Wire gauge?

[Craigadilla]

I would like to add a second 12v battery to add more amp hours during our boondocking trips. What gauge wire should I use to connect the batteries in parallel and what gauge wire to connect batteries to junction box on RV. Right now it has #8 wire and not sure if that's too thin. Camper has #8 running from camper to junction box. Thanks in advance. My RV is a 2017 torque t31

 

[jimtoo]

Hi Craigadillia,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and to the family. We have a great bunch of folks here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge when needed.

I'm sure some of our other members will jump in soon with some suggestions for you.

Be sure and check out our Heartland Owners Club. Join us at a rally when you can and meet lots of the great folks here and make friends for a lifetime.

Enjoy the forum.

Jim M
Thread moved to better area.

 

[cookie]

. Camper has #8 running from camper to junction box. Thanks in advance. My RV is a 2017 torque t31

When you say "Camper has #8 running from camper to junction box", what junction box are you referring to?

Peace
Dave

 

[mlpeloquin]

I would like to add a second 12v battery to add more amp hours during our boondocking trips. What gauge wire should I use to connect the batteries in parallel and what gauge wire to connect batteries to junction box on RV. Right now it has #8 wire and not sure if that's too thin. Camper has #8 running from camper to junction box. Thanks in advance. My RV is a 2017 torque t31

First connecting two batteries in parallel make sure that they are both fully charged. Second that the old battery isn't more that a couple of years old. Third make sure that the positive lead comes from one battery and the negative comes form the other.

The gauge wire depends on how far the run and how much current (maximum) is going to be drown from them. So what is you maximum current load? You are saying that the first battery was installed with 8 gauge. That is a fairly light gauge, but maybe ok depending on the maximum current load and the distance of the run. I would get from an auto parts store standard battery cables to connect the two together. Where is your converter that charges the battery(s) and how far away is it from the battery? What gauge wire is connected from the converter to the battery(s) and the fuse box? I cannot believe that it is 8ga wire. Depending on the converter they can charge batteries from 35 amps to 80 amps. Even 35 amps is too much current for any length of eight gauge wire. According to the AWG wire chart, 8ga wire is good for 24 amps when used for power transmission and 73 amps for chassis wiring. Chassis wiring is very short runs of two feet or less. So are you sure that the power run from your battery is 8ga?

 

[Apropdoc]

I would like to add a second 12v battery to add more amp hours during our boondocking trips. What gauge wire should I use to connect the batteries in parallel and what gauge wire to connect batteries to junction box on RV. Right now it has #8 wire and not sure if that's too thin. Camper has #8 running from camper to junction box. Thanks in advance. My RV is a 2017 torque t31

I had small 8 ga. wires between the batteries and replaced with 2 ga. wires. The 8 ga. wire will get warm when there is a load on the batteries, the bigger gauge wire does not. I just got 2 jumpers that had the terminals already crimped on from the local auto parts place. I plan on doing the pos and neg lead on the trailer as soon as I get the rig out of storage.

 

[Craigadilla]

Wow guys! Thank for the quick replies.

I want to start off saying I am a novice when it comes to electricity so I will do my best to describe what I am talking about.

I am sure that the wire is 8g. I had also thought it was small. I was recently at my local camper dealer and looked at other models of campers they had on the lot and they were all 6g coming out of the camper.

The junction box I was referring to is on the tongue. The wires come out from under the camper and go into one side of the box. The wires from my seven-way and from the battery go into the other side and are connected inside with wire nuts. It is a very tight fit in there.

The 8g from the battery goes to a 30 amp circuit breaker, also on the frame, then into the box where it is connected with the wires from the camper with wire nuts. As far as where the converter is, I don’t know. It is in the walls somewhere but it can’t be more than 10 feet away because that is about how far away my fuse box is.

Could the wire size be a reason why I am having trouble retracting my electric awning on the battery? The awning works fine on my generator.

Do you think it would be better to run 6 gauge from the battery to the junction box? Could this improve the amount of electricity I can draw?

Thanks for letting me know it is OK to get the battery cables from the auto parts store. I was thinking I could but some say that you should get a higher quality cable than what is available in an auto parts store.

Any torque owners out there have any similar experience/setup? Is it just mine that has 8g?

 

[Apropdoc]

Wow guys! Thank for the quick replies.

I want to start off saying I am a novice when it comes to electricity so I will do my best to describe what I am talking about.

I am sure that the wire is 8g. I had also thought it was small. I was recently at my local camper dealer and looked at other models of campers they had on the lot and they were all 6g coming out of the camper.

The junction box I was referring to is on the tongue. The wires come out from under the camper and go into one side of the box. The wires from my seven-way and from the battery go into the other side and are connected inside with wire nuts. It is a very tight fit in there.

The 8g from the battery goes to a 30 amp circuit breaker, also on the frame, then into the box where it is connected with the wires from the camper with wire nuts. As far as where the converter is, I don’t know. It is in the walls somewhere but it can’t be more than 10 feet away because that is about how far away my fuse box is.

Could the wire size be a reason why I am having trouble retracting my electric awning on the battery? The awning works fine on my generator.

Do you think it would be better to run 6 gauge from the battery to the junction box? Could this improve the amount of electricity I can draw?

?

The wires going into and out of the JBox should not be messed with unless there is a problem with them. The Power wire from the box to the trailer is to trickle charge the battery. The other wires are for lights and brakes. I would think that there is not enough power for the awning motor from the battery. The converter might be located behind the circuit breaker/fuse panel. If it is not charging your battery, then that is another issue to look at.

 

[Craigadilla]

The wires going into and out of the JBox should not be messed with unless there is a problem with them. The Power wire from the box to the trailer is to trickle charge the battery. The other wires are for lights and brakes. I would think that there is not enough power for the awning motor from the battery. The converter might be located behind the circuit breaker/fuse panel. If it is not charging your battery, then that is another issue to look at.

Ok Apropdoc, I will add the second battery and see if that helps, I will also ask my election friend friend to help me find out if it's charging properly. Thanks for your help I really appreciate it.