Adding a 2nd Leisure Battery - Help with purchasing additional cables etc

[XxAnthxX]

Looks nice and neat

Being picky the colour coding of the leads between the two batteries is wrong. Red should be between positive terminals and black to the negative. But colours don't stop it working, just confuses someone who might look at stuff in a year or two's time.

The cables are correct......it’s just the red cover on the right hand battery thats wrong.....

 

[Ginger.Tog]

The cables are Red to Positive and Black to Negative. After taking the photo we noticed the wrong red cap! (If this is what you mean)

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Ah yes I see the positive mark on the battery case now - must go to specsavers.

 

[Phill D]

Nice job

 

[Ginger.Tog]

Nice job

Thank you, added a photo with correct cap

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[autorouter]

Colour code for original battery is standard German auto: Black = positive, brown = negative. Colour code for link wires is standard UK auto colours: red = positive, black = negative. Enjoy

 

[Googlebot]

Colour code for original battery is standard German auto: Black = positive, brown = negative. Colour code for link wires is standard UK auto colours: red = positive, black = negative. Enjoy

Took me £50 of chargers to realise.

 

[Ginger.Tog]

Colour code for original battery is standard German auto: Black = positive, brown = negative. Colour code for link wires is standard UK auto colours: red = positive, black = negative. Enjoy

Thank you for the clarification, wondered why so many brown cables.

 

[Favmeister]

Very nice looking job Martin, it's given me the confidence to tackle mine . Just a couple of questions...1) did you disconnect the cab/starter battery while doing the job? And...2) did you disconnect the seat belt warning wire(s) when you removed the seat? Thanks.

 

[Setras431dt]

I'm afraid not! Ideally you need Hydraulic crimpers.

No you don’t. Hydraulic are only really for larger cable

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[Setras431dt]

Looks nice and neat

Being picky the colour coding of the leads between the two batteries is wrong. Red should be between positive terminals and black to the negative. But colours don't stop it working, just confuses someone who might look at stuff in a year or two's time.

Oh Please!...

 

[Roadroamer]

this is my setup

 

[Chris CM]

I used jump leads purchased off ebay when i fitted my B2B - if you are careful when taking off the crocodile clips you are left with a crimped connection you can drill into and then connect to your battery. makes life a lot easier and you know they are rated high enough for your battery !!

they worked out a lot cheaper than buying cable separately !!

If you’re going to use jump lead cable make sure that it’s copper cable and not copper covered aluminium, used in a lot of the cheap Chinese jump cables and other cabling.

 

[Ian Bosman]

View attachment 460623

Here is a schematic of the correct way as above. Taken from https://caravanchronicles.com/guides/how-to-connect-two-batteries-in-parallel/

 

[MisterB]

If you’re going to use jump lead cable make sure that it’s copper cable and not copper covered aluminium, used in a lot of the cheap Chinese jump cables and other cabling.

really? as far as i understood the copper clad aluminium dont conduct electricity as well as copper does, therefore need a greater cross sectional area, so fitting a cable rated for 120Amps would be fine when used on a 50A B2B

surely its the rating that is important as opposed to what its made of and as i used the already crimped ends when i did mine i believed that to be not only adequate but also safe?

if it isnt safe then obviously i need to and will replace it as soon as possible, can you confirm whether it safe ??

Always willing to learn, even at my age LOL

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[autorouter]

Not many of us use silver, the best conductor, for jump leads, because it's obviously too expensive. We use slightly larger copper conductors instead. As copper gets more expensive, the next best conductor, aluminium, is used increasingly. A slightly larger cross-section is required, and also it is more susceptible to oxidation. The only problem is when copper-coloured aluminium cables are passed off as copper, and priced as such.

 

[Stealaway]

Here is a schematic of the correct way as above. Taken from https://caravanchronicles.com/guides/how-to-connect-two-batteries-in-parallel/

Thanks for that but-
Having had various size 6V and 12V battery bank on boats and vans over the last 20 years I do know about the technicalities.
If it had been easy to wire them like that I would have.
I wont be losing any sleep about this loss of 0.01% off sod all

 

[minesapint]

Plus the price of a crimping tool?

