DUAL BATTERY CONNECTION

They are wired correctly. RV systems, lights, furnace, water heater, fridge etc. run on 12 volts. Your two 6 volt batteries are wired in series, meaning the voltage is added together. 6 Volts + 6 volts = 12 volts.

Do you mean they have criss-crossed links?

There should be only ONE interconnect between the batteries (positive of one to negative of the other).

And the wires from batteries to the RV--

The positive should come off one battery positive

The negative should come off the other battery negative.

Neither wire to house from either battery's interconnection.

Sounds correctly wired.

BFL13 wrote:
Do you mean they have criss-crossed links?

That is how I read it, doesn't make sense.

Should only be one connection between batteries. Good info here:
12 volt side of life

TWO 4 THE ROAD wrote:
Hello:
...the positive from on battery is connected to the negative of the second batteries and the neg of the 1st is connected to the pos of the 2nd.

That would create a brief, but entertaining, show - the correct way to connect two 6V batteries would be from the chassis ground to the negative terminal of battery 1, the positive terminal of battery 1 to the negative terminal of battery 2, then the positive terminal of battery 2 to the power bus that supplies power to the 12V loads.

TWO 4 THE ROAD wrote:
Hello:
I have two 6v batteries in my 5er that were installed a couple years ago. Yesterday while cleaning up the rig, I noticed that the batteries were connected in a strange way. the positive from on battery is connected to the negative of the second batteries and the neg of the 1st is connected to the pos of the 2nd. Does this seem right? I haven't had any electrical problems but it just seemed strange.
any comments?

Is this right: Absolutely
What is wrong is your thinking. You do not have "Two 6volt batteries IN the RV. I know that's what they are when you pull 'em out but when they are IN the RV you have two halves of a single 12 volt battery..

So they are wired as below (Equals signs represent wire)

Chassis/ground==== -{6V}+==-{6V}+=== 12 volt to motor home

How does this work.. 6+6 = 12

DO NOT ADD AMP HOURS.. These batteries are about 220 (Give or take a bit) amp hour DEEP CYCLES. but when you add them in this manner they are still 220 you can safely use about half that (a bit over 1KWH)

Now when you wire 12 volt "Jars" together You do it differently but I won't go into that to avoid confusion.

But what you have is a single 12 volt Battery... In two parts.

At least electrically.

And if you have (4) 6 volt batteries (series/parallel) you now have 4 quarters of a single 12 volt battery. :p

TWO 4 THE ROAD: There is nothing wrong with your way of thinking. Some people just have a different concept of things.

I doubt they are wired as you describe. Please post a picture.
Basically if it is working... then it is wired correct.

Be very careful or get assistance if you replace those batteries to get the new ones wired right.