have a 86 regency coach batyteries dead when purchased have since replaced and batteries going dead ... had 4 batteeries now five need a diagram on how to hook up batteries .. for the coach ... saw it here before but could not find it .....all batteries good load tested good charge good ..... batteries dead overnite .. have double checked to make sure nothing on ,, after recharging twice now .. and have read and read .. wont to start with making sure my batteries are hooked up together first then step to next phase all terminals cleaned .. when hooked up tks

"...had 4 batteries now five need a diagram on how to hook up..."
1) All five are new?
2) All are 12volt batteries?
3) How (drawing or description) are they connected now, and how (where) is the additional 5th battery connected?
4) What caused the addition of the 5th?
5) Are all 5 "coach" batteries? Is one or more the "chassis" (engine start) battery?
This problem requires more information, and it probably has a simple answer.

Series Parallel Circuits



Like Gunner said...

quote:

"Are all 5 "coach" batteries? Is one or more the "chassis" (engine start) battery?
This problem requires more information, and it probably has a simple answer."

I'm with Bill N Y and Gunner, here - five is a very odd number, unless one is the chassis battery and the other four are house batteries.

Best hold everything until more info is received...there's no rational way to connect 5 house batteries, unless all are 12V, and that's not usual.

work nights so bare with me had four coach batteries went to look for the trojan 6 volts see i do read!! at a golf cart wholeseller that i know had 8 used deep cell batteries for sale ...12v 1 yr old ... load tested all was good figured i could fit five in the comnpartment .....harharharharhhaarrr...more power bigger is better etcetc ... all positive hooked upo in line same as negatives .... will get pic next days off 40 regency 1986 ... disconnected all connections except hot and ground hot going to engine for charge voltage hasnt dropped have two other hot wires will hook up one at a time till batteries go dead to help trouble shoot which circuit ...to work on ............ will drain all five over night ......... pretty sure have checked at night and quiet three times to make sure everything is off ...clock blinks and radio light is on in bedroom...that should not drain the batteries over night ... looking for sugesttion....and all the help i need

oh yeah best places ive been you wernt allowed to stay over night ...if you aint boondocking you aint camping hahaha..daughter graduated marine corp boot camp oct 5th .. we were camped on the parade deck ... the best when the fresh marines came thru at 430 or five they got quiet several hundred feet away ... and when they got right behind us they sounded off...that was the experiance.... camped at the boat ramp in the low country over looking parris island that was a beautiful spot my wife kept saying no overnite camping thier gonna throw us out ...but i told her if we dont cause no problems they wont say nothing !!!talked to the deputys the next morning so cool and if you ever get to the low country in s.c. by parris the gentleman with the small white truck is paul very nice x sheriff and a good laugh thanks all .....if i can fit my coach thier i can camp thier .............hahaahhaah

First, I would disconnect the stray 12V battery. For proper balance you should have 2-2x6V connected in series, and each of those pairs connected in parallel. That fifth battery may be defective, and not only is it discharging too fast, it could also be discharging the other four as well.

Then, it comes to backtracking the system to determine where the fault is. Note that these are generic tests; as we know, no two Barths are the same. If you're uncomfortable messing with electricity, take it to an RV place; take the time to locate the converter and isolator, as that will save shop time at the dealer's. Most likely the problem will be simple to isolate and fix, but it takes some grunt work.

CAVEAT: In the unlikely case where you have a converter-inverter, take it to an RV shop. It's very easy, unless you're very familiar with electricity, to injure yourself or to cause damage. A converter-inverter not only charges the batteries and powers the 12VDC house circuits, but when shore power is disconnected, it inverts 12VDC to power house 120VAC circuits fromm the batteries.

Anyway, the 120VAC converter in your coach is probably one of the older dual-output units. One section of the converter powers the house 12VDC circuits, while the other section separately charges the battery. If you have 12VDC lights and accessories when on shore power, that section works. Check the voltage at the house batteries with the shore power unplugged and with it plugged in. The unplugged voltage should be at least 12V, and there should be an increase when plugged in; 13.6V and higher is better.

If there is no change, check the converter itself, with the batteries disconnected, shore power plugged in. Make sure you check the battery charger section, and not the house supply section. You want to see at least 13.6VDC.

Now, if there is only one set of leads from the converter, you have a newer single-section converter, with which all output goes to the house batteries, but you're looking for the same voltage, 13.6VDC.

If those readings aren't there, the converter is suspect, and if it's a dual-output unit, replacing it with the contemporary single output will require a bit of rewiring.

If those tests are OK, then the suspect is the isolator, which routes power from the engine alternator to the house and chassis batteries, keeping both charged while the engine is running. Older coaches hav diode isolators, and if a diode fails, it can drain the battery. Disconnect the house battery lead from the isolator and run the above checks again. If they're now OK, the isolator is suspect.