I've got a 5th wheel that I'm needing to be moved. I know nothing about them. The batteries are needing to be replaced but I need to know if it has an inverter and a charger. Also is this the correct way to write them?
OK, so there are two ways of wiring multiple batteries together to make one super battery: there is parallel and serial.
This is a parallel battery setup. These are (probably) 12 volt batteries, and I’d guess about 100 amp hours each. Since they are wired positive to positive and negative to negative, this means they work together to give you 12 volts and about 200 amp hours.
Other people use 6 volt golf cart batteries, and they wire them positive to negative, so you attach the negative stuff from the rv to one battery, run the positive terminal to the negative terminal of the second batter, then you attach all the positive stuff from the RV to the positive terminal of the second battery. This would give you 12 volts, but it wouldn’t give any more amp hours.
We can’t tell you if there is a charger. There probably is one. We can’t tell you if there is an inverter. That’s less likely.
I would say that it is probably right, but it isn’t exactly a neat, clean job. When you replace the batteries (with two brand new ones that are exactly the same and with the same chemistry; don’t upgrade to lithium ion without getting an expert in), label the cords and make sure you make the same connections.
Given the size of the wire, if it has an inverter, it’d be a small one. Impossible to tell. Most likely the charger will be part of or very near the AC/DC distribution panel. If is a WFCO panel, the lower section below the breakers/fuses should house the converter/charger that supplies 12v to RV and charges batteries when on shore power. Way to know is measure the voltage at the batteries then plug in the RV to shore power and see if the voltage goes up into the 13v range. You may hear a fan running at the AC/DC panel, that will be part of the converter/charger. If not part of the panel itself, nearby may be a separate metal box with AC and DC wires that is the converter charger. If you disconnect the batteries while on shore power and still have 12V power for lights and such in the RV, then you have a converter somewhere.
If you don’t have any AC outlets supplying AC power when not on shore power, you likely don’t have an inverter. The inverter should be very close to the batteries, with the heaviest cable going to it. There should be an obvious control somewhere to turn the inverter on/off. Outlets may be marked INV or something like that. If you don’t have an Automatic Transfer Switch to transfer RV AC outlets from shore power to Inverter, then you may only have an inverter with a dedicated plug on it or one wired somewhere. If you probably don’t have any of that, you don’t have an Inverter.
It would be best to move either the positive or negative lines going to the RV to be on the other battery. Batteries are wired in parallel with the two thick cables, positive to positive post, negative to negative post. Then Positive lines to RV from one battery positive post, then Negative lines to RV to the second battery negative post. That makes each of the batteries be used and charge more equally.
Power
Might be for connecting things to the battery, not sure.
Moving electrons.
The wires put the two batteries together as one. The voltage is still 12volts, but amps are doubled. Thus lasting longer.
Those are 12v wires going to and from different 12v electrical systems in your RV. It would be extremely difficult for anyone to tell you exactly what goes to where. The only real thing you could guess on this picture is that the thick red and black wires coming to and from the batteries connect to your main 12v electrical system and associated converter (from the 120v system).
I will say though, this is a hot mess. I’m not sure why they used a black wire for the positive terminal connections between the batteries.
Source: Can sometime please explain what are all of these wires for?
