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Old 07-21-2016, 03:17 PM   #41
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Originally Posted by Kenny kustom View Post
Actually it is.


Go check out some large solar installations.

Even better. Look at some high current setups.
You will find we are correct.
That is the same as option 2 of the OP's post, the correct way to balance a bank that I was referring to. You were agreeing with spock123 that option 1 was the correct way.
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Old 07-21-2016, 03:28 PM   #42
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12 V Battery Connection

Just keep winking...


Anyways. You keep you batteries wired one way.
We will keep ours the better way.

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Old 07-21-2016, 03:34 PM   #43
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Originally Posted by boondocking View Post
Really not the most efficient way for a balanced bank.

How do you figure, drawing of the single battery is balanced?

Let's see your battery bank?


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Old 07-21-2016, 03:44 PM   #44
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If you want to get really fancy.

This one goes as far as equal length cables.

Even on my two battery setup, I tried to be as equal length as possible. Attachment 114274


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Some how you are confused. The example you gave is the same as option 2 of the original OP. Which is what I am referring to.
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Old 07-21-2016, 04:02 PM   #45
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How do you figure, drawing of the single battery is balanced?

Let's see your battery bank?


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My bank correctly balanced.

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Old 07-21-2016, 04:09 PM   #46
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12 V Battery Connection

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Originally Posted by boondocking View Post
My bank correctly balanced.

Attachment 114863

Right on!

I'm saying. Have the draw feed one off each battery.

I've said that all along!! 👍🏻👍🏻

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Old 07-21-2016, 04:26 PM   #47
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To each his own, I'm not trying to change anyone's mind but I'll keep wiring my batteries like option 1.


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Originally Posted by Kenny kustom View Post
Agreed... The correct way.


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The above agreement by you is where the confusion came in.

Option 1 that spock123 is referring to is connecting the pos cable and neg cable to same battery.
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Old 07-21-2016, 04:33 PM   #48
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I am asking which of the diagrams below is the correct way to connect two 12volt batteries in my motorhome? Or does it matter?



First diagram shows how the batteries in the old motorhome were connected.



Second shows how my new motorhome batteries are connected.

Look option one is like ours.


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Old 07-21-2016, 04:34 PM   #49
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The above agreement by you is where the confusion came in.



Option 1 that spock123 is referring to is connecting the pos cable and neg cable to same battery.

That's option two...😜


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Old 07-21-2016, 05:56 PM   #50
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That's option two...��


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LOL
I'm not sure what you are looking at? The second image (option 2) shows the neg cable (ground) connected to battery #1 and the pos cable (power) connected to battery #2.

Unless the images are reversed on my monitor the top one (option 1) shows the neg (ground) and the pos (power) connected to the same battery.

Oh well, it's all good !
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Old 07-21-2016, 08:41 PM   #51
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IMHO, the better way to connect two 12v batteries in parallel is with a selector/parallel/cut-off switch. You eliminate the parasitic drain of the weaker battery by not having them both always hooked in parallel, you can drain one and still have fresh one, or if needed, connect them both. Recharge times are slightly better too.
The problem with your scheme is reconnecting the batteries in parallel if they are not equally charged. Been there, done that, have the melted wires and battery tops with holes to show for it.

Say the battery voltages are off 1/10 of a volt when you reconnect them in parallel. And you have #6 wiring connecting the batteries, each wire 1ft long (what I had). The wire will have 0.0008 ohms by AWG tables. We'll estimate the effective internal resistance of the lower-charged battery at 0.1 ohms - which will dominate. The theoretical current at reconnection with a 0.1 volt difference is 10 amps - tolerable, but a waste of battery power.

In reality, I probably had more like a 1 volt difference, because I only recharged one of the batteries. Let's say I get 100 amps flowing between the batteries for a couple of minutes. The lower charged battery is boiling furiously, and the combination of venting hydrogen and current in the wire melts the insulation. The venting hydrogen produces a nice blue flame near the glowing red bare wire. And blew a couple of holes in the tops of both batteries. A pair of lineman's pliers cutting one of the wires put the fire out. I was very glad the batteries were in a plastic box on the a-frame, and no acid leaked out.

Needless to say, I have switched to two 6V golf cart batteries in series. I get more capacity at less cost, and am not likely to repeat my electrical fire. Parallel battery banks must be kept as close to identical as possible to avoid problems. I failed to do that.

Just my experiences. If my wife had seen the event, she would probably never camp with me again.

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Old 07-23-2016, 07:30 PM   #52
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4 12 v batteries

I bit the bullet and bought 4 12v Deep Cycle batteries. Not Dual Purpose, but true deep cycle. The battery place I bought at was MidState Battery in Bloomfield, CT. The power of this business stated that he was considered the go to guy by a lot of RV dealers in the area.

The 4 batteries fit well in the battery compartment of my 38CK. He stressed that the jumpers should all be the same length. The positive to the RV was connected to the positive of the last battery. The negative was connected to the First battery negative post. He told me that the batteries would last longer and discharge and recharge equally.
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