace up front in the RV does not disconnect everything. The best thing is to have someone connect a real battery disconnect switch, on both sets of batteries, in the cable next to the batteries. This way you don't have to take the negative cable off when you aren't using the RV.

Bill

wish I was there to help, 8deg here in ohio ,the very first thing is draw a pic of the battery cables. even buy some red tape and mark the plus cables . if he,s real handy go for it. if not call a battery shop,not wal mart and find a shop to make a service call. change them all. , yep gonna be your Xmas present, but hey!! your in flr where its warm to work on it not here in the cold. number one rule if your not comfortable doing this DON,T.a battery exploding in your face can take your head off.

Good advice above, but let me add one thing. Anytime somebody changes a battery (or does any work around batteries), they should wear safety glasses with side shields. When I was a youngster and just learning how to drive, I tried to jump start a battery. I got the cables crossed and the battery blew up. I was sprayed in the face with battery acid and received some minor acid burns. Fortunately, I had on glasses which saved my eyes. I'm sure battery acid in the eyes could be very painful and do quite a bit of damage.

Jim

All the above advice is very good. depending on where you are at in Florida I may be able to help with the changeout. I replaced all six of mine recently as they were all old and bulging on the sides. Not difficult to do, they are very heavy, and you have to double check how the cables are run to avoid any issues.

I'm in Weeki Wachee, Homosassa area, I'd be glad to lend a hand doing it. 352-302-2386 cell / Lamonte

You can probably bring them back if you have the time and a battery minder desulphator. You'll have to wire them for 12V and leave the battery minder on them for several days.

Thanks everyone. We are pretty proud of ourselves. We bought and replaced all 4 house batteries and apparently we connected them correctly because everything seems to be working!

GREAT good job, we new you could do it.

By the way, if you never dry camp you don't need 4 house batteries. But you said 'inverter', so...