how to connect batteries in series?

[berghild]

after the big fuse blew the batteries went completely dead. no frig, no air conditioning thermostat, no awning, no electric toilet flush...grrr. thougth the batteries were shot so we took them to the shop. the charged them over the weekend and we pciked them up today...
..now we can't figure out how to hook them up again! does anyone have a Map of that mess of wires????
also on one set of two batteries there was no jumper wire...maybe we have been using only two batteries for a year...is that possible?
do yolu think there is a diagram somewhere to help us hook them back up.
now they want to cmae out and take the Xantrex to some shop to be checked out....probably 5 days to a week with no xantrex..what a nightmare.

[Okie]

This is how my 6V batteries are connected.

Position #1 is the negative terminal on the front battery and is connected to the positve terminal on the back battery, I normally hook those up last. Position #3 is the positve kookup for the system and the small black(hot) wires hook up there. If you have a large red wire it hooks up there also. I have a factory Gen. Position #2 has the white wire hooked up to it (ground) Also if you have a large red wire you will also have a large black wire and it goes on position #2 with the white wires. Be sure it is the large black wire that goes to the Gen. With position 2 & 3 hooked up then I connect from position #1 to the pos terminal on the back battery.

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[berghild]

oh wow...now her is my scenario.....oh shoot it is too late to even think about this...i wil read your reply in the morning with the lap top in fron of me out by the batteries...I forgot about the generator part. are your batteries all in one compartment...mine are in two conmpartments and they only slide out about 6 inches.....we really need to fix those slide out trays.I don't understand why they are so short....

[RodeWorthy]

Hi Cyndy and Howard,
Sorry to hear you continue to have battery and Inverter issues. As far as wiring connections go I have included pictures which may help you out. You have a wired in generator, I do not. I have two wires for solar, you do not -they are identified and you can ignore these.

You should have received a converter with your trailer that would power your 12V and charge your batteries while your Xantrex is out of service. DT will tell you that is deleted with this option. It should not be.

The fuse provided is inadequate for this system and without a cover it is dangerous. You should bite the bullet on this and get a T6 fuse and holder with a protective cover and a 400A fuse (not cheap). I am sure that will cure your fuse blowing problems unless there are catastrophic problems in your systems. See page 14 and 25 in the Xantrex installation manual. Also check here http://www.xantrex.com/web/id/117/p/1/pt/8/product.asp

I also recommend that, once you are back up and running, you arrange to have the black 4/0 wire from the Xantrex to the negative battery post replaced with a 4/0 wire to the negative post on the opposite battery bank. This will provide much improved charging to all your batteries. Also the pencil thin jumpers between the batteries (one on each bank) should be replaced with larger gauge wire. I used 4/0 on these too.

BTW, you are wiring the 4 batteries in series-parallel - esentially creating two banks of 12V by paralleling each set of 6V batteries that are in series by virtue of those little jumper cables. If one of your jumpers was missing - yes, you were missing half your battery capacity.

Make sure you connect the Battery Temperature Sensor to the negative post at the back of the batteries in the auxilliary compartment.

The auxilliary battery tray on my unit had to be made narrower so it could pass through the door. I had it cut and re-welded on both sides to make it narrower. The weight of the batteries makes it difficult to extend them very far on slide out trays. Some improvement can be made by relocating the trays closer to the hatchway. See picture for reinforcement I used - these batteries are heavy and screws in the light aluminum square tubing need something better to hold onto. I placed wooden blocks inside them and doubled up on the screws at the back. I can't get my batteries all the way out but I can now service them without removal.

I hope this covers it. Let us know if I missed anything. Being without power is really tough. I hope you get up and running soon.

(It would appear the pictures are in the reverse order I intended and 3 is my limit. I will try to sneak a few more in another post. )

[RodeWorthy]

Here are more pictures with regard to the Inverter option.

[RodeWorthy]

Here are pictures of the battery tray modifications I made.

[Okie]

Howard- I only have one battery compartment with two 6V batteries in series. That is what I showed you. I din't know there was a two battery compartment system.

Okie

[berghild]

thank you Okie....I think ROdeworthy has given me some great pics and we are about to print them out and go outside to see what we can do!