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03-06-2020, 09:53 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
State: North Carolina
Posts: 10
THOR #18293
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Battery Whoas - Where the heck do all these wires go?
Hi all! I have a new (to me) 98 Four Winds Infinity Class A.
When I got it there was only a single (very old) battery in it located in the far corner, under the hood on the driver's side. Unfortunately, the previous owner disconnected all the wires and there is NO documentation on how to hook everything up. I've tried to wrap by brain around it and I'm a little confused.
I know there is suppose to be a division between the coach and chassis batteries but I'm a little stuck on how that's supoosed to function. I did hook everything up the a single battery to get it home but, no surprises, it's not working very well.
So, I created a diagram showing what I'm seeing. I'm hoping that someone on here can shed some light on the proper configuration and what wire is supposed to go where. Please
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03-11-2020, 05:53 PM
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#2
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Junior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
State: North Carolina
Posts: 10
THOR #18293
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Bumping this back to the top in hopes that someone can help
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03-11-2020, 06:16 PM
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#3
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Site Team
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 27.1
State: Florida
Posts: 14,129
THOR #7035
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Pictures might add to the equation.
Are all 3 trays in the same physical location or is tray 3 the chassis battery located under the hood?
House batteries may be connected in series or parallel depending on whether they are 6 volt or 12 volt batteries.
Too much unknown information to offer more help here.
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Ted & Melinda
2016 ACE 27.1
2016 Chevy Sonic Toad - Selling
2020 Chevy Colorado Z71 Trail Runner Toad
2024 Chevrolet Trax 2RS - Soon 2B TOAD
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03-11-2020, 07:55 PM
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#4
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Junior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
State: North Carolina
Posts: 10
THOR #18293
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Here's a video to help decipher
Thanks for the feedback. Here's a video I just made that should clear things up.
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03-11-2020, 08:25 PM
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#5
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Site Team
Brand: Entegra
Model: Accolade 37TS
State: South Dakota
Posts: 8,726
THOR #1469
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I would say that is three times better than pictures and a good way to describe the problem.
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Dave
US Army (Ret)
2020 Entegra Accolade 37TS
2019 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk (Toad)
FMCA - F432054
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03-11-2020, 08:44 PM
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#6
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Junior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
State: North Carolina
Posts: 10
THOR #18293
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Quote:
Originally Posted by EA37TS
I would say that is three better than pictures and a good way to describe the problem.
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Dave, sorry, but not sure I follow?
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03-11-2020, 08:47 PM
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#7
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Site Team
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 27.1
State: Florida
Posts: 14,129
THOR #7035
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The LH battery is your CHASSIS battery
The middle battery is your HOUSE (Auxiliary) battery and is connected in parallel to the RH (Upper) battery. You don't need this third battery - it just supplies more stored energy for your house loads - but don't connect the leads that go from it to the middle battery if not using it - the dangling red lead will be hot and could short out.
The lead from the hydraulic pump goes to the POSITIVE post of your Auxiliary battery to power the hydraulic system (levelers and maybe slides).
You had it pretty much figured out except for the third battery.
Right now both your chassis and house loads are coming off your single (dead) battery.
The video helped a lot!
__________________
Ted & Melinda
2016 ACE 27.1
2016 Chevy Sonic Toad - Selling
2020 Chevy Colorado Z71 Trail Runner Toad
2024 Chevrolet Trax 2RS - Soon 2B TOAD
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03-11-2020, 08:48 PM
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#8
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Site Team
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 27.1
State: Florida
Posts: 14,129
THOR #7035
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Quote:
Originally Posted by acarlan
Dave, sorry, but not sure I follow?
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Read it again, I think Dave left a word out.