Much easier buy solder terminals, and solder all the connections. Easy and no expensive crimper needed.
Simples

 

[XxAnthxX]

Oh no.....around we go again

Battery Terminal Crimping

I am in the process of adding two more batteries and have all the gear ready 35 mm sq cable and ends I have a hydraulic crimper the question is are you to put any thing on the copper wire before crimping ie to stop corrosion.

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[Chris CM]

really? as far as i understood the copper clad aluminium dont conduct electricity as well as copper does, therefore need a greater cross sectional area, so fitting a cable rated for 120Amps would be fine when used on a 50A B2B

surely its the rating that is important as opposed to what its made of and as i used the already crimped ends when i did mine i believed that to be not only adequate but also safe?

if it isnt safe then obviously i need to and will replace it as soon as possible, can you confirm whether it safe ??

Always willing to learn, even at my age LOL

As Autorouter says, the problem arises when you purchase CCA cables thinking they are copper. Aluminium conducts about 40% less electricity than copper, hence the CSA will be bigger IF they have been correctly specified. I have been caught out, not with jump cables but other “automotive cables” from eBay, only found out when I tried to solder them! If they are the correct, for CCA, CSA and terminated correctly with a crimp connection you should be ok.

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[WildBunch]

All the advise above is good. Perhaps once you have worked out the current rating, the length of cable & the size of the bolt holes etc, you could contact a company called Sheridan Marine (01494 652 085) for example. They are based near Goring on the Thames. They will be able to make a couple of cables to suit. They do mail order. They request you call after noon as they are busy in the morning posting out orders. Phone & explain what you are doing they will help. They normally have the correct cables & terminals in stock as they are commonly replacing / repairing the 12 volt engine & domestic systems on the boats. They also sell some pre-made up cables which may suit your installation. Please note their workshop may be flooded due to river levels but it is still worth a ring. To all "Funsters " I recommend you check out their web site As they stock a lot of useful items for use in boats that are equally applicable for use in motorhomes. By the way they are by far the best Chandlers on the Thames.

 

[Ginger.Tog]

Very nice looking job Martin, it's given me the confidence to tackle mine . Just a couple of questions...1) did you disconnect the cab/starter battery while doing the job? And...2) did you disconnect the seat belt warning wire(s) when you removed the seat? Thanks.

Thank you!

Yes I disconnected the vehicle battery "First step".
Yes I disconnected the seat belt warning connector "Yellow plug".

I had no warnings once I started the engine!

 

[Hymerbrittany]

These schematics have been a god send for me in tidying up my wiring in my B694..

 

[Joc]

These schematics have been a god send for me in tidying up my wiring in my B694..

View attachment 461847

Pardon me if I`ve missed something (and I`m sure more learned people will correct me if I`m wrong) but a 50 amp CB on the Solar Charging circuit?

 

[Googlebot]

Pardon me if I`ve missed something (and I`m sure more learned people will correct me if I`m wrong) but a 50 amp CB on the Solar Charging circuit?

Probably more to act as an isolater if necessary to disconnect the panels.

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[XxAnthxX]

Probably more to act as an isolater if necessary to disconnect the panels.

I thought that......but then there’s a double pole switch to isolate the panels.

 

[Googlebot]

I thought that......but then there’s a double pole switch to isolate the panels.

Oh.

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

Are you able to solder the lugs on? That gives a better connection. Just done mine. I also included an Anderson 50Amp socket to connect up a portable solar panel, when acquired. I fixed the plug to the raised ally battery retainer sheet of metal, easy to drop the front grill down and plug in, it had a 12amp blade fuse built into the fly lead.. You may also consider a higher rated Anderson plug for plugging in an inverter at a later date?
Regards.
Mike

 

[XxAnthxX]

Are you able to solder the lugs on? That gives a better connection. Just done mine.
Regards.
Mike

As per post #79

Battery Terminal Crimping

I am in the process of adding two more batteries and have all the gear ready 35 mm sq cable and ends I have a hydraulic crimper the question is are you to put any thing on the copper wire before crimping ie to stop corrosion.

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[BouncyBoatFolk]

As per post #79

Battery Terminal Crimping

I am in the process of adding two more batteries and have all the gear ready 35 mm sq cable and ends I have a hydraulic crimper the question is are you to put any thing on the copper wire before crimping ie to stop corrosion.

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

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