Electrical help!!!

[Medic_Chick]

Supposed to be on the road to a dog show in Colorado (from Alberta, Canada) first thing tomorrow morning. Hubby switched out our two NFG 12V coach batteries for two 6V. We have the batteries wired together properly, but there are two master shut-off switches on the front of the RV that we can't figure out the wiring for.

One is supposed to run the chassis battery, the other the coach batteries... BUT right now one switch is running both while the other one does nothing!!

Please help... it worked properly before!!! I've attached a link with the photos of the way things are set up right now. The switch on the right is the one doing everything right now. RV Wiring

[APRSRVer]

It would seem that if you only switched the two 6v batteries for the old two 12v batteries, you only need to figure out where the four wires in the picture to the 6v batteries need to go. My guess is that one solenoid is to combine the chassis and coach batteries in the event one or the other has been run down. So that solenoid would have wires on each side going to pos terminals of the two banks. Wires from the neg terminal of each bank would go to chassis grounds (bolted to the frame). That leaves the other two in the picture that are connected to the 6v's to figure out where they go. Obviously, if one of the wires connects to the neg side of the 6v's, it's got to be connected to ground.

[Chris_Bryant]

In the picture of the switches (img 0425), where does the red wire go to on the right hand chassis switch?

[MrWizard]

Pictures 1&2
Looks like Red marked wire going from battery isolator relay to negative post of first 6v
Battery isolator relay wire should be going to positive post of second 6v aka 12v positive top of chain

Neg post off bottom of chain should be frame ground negative

If wire is too short turn batteries around and redo wiring

[wa8yxm]

There are many issues that I really need to lay eyes on to be sure.. Alas, this is one of 'em. The photos look good assuming the polarity is correct on the house batteries,, can not tell from photos but suspect it is. Epically since you have read and black cables.

The solenoid could be shorted, or stuck closed, that is a guess, I stress it is a GUESS.

[Medic_Chick]

Thanks rockhill!

Chris Bryant... you & I both. It was there when we bought the MH 2 years ago.

Sorry for the nondescript photos - the only electricity I deal with comes in joules and resets hearts. 😉

The first switch has 3 wires - a black one attached to the negative chassis battery terminal, a large black one attached to the chassis frame, and an orange cable that comes off the same switch terminal as the large black one.
Off the positive terminal on the chassis battery is a black cable that goes to the left side of the solenoid. On the right side of the solenoid is a red cable that used to be attached to one of the old house batteries.

The second switch has two terminal posts with two black wires coming off it - I have no idea whether they go to the positive or negative terminal though. And then, there is the large black wire attached to the positive terminal of the second 6V battery.

[CA_Traveler]

Unfortunately there are no pre change pictures which I've recommended many times.

I wondered about that solenoid but can't see much. I'm sure the right post on the new batteries is +.

OP My suggestion is to sketch the wiring and if the problem is not obvious then post the sketch.

[APRSRVer]

It's difficult to see from the pictures the beginning and end of the wires to follow the wiring. And the chassis battery pos. seems to go to a solenoid that would switch it together with a neg wire from the coach batteries. But, here again it's not possible to see for sure which terminals of the 6 volts are pos or neg.

[rockhillmanor]

Can't help you on the electric but hope you make your ring time. :W

[CT_WANDERER]

LittleBill wrote:
i see nothing attached to the chassis battery?

the engine battery are side post mounts.

[Chris_Bryant]

The chassis battery is dual terminal- the side posts are hooked up. It's really not possible to tell the wiring from the pictures- I can see the ends of the wiring, but not what connects to what.
I am curious about the charred plywood though.

[Medic_Chick]

Bill... is the orange cable supposed to be attached to the chassis battery? If so, where?

[LittleBill]

i see nothing attached to the chassis battery?

[SCVJeff]

I see nothing wrong with the wiring, and it appears you've not touched anything else. There might be an aux start switch somewhere that parallels all batteries. That should be a momentary switch, but either the switch or it's contactor relay might be latched on?

BTW, look at the lug in your last picture. It appears to have a crack or has opened up.