Wiring four 6V Batteries--is this the best method?

Two answers:
IF you do not have a big (Multi-Kilowatt) Inverter (I DO) your diagram is fine, use starter cable for the interlinks, biggest you can get.

IF you DO have a big inverter.. Wire your two pair just exactly as you did

Hook Negative (Chassis ground) to one pair, Positive to other pair. (this is one connection different) as someone posted later on.

And upgrade the interlink.

Something to think of

Each pair of six volt batteries, wired in series = one 12 volt size 4D

Treat them that way,, Think of them as halves of a 12 volt battery.. Most all questions quickly go POOF when you do that.

smkettner wrote:

This.

California_Boondocker wrote:
Is this the only (and best) way to connect them?

No. You can wire each pair in parallel and then series the 2 12v banks. Don't know why you would though.

Balanced wiring gives slightly better performance and life.

I would point out to make all like connections to be the same length like shown in this drawing... This insures equal currents will be distributed among the connection when being charged.




NOTE: Disregard my post - I am having trouble showing my drawing. Its looks much like SMKETTNER and CA TRAVELER submitted...

Roy Ken

oops

Hi,

Yes, it is the best way. Keep the interconnect wires one size larger than the connections to the RV.

Yes, make it so.

Note: If you're adding two new batts in with two older ones, keep the two older ones together as a 12v string, and add the two new batts as another 12v string, and then parallel them into a single bank.

Try to get their resting (open circuit) voltages as close as possible before wiring them together. And be sure to use heavy cabling; at least 4ga, but 2ga is even better. And try to find heavy duty tinned copper terminal rings.