__________________
Ted & Melinda
2016 ACE 27.1
2016 Chevy Sonic Toad - Selling
2020 Chevy Colorado Z71 Trail Runner Toad
2024 Chevrolet Trax 2RS - Soon 2B TOAD
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03-11-2020, 08:51 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: 2018 24.1 AXISSIXxSIX
State: Arizona
Posts: 6,762
THOR #13932
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When my dad disconnected my batteries while I was under the rv undoing hold down straps, we did a forensics analysis using closeup photos, matched scars on wires and realized the twists memorized by the cables.
It was a lot easier than we thought it would be once we got down to the near microscopic.
It all went together perfectly.
If after following the directions above, you still wind up with an extra wire or two, let it fall where it wants to, look for scratches and bends.
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03-11-2020, 08:51 PM
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#10
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Junior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
State: North Carolina
Posts: 10
THOR #18293
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Thank you so much for the help, Ted (or Melinda?). I was leaning toward assuming that that third battery was just there for extra power. My only question is, what about the smaller negative lead going to the upper battery and into the wiring harness? I'm guessing if I leave out the upper battery then I need to hook that up to my auxiliary battery as well, correct?
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03-11-2020, 09:07 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Brand: Keystone
Model: Sprinter
State: Florida
Posts: 1,422
THOR #15553
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I'm gonna throw out my idea as an electrician. Without looking at any wiring, I would assume the battery top right would be the chassis battery.
I would assume that the 2 lower side by side batteries to be the house batteries. You would usually find these under the steps in a more modern rig or in an electric bay down one side or the other. They could have been Two 12 volts in parallel but I would think they were Two 6 volts in series for better efficiency.
That's just a dumb electricians take on it. I got any takers??
__________________
2011 Keystone Sprinter 323BHS. Retired Master Electrician. All Motor Homes are RV's. All RV's are not Motor Homes.
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03-11-2020, 09:22 PM
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#12
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Junior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
State: North Carolina
Posts: 10
THOR #18293
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cavie
I'm gonna throw out my idea as an electrician. Without looking at any wiring, I would assume the battery top right would be the chassis battery.
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I appreciate the input. I actually think Ted nailed it and that the upper battery was extra power, wired up in parallel, to the aux battery down below. That's strictly based on the way that the wires are naturally laying and the listings on the panel cover.
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03-11-2020, 10:03 PM
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#13
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Site Team
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
Model: ACE 27.1
State: Florida
Posts: 14,129
THOR #7035
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Quote:
Originally Posted by acarlan
Thank you so much for the help, Ted (or Melinda?). I was leaning toward assuming that that third battery was just there for extra power. My only question is, what about the smaller negative lead going to the upper battery and into the wiring harness? I'm guessing if I leave out the upper battery then I need to hook that up to my auxiliary battery as well, correct?
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Yeah, You can connect the negative side of that cable to the middle battery, no harm in that. No telling why that extra little ground cable is there.
And Ted does all the posting here, Melinda just goes along for the ride.
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Ted & Melinda
2016 ACE 27.1
2016 Chevy Sonic Toad - Selling
2020 Chevy Colorado Z71 Trail Runner Toad
2024 Chevrolet Trax 2RS - Soon 2B TOAD
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03-11-2020, 10:10 PM
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#14
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Junior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
State: North Carolina
Posts: 10
THOR #18293
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Thanks, Ted. I really appreciate the help!
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03-11-2020, 10:51 PM
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#15
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Senior Member
Brand: Keystone
Model: Sprinter
State: Florida
Posts: 1,422
THOR #15553
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Quote:
Originally Posted by acarlan
I appreciate the input. I actually think Ted nailed it and that the upper battery was extra power, wired up in parallel, to the aux battery down below. That's strictly based on the way that the wires are naturally laying and the listings on the panel cover.
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I don't believe the factory would have wired it that way.Maybe someone that owns one will chime in.
__________________
2011 Keystone Sprinter 323BHS. Retired Master Electrician. All Motor Homes are RV's. All RV's are not Motor Homes.
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03-12-2020, 01:23 AM
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#16
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Junior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
State: North Carolina
Posts: 10
THOR #18293
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cavie
I don't believe the factory would have wired it that way.Maybe someone that owns one will chime in.
