1993 thor ambassador town and country 310q batteries

Tangled11@att.net · 07-31-2019, 10:55 PM

Hi. We bought a used 1993 thor ambassdor town and country 310q Nothing electrical works in it. We got it with the 6 volt batteries not hooked up and wires everywhere. Is there anybody who can take a picture of the battery setup

javelin · 08-01-2019, 01:14 AM

So are you looking for a generic 6 volt battery hookup diagram or are you asking another 1993 owner for a picture of their actual battery setup? You can check out lots of info on the net for battery hookups for example:

How Do I Connect 4 Six Volt Batteries To My 12 Volt RV House Battery System

Do you know if your batteries are good/charged? I would suggest also buying yourself a cheap digital voltmeter (if you don't already have one) and check those 6 volt batteries for state of charge. Battery cell acid/water levels might also be worth checking....carefully. Battery acid loves to eat through clothing.

Tangled11@att.net · 08-02-2019, 02:59 AM

We got 2 new batteries so I know the batteries are good. I just need to know what wires go where. If I could just look at someone else whether it is a generic or one like ours, any help would be appreciated. I've hooked it up but it still isnt work so feel like I'm missing something

javelin · 08-02-2019, 01:09 PM

Hi, the problem is I don't know what old coaches used in 1993 for battery control. I suspect it would have used a basic high current continuous duty relay with a switch on the dash or near the door that controlled it (turns on to allow converter to charge the batteries). You might have to see if some of the folks with older coaches comment on the forum to assist you.

I am attaching a basic generic 12vdc battery schematic for a more modern coach......it shows your two 6 volt batteries wired in series as well as some more modern devices (latching relay and emergency start relay) used to control batteries. It shows just the main DC portions; no 120vAC is shown. It may help you visualize the potential connections, but your coach is likely different. Also I don't know what your electrical experience is around batteries, but be very careful as they can vaporize a metal finger ring or watch band in seconds with severe burns resulting if you are not careful when wiring/using them. Good luck.

javelin · 08-02-2019, 02:03 PM

Oops I screwed up on my 6 volt battery wiring diagram so Do Not wire as per previous diagram. That's what happens when you take a 12 volt battery diagram and try to quickly reissue it. I will correct the diagram and reissue shortly.

javelin · 08-02-2019, 02:19 PM

Well that was embarrassing.......time to go back to bed. I corrected the simple series connections for two 6 volt batteries on the previously submitted "incorrect drawing". This corrected drawing should be accurate now.....yikes I'm losing it. Moral of the story is take a second to check your work before throwing the switch.

Tangled11@att.net · 08-04-2019, 05:32 AM

I appreciate it. We did get the 2nd diagram lay for the batteries. If we have anymore questions may ask for more information

Tangled11@att.net · 08-11-2019, 04:02 PM

Thank you for sending the diagram. In all the diagrams I've looked at i have yet to see one where the positive and the negative posts are hooked together. I thought since i haven't had any luck hooking these batteries up the traditional way i would try your way. Upon initial hookup i got a huge spark. I proceeded with the hookup anyway. The wires began to get hot upon touch. I unhooked everything before i believe any wiring damage was done. I would like to hear your thoughts on what you think i might still be doing wrong. The only thought I have maybe the ground wire isnt grounded enough. The posts on it are pretty rough. So I'm thinking maybe get new batteries? Thanks

javelin · 08-11-2019, 04:31 PM

Just back from a short camping trip. Large spark and overheating battery cables is NOT a good sign. Sometimes you get a spark from inverter capacitors charging up but that lasts for a few seconds (if inverter is equipped). Melting battery cables is an indication of high current draw and short circuit load somewhere. If you hooked up the two 6v batteries correctly (last corrected generic coach diagram) the batteries are in series with negative ground to chassis. It sounds to me like you have a shorted positive side load, or perhaps a loose +ve cable touching ground (or hooked up wrong) somewhere. I would suggest disconnecting shore and batteries and trace out your +ve battery cable termination side to see where it goes and what breakers it passes through. You might have to map out your DC coach connections in order to resolve this without a proper schematic. Also check resistance (no power on coach) from where the +ve battery terminal is supposed to terminate, to chassis ground with an ohmmeter and start searching for the short circuit......low resistance indicates a short somewhere. If you are not electrically inclined I would highly suggest hiring a mobile RV tech to help you. Unfortunately with no coach schematic it probably will be a chore to trace things, but it is essential to remove the short (and determine if there is any other electrical damage) before hooking up any power again. You could try using the generic DC voltage drawing and see if it is even close to your coach wiring.......1993 coach probably has quite different battery control systems. Sorry you have had this problem. Also not sure how you bought this coach, but did you start and drive it home and then decide on a battery replacement?

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