How is the battery wired?

[Ted]

I'm installing a new battery in my camper. Once connected there is no power. Checked the in-line fuses and they are good. Thought I had the four wires in the right places but now think I have it wrong because nothing else makes sense. Anyone able to check theirs and get back to me?

It is a 2003 FWC Hawk, The wires come into the camper as two gray wires, one of which splits into black and white wires, the other splits into orange and yellow. Which ones go to pos and neg in your camper?

Thanks.

 

[billharr]

I'm installing a new battery in my camper. Once connected there is no power. Checked the in-line fuses and they are good. Thought I had the four wires in the right places but now think I have it wrong because nothing else makes sense. Anyone able to check theirs and get back to me?

It is a 2003 FWC Hawk, The wires come into the camper as two gray wires, one of which splits into black and white wires, the other splits into orange and yellow. Which ones go to pos and neg in your camper?

Thanks.

Black and White should be 12 volt + / - black+ white- (note 110v white is -, neutral)

My Hawk had the orange that changed colors in the loom but ran the side lights, power from truck tail lights. I did not have a yellow.

Bill

 

[Ted]

Thanks Bill. Your camper is new so it sounds like they are done differently now. I know all four went to the battery on mine, just trying to confirm which to where.

A little more info - the orange and yellow coming out of the one romex like gray wire each have in-line fuses. The black and white do not.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Thanks Bill. Your camper is new so it sounds like they are done differently now. I know all four went to the battery on mine, just trying to confirm which to where.

A little more info - the orange and yellow coming out of the one romex like gray wire each have in-line fuses. The black and white do not.

Ted,I told you "old"age would catch up.Next time take a picture.
Have fun,Frank

 

[craig333]

Ted, black is ground white is positive. I don't have orange and yellow on mine so my best guess is those are for marker or brake lights. Your camper have those?


Reread your post. Are you positive they split like that? That'd be awful confusing to wire like that. Lemme know if you get it figured out. Unfortunately I'm not working next week so I have time to stop by if you need it.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Ted, I agree with Frank. A picture always helps!!! Another thing that I do is use a nylon wire tie to secure a set of wires as they come off a battery terminal. I then mark which terminal they came from.

So I am guessing that you have wires coming in from the converter, and from the truck, each with power and a ground. If you can't figure it out, one way of troubleshooting would be to 1) take a photo of the current state, 2) disconnect the wires, 3) get a multimeter and check for ground, although if a relay is involved you may not be able to get to ground, 4) using the multi meter, find the 12vdc line with the truck running, then find the 12vdc line with the converter on, truck off, 5) the remaining two wires should be your ground circuits.

Be cautious!!! 12vdc can be hard on wires if you get it straight to ground. Don't let any of the wires touch (ground) when you're doing this. There is nothing worse than smelling burning insulation.

edit: Thinking about this a bit more... I watched when Kirk from FWC installed our truck wiring. The romex type wire is what FWC runs from the battery back to the camper. It should go to a battery separator relay, the relay should then send power to the battery. It keeps the camper from running down the truck battery. With the truck running, you should have power to it, and to the best of my knowledge, power coming out of it down to the battery. In our camper, the relay is in the battery box area under the hood.

 

[mynxd]

Ted, in line fuses are normally installed in the positive side of a circuit (may help cut your testing time)

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Ted, in line fuses are normally installed in the positive side of a circuit (may help cut your testing time)

Now why didn't the rest of us think about that! Well done!

 

[billharr]

Another question from someone who is not looking at you camper. On my 2002 Hawk the separator (big relay and 50 amp breaker) was on the truck under the hood. On my 2013 Hawk the auto separator in in the camper. Where is yours?

If you have two 10g romex coming from the truck you should be able yo trace then to where they connect.

Bill

 

[craig333]

If teds is like mine there is no separator, just a breaker.

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Another question from someone who is not looking at you camper. On my 2002 Hawk the separator (big relay and 50 amp breaker) was on the truck under the hood. On my 2013 Hawk the auto separator in in the camper. Where is yours?

If you have two 10g romex coming from the truck you should be able yo trace then to where they connect.

Bill

Bill, a big oops from me. My separator relay is under the hood, too. I will correct my earlier post.

 

[Ted]

Here is what I have. The red and and black on the right come from the charge controller from my solar, so I'm ignoring those for now.

Ted, in line fuses are normally installed in the positive side of a circuit (may help cut your testing time)

Hmmm, so the orange, yellow, and white should all go to positive and black to negative?

Got two buddies, both electricl engineers, coming over to drink my beer and help me out. We'll see how that goes.

http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/uploads/gallery/album_163/gallery_176_163_59348.jpg

 

[billharr]

Here is what I have. The red and and black on the right come from the charge controller from my solar, so I'm ignoring those for now.

Hmmm, so the orange, yellow, and white should all go to positive and black to negative?

Got two buddies, both electrical engineers, coming over to drink my beer and help me out. We'll see how that goes.

http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/uploads/gallery/album_163/gallery_176_163_59348.jpg

Good use of beer!


Looking at you pictures the white goes to your separator is hot from truck, black is ground.

The yellow and orange that goes to black and white both have fuses. Question is where do they go? fuses normally would come off the + of the battery. This is why I had wiring that changes colors, ESPECIALLY the ground, if the yellow does hook to + you will have a white wire some where that will be a hot and not a ground.

 

[ski3pin]

My guess - white, yellow, and red are positive battery
all blacks are battery negative. The confusing colors come from the inline fuses added. Go back to what they are connected to coming out of the romex - white pos, black negative.

Hope you have fun with your buddies and work before beer!

 

[Ted]

The yellow and orange that goes to black and white both have fuses.

Go back to what they are connected to coming out of the romex - white pos, black negative.

This was the key. I was focused on the yellow and orange colors. Never noticed that they were scraps attached to white and black original wires. Doh! Battery is hooked up, functional, and even got a little charge from solar at 4:30 pm with the sun at a low angle. All is good with the world again. Happy, happy, happy.

Thanks to all for your help. Is this a great group of people or what!?

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Ted great news!

 

[craig333]

Excellent Ted. I didn't think that a lot of inline fuses would have different colors. Makes perfect sense.

 

[pvstoy]

You can have a system that has a fuse on the negative wire... Seen a install done by FWC that way.

 

[Ted]

You can have a system that has a fuse on the negative wire... Seen a install done by FWC that way.

This is the original wiring from the factory. I wish they used the same color wires as the original when they spliced in the extensions.
Some people have a mental block when it comes to math. Mine is when it comes to wiring. I have somewhat of a clue when it comes to green, black, white, and red. Still never real sure of myself when dealing with those. But throw in some different colors and I get all flustered and don't know what to do.

Thanks for your input everyone.