Rookie mistakes?

[Firehawvvk]

I picked up my new TT about a month ago and brought it home and parked it. I went out yesterday and plugged into 110 power and hooked up the battery. For some reason though I can not get the lights, radio and power awning to work. The microwave, TV and slide all work but nothing else.
I just thought I'd try this first before calling the manufacturer. We live miles from the nearest RV dealer.
Sorry if I listed this in the wrong place but there are so many choices.
Anybody have a clue to what I'm doing wrong?

[AJR]

The important thing is that the wire going to the frame should go to the negative battery terminal. What color it is does not matter. It is a real help to take a picture of any wiring before you disconnect it.

[DrewE]

The negative cable (or cables) connect to the frame. The positive one (or ones) connect to various combinations of fuses, circuit breakers, converters, inverters, isolators, disconnect switches, etc. Wire color is less standardized than one would really like (or rather, there are a few varying standards), and particularly for older used units could have been replaced or changed around from whatever it was originally. The important consideration is where the other end connects, not whether the wire is red or black or yellow with purple polka dots and glitter specks.

(For what it's worth, I happen to have a red positive lead, a black negative lead, and a comparatively thin white negative lead connected in parallel with the black negative one. I suspect the white was added by the previous owner for some reason, perhaps because the black one is broken, and I intend to make it go away the next time I do any electrical work/cleaning.)

[hondapro]

My 15 springdale,black is positive,white is negative.

[bikendan]

Russell Clifton wrote:


There should not be a white and black wires at the battery. There should be a red and black. Red goes to positive, black goes to neg.

no, that's automotive wiring, not RV wiring unless you're talking about a motorhome.
traditionally, RV wiring is white for neg. and black for pos.

[opnspaces]

Sounds like the battery was or is connected backward.

Red and black are usually positive, white is usually negative. Ttrace your negative wire by hand from the negative terminal on the battery and make sure it is bolted to the frame. Then go find your power distribution center and verify that the 40 amp (green)reverse polarity fuses aren't blown.

[Russell_Clifton]

schlep1967 wrote:
Several have said about hooking up the battery backwards but nobody mentioned how it should be hooked up. White wire to ground (-) Black wire to positive (+). If you hooked it up the other way start looking for a fuse near the battery.

There should not be a white and black wires at the battery. There should be a red and black. Red goes to positive, black goes to neg.

[bikendan]

lanerd wrote:
There is a fuse directly off of the battery on the positive cable. These are prone to blow if battery is connected wrong....even for a split second. Follow the positive cable from the battery and you should locate the in-line fuse prior to the cable disappearing into the TT.

Good luck

Ron

there is also a resettable gray/silver fuse/breaker along the trailer's A-frame, that has a little black button you need to press to reset it.
it usually gets tripped when the owner reverses the battery wires when reinstalling the battery.

[Firehawvvk]

Sorry, I have a 2015-coachmen-catalina-253rks-new-travel-trailer. I think I have some good info now to go get a better look at things.
Thanks!

[schlep1967]

Several have said about hooking up the battery backwards but nobody mentioned how it should be hooked up. White wire to ground (-) Black wire to positive (+). If you hooked it up the other way start looking for a fuse near the battery.

[Bobbo]

Bucky Badger wrote:

But he won't have a chassis battery in a TT

Yes, I missed that detail. I went back and edited my response.

[lanerd]

There is a fuse directly off of the battery on the positive cable. These are prone to blow if battery is connected wrong....even for a split second. Follow the positive cable from the battery and you should locate the in-line fuse prior to the cable disappearing into the TT.

Good luck

Ron

[bikendan]

it would help some if you posted year, make and model of TT.

[Bobbo]

Firehawvvk wrote:
I picked up my new TT about a month ago and brought it home and parked it. I went out yesterday and plugged into 110 power and hooked up the battery. For some reason though I can not get the lights, radio and power awning to work. The microwave, TV and slide all work but nothing else.
I just thought I'd try this first before calling the manufacturer. We live miles from the nearest RV dealer.
Sorry if I listed this in the wrong place but there are so many choices.
Anybody have a clue to what I'm doing wrong?

OK, the "lights, radio and power awning" all run off the house battery.

The "microwave, TV" run off 110v, not battery.

The slide works off the battery, but is direct wired to the battery. It does not go through the 12v distribution system.

Note that all the stuff you say doesn't work is from the house battery.

I would be looking at the house battery connection. Taking the battery out you may have blown a fuse. Or, you have have hooked it up backward putting it back in, again blowing a fuse (hopefully).

ON EDIT:

I missed that this was a TT, so no chassis battery. That definitely points to a problem between the battery and the 12v distribution system. The slide is wired directly to the battery, and works, but the stuff that goes through the power distribution system does not work. That focuses your search.

[cmcdar]

Did you check all of your fuses?