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Good point and I agree, it would be ideal if someone had the same year & model to compare.
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03-12-2020, 04:34 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
Brand: Still Looking
Model: SOB
State: South Dakota
Posts: 941
THOR #3916
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OK ..............We had a '99 Infinity 34-H
GM chassis.
The top (upper drivers side) single battery was originally the Chassis battery & the 2 battery positions (bottom center)(2 12v in parallel) were for the house/coach...
next..
Under the rear master bed is the transfer switching and the inverter..also the "house" fuse/breaker box is on the drivers side by the bedroom night stand.
IMPORTANT!!!!!!
IF it is a GM chassis
BE SURE to crawl under the left frame rail , look inside the left frame rail and check the condition & the integrity of the main wiring loom as it passes the left engine exhaust manifold.
Our Wiring loom tie backs gave up..so the loom was too close and melted.. causing all manner of electrical shorts and disarray ... ended up doing a complete rewire..
This may have happened to yours and the prior owner gave up and rednecked it to get it home then sell...
Good luck
__________________
current coach
An SOB Shack called Foretravel...This will Do.
former coach
Thor Infinity
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03-12-2020, 05:20 AM
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#18
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Junior Member
Brand: Thor Motor Coach
State: North Carolina
Posts: 10
THOR #18293
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saddleshore, thanks for the insight. Did you watch the video, by chance? On mine the panel has the “chassis” main terminals going to the bottom passenger-side battery and the “auxiliary” going to the middle bottom. What does yours look like?
Also, thanks for the tip. I’ll climb under and confirm things are tight and secure. 🙂
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03-12-2020, 12:51 PM
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#19
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Senior Member
Brand: Keystone
Model: Sprinter
State: Florida
Posts: 1,422
THOR #15553
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Quote:
Originally Posted by saddlesore
OK ..............We had a '99 Infinity 34-H
GM chassis.
The top (upper drivers side) single battery was originally the Chassis battery & the 2 battery positions (bottom center)(2 12v in parallel) were for the house/coach...
next..
Under the rear master bed is the transfer switching and the inverter..also the "house" fuse/breaker box is on the drivers side by the bedroom night stand.
IMPORTANT!!!!!!
IF it is a GM chassis
BE SURE to crawl under the left frame rail , look inside the left frame rail and check the condition & the integrity of the main wiring loom as it passes the left engine exhaust manifold.
Our Wiring loom tie backs gave up..so the loom was too close and melted.. causing all manner of electrical shorts and disarray ... ended up doing a complete rewire..
This may have happened to yours and the prior owner gave up and rednecked it to get it home then sell...
Good luck
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Thank you Saddlesore, It seams like the world has lost the use of common sense.
__________________
2011 Keystone Sprinter 323BHS. Retired Master Electrician. All Motor Homes are RV's. All RV's are not Motor Homes.
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03-13-2020, 12:28 AM
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#20
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Senior Member
Brand: Still Looking
Model: SOB
State: South Dakota
Posts: 941
THOR #3916
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Quote:
Originally Posted by acarlan
saddleshore, thanks for the insight. Did you watch the video, by chance? On mine the panel has the “chassis” main terminals going to the bottom passenger-side battery and the “auxiliary” going to the middle bottom. What does yours look like?
Also, thanks for the tip. I’ll climb under and confirm things are tight and secure. ��
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Yes I watched the vid.
I suspect that the former owner moved the battery to the lower position for ease of install... as it is now you do not have any power to the coach.. just to the chassis.
I have seen an Infinity that had the chassis battery where yours is, and the house batteries were under the lid for the steps.
BTW..I'm doing this from memory (which is hit or miss at best)
We replaced the Thor/Four Winds with our present coach years ago..(study the Avatar closely)
__________________
current coach
An SOB Shack called Foretravel...This will Do.
former coach
Thor Infinity
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