Need help wiring 1985 Chieftain batteries...

[Brianeddy]

I have a 1985 winnebago chieftain that I bought in March. The batteries were not wired right. I have spent several afternoons trying to fix it but each time I do it still isn't right. I have a pretty decent understanding of electrical and wiring, but just can't seem to get this right.

When I bought it it had 3 batteries located under the entry stairs. They were all wired together and connected to both the chassis and house and would drain very quickly.

I decided I wanted to physically separate the chassis and house batteries, as well as add some. So I added 2 batteries under the hood that I want to be my dedicated chassis batteries. Obviously I would like them to charge from the alternator, generator and shore power, and utilize the switch on my dash for temp emergency connection to the house aux batteries.

I left the 3 batteries under the stairs and want them as my dedicated house batteries that will charge from the alternator, generator and shore power utilizing my 14.5 v DC charger.

Can somebody out there please help me? I drew a sketch of my layout to help, and I hope somebody can do the same with how this should all be wired. Please!?

Thanks in advance,
Brian

[Morich]

We can get down to how to do it later but maybe first would be to sort out what and why you are proposing to do it?

Normal operation is to have three basic sections to the RV wiring. One is the standard truck/car wiring to use a chassis battery to start the engine and run the normal truck things.
Starting a 454 is normally a single battery job and very little is different on an RV for that setup.
It starts the engine and then recharges that battery as it runs. The alternator has plenty of power to run most anything else like headlights, wipers radio that come on the normal truck.

Second group is the coach battery to power the inside stuff we get when an RV is built on top of the chassis. Vents fans, water pump, inside lights, etc are all on this second group which gets charged a number of different ways.
First part of charging the coach batteries is a converter which uses AC from either the generator or cord to make the DC for batteries and to use as we are plugged or running the generator. Two good batteries is often all that is needed for this.

These two groups are set up to be connected together when we want and seperated at other times, using a solenoid. A solenoid of this type is just an electronic switch which closes when powered.

Third has to be the 110AC from cord or genset as it powers the converter for battery power plus things like, microwave and Air conditioner and outlets which take more power than 12 VDC.

Redoing the basics is going to be a big job, so what drives the need to redo what has been a really reliable system for so many years? RV from the 70's until today are still using this system and it works, so change seems pretty radical??

Maybe some basic repairs of the existing would go much quicker and give better results?
But that may be due to lots of things we don't know about, so give us more info ?
Are the old wires still there or what drives such big redesign/rebuild of much of the wiring? Tweek if there are specifics you want to do different but total rebuild seems way too far!

I'm not sure anybody can design and build a better system than Winnebago has used for 50+ years!

[Brianeddy]

Thanks for getting back to me. The system that was in place when I bought it was not working, or at least not right. The batteries would die quickly from just lighting, like 1.5 hours quickly. I had to jump it every time I tried to start it, and since all of the batteries were connected, I didn't have the option of using the aux switch on the dash because all of the batteries were dead.

I haven't removed any wiring. I just added 2 batteries under the hood and want to use them to start the engine and run the vehicle side of things instead of the one battery located under the stairs. One battery will be primary and the other an auxiliary battery.

Since the wiring is already not correct, and for one reason or another I can't seem to get it completely right. So I just need some help with wiring layout. I know how it all works, and can see it all wired up in my head, I just can't seem to make it happen.

Thanks for the help
Brian

[Ray,IN]

You can use a continuity tester to ID the pos. and neg. engine starter cables, you might need to use an extension wire to reach both ends of each cable. When those are connected to your 2 new chassis batteries under the hood, the motor should start and run OK.
Do the same for the inverter/charger battery cables to the house batteries.
That leaves the cables for coach/house 12V supply, ID those the same way. To wire 2 12V batteries in parallel, you'll need a bus bar for each of the 3 pos. and neg. cables; or make up a cable to attach all 3 pos. posts together, and another to attach all 3 neg. posts together.
Then attach the original house cables to the appropriate posts, Pos, on one end battery , Neg. on the battery on the other end of the set of 3 batteries.


I forgot. Make sure all the OEM battery cables are not corroded and have low resistance first.

[Morich]

What I see as the problem in changing the total picture of how the batteries are placed and wired is the amount of time, effort and materials to do it in a different way.
It sounds like it will be a job and take quite a number of new cables as well as new added solenoids to let both be charged from the same sources but seperated at times.

It seems a lot of trauma for a total gain of having a second battery for starting when most engines of this size do fine with only one if in good shape?
Yes, it could be done but what is the overall gain compared to just adding a second chassis battery?

One problem is that it would then be about the only Rv ever wired that way and fixing it would then be a real trick with very few knowing what and how to start??

Not a whorthwhile project when fixing the OEM is so much less time, effort, and expense!

[Brianeddy]

What I see as the problem is its my time to waste. And trying to convince you as to my reasons is wasting more time. And why are you wasting yours? If you aren't going to help with what I have asked for help on, why are you even responding?

[Morich]

Quote:
Since the wiring is already not correct, and for one reason or another I can't seem to get it completely right. So I just need some help with wiring layout. I know how it all works, and can see it all wired up in my head, I just can't seem to make it happen.


No problem! I thought you might need some help but if you have it all worked out, go for it!
I often waste my time here trying to explain some of the things that folks are confused about as they have never really looked at an RV before. Sometimes it is a total waste of time, sometimes it is very helpful and people like to find they can save a lot of time and money, but it's not a problem to me either way.

[Brianeddy]

Morich- I meant no disrespect. But we spent 2 or 3 days discussing the reason and you telling me it's a waste of time. If you have the answers and are trying to be helpful, then you could have helped and it could be done, then we could discuss why I did it. But from my perspective you seem like one of those people who have nothing better to do than heckle people and not help in the least bit, which to this point is all you have done. I sincerely appreciate any and all help you or anyone is willing to give. Truly. But at least give some indication that's what you are trying to do instead of just telling me what I want is a waste of time.

So I apologize if I came across like an ass. There are just so !any people out there that want to do nothing but waste people's time and I don't have time or patients for them, at least until the work is done. Then I'll waste all the time in the world with the people that helped me. My crew as it were.

[Brianeddy]

Thanks ray