Missing battery cable

cdrprn · 06-22-2020, 10:05 PM

Just got around to inspecting the house batteries on our recently purchased 2013 Journey 34B. There are six batteries in two banks of three. The left bank final battery (towards the compartment doors) has no positive lead attached to the battery next to it. I don't think this is correct. I'm looking for an additional cable to put on but thought I would put this out to you all in case for some strange reason it's not supposed to have a pos cable on this battery. Thanks for the feedback.

Wyatt · 06-22-2020, 10:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cdrprn

Just got around to inspecting the house batteries on our recently purchased 2013 Journey 34B. There are six batteries in two banks of three. The left bank final battery (towards the compartment doors) has no positive lead attached to the battery next to it. I don't think this is correct. I'm looking for an additional cable to put on but thought I would put this out to you all in case for some strange reason it's not supposed to have a pos cable on this battery. Thanks for the feedback.

I can almost guarantee that Morich will chime in, because he appears to be the resident specialist in all things electrical.

That said, my opinion is, if either one of the positive or negative terminals at the battery does not have a lead on it, it can’t be contributing any power to anything, albeit a battery bank or even an iPad, and it also won’t be able to receive a charge ..

l1v3fr33ord1 · 06-23-2020, 04:49 AM

cdprn-

Wiring diagrams for your coach are here.
On that pages, link for the Battery Installation diagram set is here. Note that sheet 1 says that sheet 1, 3, 5 and 7 apply to your coach.

Before you add a "missing" cable, it would be worthwhile to verify exactly what is there and how it works (or not). The prior owner(s) could have made changes that necessitated the cabling you see. If everything else is "as-built," and the batteries and charging system test out, then you should be able to put the battery cabling back in "as-built" configuration without problems. Emphasis on "should."

The first sheet in the Battery Installation diagram set lists the Winnebago part numbers for the cables between batteries, so you should be able to get an exact match.

BobC · 06-23-2020, 06:28 AM

The battery may be bad and the PO just removed the cable rather than replace or physically remove the bad battery. Nonetheless, you should verify your wiring as others have suggested. You should make sure the battery is in good health and fully charged before reconnecting it.

You should also check the health of the rest of your batteries. If they're original to your rig (they should have a date code), you're overdue for replacement. You shouldn't replace just one or more of the batteries without replacing them all. They should all be identical, manufacturer, model and date.

The exception to this would be if you had fairly new batteries and one failed while the others tested good. In that case you could replace the failed battery of the same manufacturer and model as the others. I confess that I don't know how new is new enough, but I'm sure this info is available somewhere.

If the disconnected battery is bad, the rest of your wiring is OK and the remaining batteries are good, continuing to operate with five out of six batteries won't damage anything, you'll just be operating with fewer amp-hours of battery capacity. You could then delay replacement until you're ready to replace all six (not an inexpensive proposition).

While you're at it, you should check the health and age of your chassis (starting) batteries.

Morich · 06-23-2020, 06:55 AM

All above posts seem right on but I might ask to make sure. When you say the positive doesn't have a cable to the next battery, does that mean that post has NO cable to it or just that there is no cable to the next battery? A battery with no cable is not working but there are batteries at the end of the string which do not go to other batteries but on down the line to power things.
I recommend doing some checking on each battery for things that slowly go wrong as well as checking the wiring. Be sure to check water, even on "maintenance free" batteries as that really means "reduced" not what they imply.

BobC · 06-23-2020, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morich

All above posts seem right on but I might ask to make sure. When you say the positive doesn't have a cable to the next battery, does that mean that post has NO cable to it or just that there is no cable to the next battery? A battery with no cable is not working but there are batteries at the end of the string which do not go to other batteries but on down the line to power things.
I recommend doing some checking on each battery for things that slowly go wrong as well as checking the wiring. Be sure to check water, even on "maintenance free" batteries as that really means "reduced" not what they imply.

A photo would nail this down.

cdrprn · 06-25-2020, 08:41 PM

Yes BobC that particular battery is dead and will not charge. I agree the PO took the cable off rather than replace the battery due to cost and planning to trade-in the coach. I have isolated and tested each remaining battery and they all test poor. So I'm going to replace the whole set (ouch $$$). No wonder I can't run the residential fridge for more than an hour. Oh well, that's what credit cards are for I guess. Thanks to all for the input.
p.s I have found an auto parts store that made me a duplicate cable while I waited.

BobC · 06-26-2020, 07:31 AM

Whatever you do, make sure you get "true deep cycle" batteries and not the typical Marine/RV batteries which are dual purpose starting/deep cycle batteries. They're not as robust as true deep cycle batteries. True deep cycle batteries will not have a CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) rating.

Golf cart batteries are a reasonably priced option. They're 6v, so two, 210 amp hour golf cart batteries in series are equivalent to one 12v 210 amp hour battery. Both Costco and Sam's Club have them at reasonable prices ($90 - $100). They're taller that the typical 12v battery so measure carefully. Another option is a 12v deep cycle battery like this, however it's going to be twice as expensive since it costs $190 for 110 amp hours:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Mighty-Max-...ies/1001401826

Some will suggest converting to Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries, which are more efficient, lighter, etc., but the up front investment will be in the thousands, despite a lower lifetime cost. My recommendation is to leave the LiFePO4 option for now and wait until you're well educated on the topic and know that you'll be using your MH enough to justify them.

What type and size batteries do you currently have?

AveryF · 06-29-2020, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BobC

Whatever you do, make sure you get "true deep cycle" batteries and not the typical Marine/RV batteries which are dual purpose starting/deep cycle batteries. They're not as robust as true deep cycle batteries.......

Great advice! True deep cycle marine batteries with thicker internal plates specifically designed for slower discharge rates are also widely available and work well in an RV application. You just have to be sure they're true deep cycle batteries, sometimes referred to simply as "trolling motor" batteries, and not "dual purpose".