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Old 01-21-2006, 11:49 AM   #1
Parrothead
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HELP Dual Battery Fire While Rehooking

Please anyone with dual batteries (from the factory) we need help. We had the batteries disconnected and when we reconnected we must have done something wrong because when Ed touched one of the post with the wire it sparked and started a fire. I mean it did not just sizzle, there were flames 5 or 6 inches high. We got the fire out and don't think there is anymore damage but we won't know until we can hook it up again. We were not plugged into AC. It burnt that wire up and fused the connector to the battery post and burnt the insulation off one of the other wires. We need to see a picture or a description of how we hook up these wires again. It was very scary. We have a ground and know where it is. The two wires that burnt we think are the ones that hooked the two batteries together, although now we are questioning why there is two. We have a red (positive) wire running into the unit but don't see a negative.
No Happy Trails today
 
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Old 01-21-2006, 12:03 PM   #2
CountryGuy
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Sue, cannot help you with photos or hookup as we have only one battery. We have never seen TWO batteries come from the factory?? That is confusing to us.

no matter, we are VERY glad it is not more serious. Must have been pretty scary. Sounds like someone had a cool head tho to get the fire out quickly!

Good luck getting this fixed.

Carol
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Old 01-21-2006, 12:13 PM   #3
Parrothead
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Not only that but we decided enough Monty for the day and came in the stick house and Ed put a load of laundry in and washed his cell phone! This is really troubling us because his sister-in-law is at Hospice and wasn't expected to live last week and that number is their contact. It never rains but it pours! Had to come in and have a Long Island!
No Happy Trails
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Old 01-21-2006, 01:02 PM   #4
Montana Sky
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Sue,
Sorry to hear that things are not going well for you today. I am glad to hear you were able to get the fire put out and there was not more damage caused by it. I also only have one battery so I cannot be of help, hopefully someone will be along soon. Will keep you and Ed in my thoughts as you go through this difficult time.
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Old 01-21-2006, 01:19 PM   #5
adelmoll
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Sue, we have the duel batteries but it is too dark out to take a picture. We will do the best we can tomorrow to help you. Glad it was no worse. Let's get back to the "Happy Trails"

Helen
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Old 01-21-2006, 01:30 PM   #6
JH Sechelt
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Hi Sue,

Sure sounds like you hooked something up backwards. Did you take the batteries out of the trailer or just unhook them?
Maybe one got put back in backwards? Ours has two batteries. They are wired positive to positive and negative to negative.
Red positive wire goes to the circuit breaker mounted on the front wall of the basement and the White wire to Ground right on the steel part of the trailer. Make sure they are wired in paralell and not in series, or you will end up with 24 volts instead of 12 volts. Sounds more like you might have hooked them positive to negative and completed a direct short. The next best thing to an arc welder. Hope this helps.

Take care
John & Dawn
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Old 01-21-2006, 01:59 PM   #7
CRUZIN 2
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It sounds like you must have hooked up the batteries wrong, we have dual batteries two 12v . My batteries are hooked up pos. to pos. and neg. to neg. but someone may come along and explain it better. Sorry about all your troubles, it will get better. Larry & LaVonne
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Old 01-21-2006, 02:05 PM   #8
jrgwdenner
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Sue, I am so sorry to hear of your problems and especially sorry to hear about Ed's sister. Our thoughts and prayers are with you guys. Hope things make a turn for the better.

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Old 01-21-2006, 02:19 PM   #9
CountryGuy
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Gosh Sue, but it sure is raining icky stuff around you. OK MOC members, lets send Sue lots of prayers and positive thoughts and vibes. Sorry bout the cell phone and we will keep your sister-in-law in our prayers. Hang in there!
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Old 01-21-2006, 02:38 PM   #10
Wrenchtraveller
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I have 2 12 volts on mine and just assumed that all of them did because of the slides. I can get a Picture to you tomorrow if you still need one. Please be very careful as batteries can explode under the wrong conditions. Sorry to hear of your Family problems. God Bless you both, Don.

