OK. I screw up.

[wthibeaux]

Several months ago, my trailer battery went bad, so I removed it. Now I want to reinstall a new one and don't remember which wires go to positive and negative. Any hints?

[ripperoo]

kaydeejay wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
Red means hot. All you need to know.

Not necessarily!! With white to ground, black can be hot!

Yep, my HOT is black.

[2oldman]

Wishbone51 wrote:
might that damage the converter?

I honestly don't know, but if the converter is off, I wouldn't think so. If you know which wires come from the converter, it would be easy to know the polarity using a VOM. Just turn on the converter.

[dodgerdog]

you neg is always gonna be grounded to the metal frame of the trailer... the positive is always the one with addition wires attached to it... But my Lance camper is like the gentleman stated earlier... white negative black positive...


Mike C.

[RoyB]

The best method I have found is to find the word "NEG" or the symbol "-" on the 12VDC battery case. That terminal should go to the trailer FRAME GROUND connection which is close to the battery install... There are too many different wire color schemes to say use the RED one or the BLACK one or the WHITE one... Follow the negative terminal wire to frame ground works out best for me...

If you get them reversed just for a second it normally instantly blows three fuses. An IN-LINE fuse close the battery and two fuses in the 12VDC POwer Distribution Panel labeled "REVERSE POLARITY"

Once you get the batteries hooked up correctly I would identify the wiring with something. Some folks will mark the POSITIVE LEADS with a big DAB of RED FINGERNAIL polish. Others like to take pictures of the wiring with their CELL PHONE cameras.

Happens to all of us one time or another...

just my thoughts
Roy Ken

[Wishbone51]

2oldman wrote:
Turn *everything* off. Hook up as directed. Go inside, turn on a fan. If it runs backwards, reverse wires.

Or if the microwave starts cooling, or the fridge starts heating. 🙂

All kidding aside, might that damage the converter?

[peirek]

Use an ohm meter and find which wire has near 0 ohms as measured to frame ground.

[thomasmnile]

Terryallan wrote:
Red means hot. All you need to know.

And then there's my Jayco with two greens and a red that are attached to the positive post on the battery.............with a single white ground! :h

[69_Avion]

kaydeejay wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
Red means hot. All you need to know.

Not necessarily!! With white to ground, black can be hot!

A lot of trailers have that color code.
It still pays to trace the wires to see which one is connected to the frame. That one is the ground, which goes to the negative terminal. I haven't heard of positive ground trailers in a long, long time.

[kaydeejay]

Terryallan wrote:
Red means hot. All you need to know.

Not necessarily!! With white to ground, black can be hot!

[2oldman]

Turn *everything* off. Hook up as directed. Go inside, turn on a fan. If it runs backwards, reverse wires.

[Terryallan]

Red means hot. All you need to know.

[brooks379]

ground to neg. power to pos.

[starlord]

Just look at the wires, you should see one screwed into the frame and the other one going under the trailer to the circuit box.

[sch911]

White (yes white) is always negative on an RV.