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Old 03-20-2017, 01:46 PM   #1
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Question Damsel in distress - reconnecting batteries

Good morning, This is my first time posting so forgive me if I inadvertantly do something wrong.
I am a single mom, trying to reconnect my trailer batteries after having them in warm storage all winter. I have a bank of 4 6-volt batteries and I believe I have them all connected in series correctly, but I could be wrong.
Now, I have upgrades on my trailer - solar panels, power stabilizers, power jack, and a 3500 watt inverter and I don't know how to reconnect all of those things. I took a photo last Fall before disconnecting everything but the phone that had the photos has since self-destructed.
Also, my slide isn't working, so maybe I don't have it all hooked up correctly.
My ex-husband is of no help (lol) and google is just frustrating me. If anyone could help me, I would be so appreciative.



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Old 03-20-2017, 02:37 PM   #2
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Your pictures aren't showing up. Photobucket or another photo hosting site is a lot easier than trying to go through the site. Just upload, click the link and copy in your post.
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Old 03-20-2017, 02:59 PM   #3
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Your pictures aren't showing up for me here at the work computer, just icons.
You said "all connected in series" which would not be correct for 4x6V if I read it literally. You should have 2 parallel strings of 2 batteries in series. 2x6V in series makes one equivalent 12V. Then you'll have 2 of those in parallel.
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Old 03-20-2017, 03:48 PM   #4
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Oh dang. I'll try to reload pics...
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Old 03-20-2017, 05:02 PM   #5
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How to wire 6V Batteries in series or parallel configuration

this is how your batteries should be hooked up. As ewarnerusa said you should have 2 6V batteries hooked up in series and those set of series batteries hooked up in parallel. As for the other hook up you will need to provide pics of what you have to get a proper hook up method.
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Old 03-20-2017, 05:13 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by jodivee View Post
Oh dang. I'll try to reload pics...
My pic didn't show up either when viewing on my phone, even though it's there on my work computer. Weird. I'll try to follow up with a link.

Here we go. About a third of the way down the page.
http://rvroadtrip.us/library/12v_system.php
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Old 03-21-2017, 04:35 PM   #7
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retrying pics

Ok I'll retry the pics.
Please, I may have some of the lingo wrong, that matters not to me, so take it easy on me. My goal is to have all of my wires connected property to my batteries and have my trailer functioning.
Thanks for your patience and understanding.
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Old 03-21-2017, 05:33 PM   #8
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That looks correct to me. Let's hope someone else double checks and chimes in.

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Old 03-21-2017, 06:28 PM   #9
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Thank you. I'm fairly sure that the big wires are correct, it's the little ones that I don't know where to connect.
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Old 03-21-2017, 07:08 PM   #10
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Little ones look like power feeds going to the terminal block. If that is the case they would go to the positive terminal on the right side of the picture.

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Old 03-21-2017, 08:27 PM   #11
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Little ones look like power feeds going to the terminal block. If that is the case they would go to the positive terminal on the right side of the picture.

Aaron
Ok so that would be the little black ones with the yellow plastic? What about the reset switch?
Also, my slide isn't working and I have my trailer plugged in. Does that mean that I have the main wires wrong?
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Old 03-21-2017, 11:59 PM   #12
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Reset switch.. maybe? Normally the hot side is switched so it would go to the positive side too. The slides are probably on one of the wires you don't have connected yet.

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Old 03-22-2017, 01:30 PM   #13
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i cannot follow all the cables running behind the battery.. I even copied and lightened up the picture with no avail. Hooking up 4 6 volt batteries is pretty intense. 2 must be in parallel and 2 in series.. there also must be two terminals on the series that have double cables to work. If you have a test meter that would tell you if the voltage is correct.
I'm still scratching my head here but not sure without seeing the original negative and positive cables.
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Old 03-22-2017, 01:59 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tanman View Post
i cannot follow all the cables running behind the battery.. I even copied and lightened up the picture with no avail. Hooking up 4 6 volt batteries is pretty intense. 2 must be in parallel and 2 in series.. there also must be two terminals on the series that have double cables to work. If you have a test meter that would tell you if the voltage is correct.
I'm still scratching my head here but not sure without seeing the original negative and positive cables.
I'm with you on this one. I don't want to step on Aaron's replies but the connection, from what I can make out, doesn't look correct.
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Old 03-22-2017, 06:40 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tanman View Post
i cannot follow all the cables running behind the battery.. I even copied and lightened up the picture with no avail. Hooking up 4 6 volt batteries is pretty intense. 2 must be in parallel and 2 in series.. there also must be two terminals on the series that have double cables to work. If you have a test meter that would tell you if the voltage is correct.
I'm still scratching my head here but not sure without seeing the original negative and positive cables.
The double positive is on the battery on the far left, the double negative is on the battery on the far right. I do agree we need to see where the cables behind the battery go.

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Old 03-26-2017, 06:41 PM   #16
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Thanks everyone. I'm finally able to spend some more time on this today.
Ok, the photo with the pink arrow shows the major wire with the black end that comes from the trailer. Right now I have it on a negative post on the far right battery (far right if I'm at the hitch looking at batteries).
The photo with the green arrow is the thick wire that comes from under the trailer and has a red end with also like a connector on the connector (sorry I know I'm frustrating most of you) and is presently connected to a positive post on the farthest battery to the left.
Again, I'm sorry because I don't know the proper terminology to use.

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