PS, Your cell phone company should be able to give you that phone number if you can get a hold of them from a pay phone.
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Old 01-21-2006, 02:48 PM   #11
Jim
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Sue: I have two six volt batteries that were installed by the dealer. If that is what you have, I can get you a picture. Hope you guys are OK and I know tomorrow will be a better day.
Jim
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Old 01-21-2006, 02:55 PM   #12
Parrothead
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To clarify - they are 12 volt batteries. Maybe the longer units have them or the 4 slides but this is the way they came. I think we did what John suggested. Now my question is when we try this again - what order do we do this in and does the ground go on last or on first? We did take one battery completely out as the strap that holds the lid to the case had come out from under the case and we were trying to get it back in. Very difficult to get the batteries out - not a lot of wiggle room there. I figured out I can pick Ed's messages up on his cell from my cell.
Happy trails getting better......................
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Old 01-21-2006, 04:20 PM   #13
JH Sechelt
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Hi Ed,

Normally you hook up the positive side first, and grounds second. My Red positive wires are towards the inside
anyways so those are the ones I would hook up first. Maybe you should check your batteries and make sure they have not swollen up at all. If they get too hot,the plates inside can buckle, and replace any wires if they look damaged.

Take Care
John & Dawn
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Old 01-21-2006, 06:15 PM   #14
Montana Sky
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Well now I am stumped! When I put the battery back in the boat each spring I always hook negative up first and then positive. I have been doing this for at least 9 years but now I am wondering, am I doing it wrong?? Maybe I have been lucky not to blow myself or the boat up over the years, for the life of me I swear that is how I was told to install and hook batteries up. I could be wrong!
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Old 01-21-2006, 06:20 PM   #15
dsprik
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Prayers going out, Sue.
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Old 01-21-2006, 06:35 PM   #16
JH Sechelt
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Hi Montana Sky,

Nothing is going to blow up if you hook up the Negative First.
When we are working on the buses ( I'm A contactor to a local School board)
If you hook up the Negative first, you have more of a chance of grounding your
wrench to the bus frame or whatever when tighten the positive cable to the battery.
(dosen't matter if the negative is not hooked up).
Some times when the wrench gets grounded doing up the positive cable it can weld itself
to whatever its touching. That shakes you up a bit when the wrench starts glowing red.
It seems to take forever to get some tools to undo the negative cable when you just
welded the 9/16 wrench to the Battery.

Take Care
John
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Old 01-21-2006, 07:22 PM   #17
ronnilu
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Ed & Sue - sorry to hear about your battery problem but glad it wasn't worse. The responses from JH Sechelt are right on about how to hook up and in which order IF (big IF) your batteries are 12 volt. Since that is what you indicated then you should be ok to follow his directions, including replacing damaged wires. However, if the batteries were 6 volt you would hook them up differently in order to get the required 12 volts out of them. Good luck
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Old 01-22-2006, 01:13 AM   #18
Garin1
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Dual batteries in an rv should be wired POS-POS and NEG-NEG otherwise you will end up with a 24 volt system. I am thinking there must be a wire rubbed through for that kind of short. There was another post a while back about a Monty catching fire because where the wire passed through the hole in the storage area there was no protection and the wires rubbed through. This was also DC related problem. Someone will remember who posted that info. Glad to hear you both are OK
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Old 01-22-2006, 02:43 AM   #19
dsprik
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It was Prarriepoodle.
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Old 01-22-2006, 04:17 AM   #20
padredw
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I am attaching an image that was most helpful to me. The KEY is whether you really have 2 12 volt batteries or 2 6 volt batteries that are wired in SERIES to produce 12 volt output. 2 12 volt batteries must be wired in PARALLEL not in series. Her is the image:


This is taken from a very helpful web site:
http://bart.ccis.com/home/mnemeth/12volt/12volt.htm
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