DIY Network

Exterior Maintenance: Upgrading Battery Power Learn how to upgrade your RV's battery power. From "RV Roadtrips" episode DRVR-103

The Fortier family looks forward to hitting the road to the Grand Canyon in their RV.

First on the agenda for host Gary Bunzer is to show Deidre Fortier how to upgrade her RV's battery power. Temperatures can dip pretty low in the desert at night, so an adequate power supply is a must for the Fortiers at the Grand Canyon.

By replacing a single 12-volt battery with two deep-cycle 6-volt batteries, Gary explains how this will dramatically increase the battery power supply. A single 12-volt has approximately 105 amps of useable current whereas the two 6-volts wired together have 225 amps of useable current.

By switching the battery arrangement the Fortiers will more than double their battery power. Gary and Deidre discard her old battery and install two new 6-volt batteries, testing the wiring and voltage with a voltmeter before finishing up.

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

Materials:

two (brand new) 6-volt batteries
battery boxes
battery cables (already installed with battery terminals, which need to be long enough to reach between the two battery terminals, but not so long as to hang too low)

1. Discard old battery by removing the negative cable first, followed by the positive cable.

   Tip: Call your local hazardous-waste center to find out where to dispose of old batteries safely. DON'T leave them lying around!

2. Set the two new 6-volt batteries into new battery boxes (plastic boxes that will protect batteries from dirt--figure A)--and place on the trailer's mounting tray.

   Tip: Always start with two brand new batteries so they will age at the same rate.

3. Wire the batteries together. Connect the cable from one positive post of one battery to the negative post of the other (figure B). Note: Always connect the negative post last.

4. Connect the trailer's positive cable to the positive post on one battery, and then connect the negative cable from the trailer to the negative post on the other battery.

5. Once batteries are installed, check your trailer's monitor panel (figure C) to ensure that the battery power is running into the coach.

RESOURCES :

6-Volt T-105 Batteries (2x) and Battery Boxes
Trojan Battery Co.
Website: www.campingworld.com