Charging Dual 6 volt batteries

[CurtPutnam]

My ignorance is showing again. How best to put a charger on dual 6 volt batteries? If it is a 12vdc charger can I just clip the positive from the charger to the positive on the battery and then the negative to the frame? Does it matter which battery I clip the charger to?

Basically, I'm talking about storage lot hook-ups when the batteries will barely turn the jack. We've had to do a lot hook up, unhook without being able to plug into shore power.

Thank you for your help

[babock]

If you are in a storage area with no way to keep a charge on your batteries be it solar or plugged in, You need to remove your batteries and bring them home and keep them fully charged. Letting them get so low that they won't even operate your jack means they are getting severely discharged and damaged from sulafation.

[FFred]

6v batts will be wired in series to make 12v.

This means a positive and a negative post will have a jumper wire to hook the batts together.

Find the one that goes to ground and hook to that negative post , hook to the positive post on the other battery its hooked to.

I would purchase a $10, volt ohm meter (or get one free from some tool sellers) and learn to use it to see how the batts are doing.

[CurtPutnam]

"Find the one that goes to ground and hook to that negative post , hook to the positive post on the other battery its hooked to."

Thank you but I still need to ask the question: Does it make a difference which battery the positive is hooked to?

I understand you to say "Yes, it does." Reason being we want curent to flow from the far end of the chain to the [ground] end of the chain?

Thanks again

[latner]

Well, I guess I might not be doing it right, but I connect positive to the side that feeds the trailer since that is where the converter is connected and negative to the frame.

[llr]

you will find the + terminal on one battery connected to the - terminal of the other battery. You do not want to connect to either of these terminals.

you want to connect to the other terminal on each battery + to + and - to -, don't count on color codes at the batteries, on your charger + should be red and - should be black.

[Flybob]

Originally Posted by CurtPutnam

Does it matter which battery I clip the charger to?

YES absolutely. Do not hook the charger to the positive post that is connected to the negative of the other battery. You will destroy the battery.

Connect the positive of the charger to the positive post of the battery whose cable goes to the RV power. Connect the negative cable of the charger to the negative post of the battery connected to the frame. Do not connect the charger to either of the posts that connect the batteries together. If you have 110VAC power to run the charger, you can accomplish the same thing by connecting the RV power cord to the 110VAC power source and allowing the converter to charge the batteries.

[CurtPutnam]

From what I read about converters, it seems as though they can be quite lazy about charging as compared to an external auto charger that does 6 volts?

[babock]

Originally Posted by CurtPutnam

From what I read about converters, it seems as though they can be quite lazy about charging as compared to an external auto charger that does 6 volts?

Some converters...

Get a good converter and you won't have a problem. Get a Progressive Dynamics to replace the stock WFCO if that's what you have.

[CurtPutnam]

Thank you all and sundry. I very much appreciate the help! The collective wisdom of these groups is simply amazing. Maybe, someday, we'll meet around my campfire and I can offer something more interesting than the fire.

[grayfox]

Can anyone post some pics of the batterys with the correct connections.

Thank you

[camaraderie]

It is easy to do if you set the batteries side by side and connect EITHER positive terminal to the negative on the other battery...then connect the remaining terminals to your charger. It does not matter which positive terminal connects to your charger + at all.

[camaraderie]

Originally Posted by grayfox

Can anyone post some pics of the batterys with the correct connections.

Thank you

Yup...

[grayfox]

Originally Posted by camaraderie

Yup...

Thank you... might give this discussion a little clarity for some.

[BandJCarm]

bestconverters.com

I recommend them highly, for price and knowledge. Call them, discuss it.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by grayfox

Can anyone post some pics of the batterys with the correct connections.

Thank you

Google "the 12 Volt Side of Life"

[Scrapper]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Google "the 12 Volt Side of Life"

X2, You can also get a copy from the Library section under Power and Electrical. Forest River Forums - Downloads - 12 volt side of Life

[llr]

Originally Posted by CurtPutnam

From what I read about converters, it seems as though they can be quite lazy about charging as compared to an external auto charger that does 6 volts?

If you are really using a 6 volt charger then you charge one battery at a time and use the 2 terminals on that one battery. If you have 2 6 volt chargers you could do both batteries at the same time.

personally I think it is much easier to charge both at once with a 12 volt charger.

[WolfWhistle]

Originally Posted by CurtPutnam

My ignorance is showing again. How best to put a charger on dual 6 volt batteries? If it is a 12vdc charger can I just clip the positive from the charger to the positive on the battery and then the negative to the frame? Does it matter which battery I clip the charger to?

Basically, I'm talking about storage lot hook-ups when the batteries will barely turn the jack. We've had to do a lot hook up, unhook without being able to plug into shore power.

Thank you for your help

Its okay Curt, ignorance isn't fatal, or I'd already be dead. First make sure water levels in the cells are good... not over or under filled. If the charger (a real charger not a trickle charger) is 12 volt with no 6 volt switch... you will have to strap with a cable (like it was on your RV) one of the battery's (+) to the other's (-), this makes them like a 12 volt single. Then attach the charger's red (+) to the battery's (+) that isn't strapped and the charger's black (-) to the other battery's (-), then plug in the charger and let it run until happy... actually until specific gravity is 1.265 per cell. Depending on the charger it could take several hours to several days... ideally the battery should rest for a day before taking SG test, but a couple hours should be enough.
WW

[Jonol]

This a good way to do it, but turn the switch ferst.
See picture.