Thanks,

I have a Kohler 4.0 Generator. The wires are going down through a hole in the floor of the battery compartment.  I can't tell where it goes from there. I assume there is a space between the floor and bottom of vehicle.  The black wire that comes off the converter to the battery connector(+)is ok. All the white (-) wires are fried.    

Dennis

As to the converter, it consists of a 12 volt regulated DC power supply which, whenever you are plugged into shore power or are on the generator, takes over the job of supplying all the 12 volt loads in the coach, such as lights, heater fan  and water pump, etc. A 115 volt relay which is connected to the shore line accomplishes this switchover, removing these loads from the battery and connecting them to the converter output. At the same time, a separate section of the converter is connected to the coach battery to charge it. It is a variable-rate charger, supplying only enough to meet the needs of the battery.
The white wires coming from the battery would be negative wires and would presumably be grounded. Could it be that someone hooked up the battery wrong and burned those wires?
The black wire leaving the battery would be the positive lead, and should go directly to the aforementioned relay in the converter enclosure. If you listen closely when the shore line is plugged into 115 volts AC, you can hear the click of the relay closing. This might help you to find it.
Harold, ACOC #886

I don't have any problems (yet) with my electrics but Harold Potter deserves a real thanks for his input on electrical problems.  We're lucky to have someone like him to share his knowledge and experience of electrics.  Thanks Harold.

If the battery was hooked up backwards, would the wires get hot and melt the insulation?  Would any 12v stuff still work before melting?  I found wires going to the furnace shorted and melted.  

I presume the negative terminal is the one going to ground on the generator.  Is this correct?  I still cannot find any access to the wires in the floor.  Any suggestions?  I want to replace all that are melted, although they are all white wires??  I appreciate the help.  I think the last person thought they were a wiring wiz..... :
rolleyes:

I have a '78 rear bath party model.  To get to the converter and battery wiring I cut out the paneling under the swivel chairs and then replaced the paneling with carpeting.  The panels facing the kitchen table not the panels supporting the swivel chairs.

To Savvy Camper: I checked the battery hookup on our '77 and we have two white (negative) and two black (positive) wires coming off the battery. All of them go through the hole at the bottom rear of the battery compartment. When the coaches were assembled, they started out with the floor section upside down and put in some of the 12 volt wiring which ended up concealed between the floor and the steel bed of the van chassis. The Club's slide show shows this.
So there's no way you are going to access those white wires with the melted insulation to replace them. The good news is that they are ground wires anyway, so the melted insulation shouldn't be a factor. If they still are connected at the other end, they should be okay.
The only scenario I can think of that would overheat the white wires and leave the black ones intact would be if somehow the coach battery positive terminal was accidentally grounded to the chassis at some time.
So the question now is, does everything still work?

Harold, #886

Thanks for that information. Yes, I think everything is now working.  All coach 12v lights, heater, and pump. I have traced the wires and as you suggested, the common wires are not a problem.  There was one black wire to the battery that was cooked. I still dont know where it goes.  The other one was for the pump and test panel.  One black wire came out of the floor and connected to a white wire that went to the pump and I think it is the wire that goes to the pump switch.  I had to rewire and trace all the components and connect them to the converter properly.  The only thing that doesn't seem to be working is the test panel lights.  The pump light works sometims but the tank level indicator lights aren't working.  I did see them working when the battery was first hooked up before the meltdown.  The battery test indicator is working.  The converter is working ok.  I don't have a battery to connect to it yet to see if the converter will charge ok.  How would I know if it was charging?  Any ideas on the other cooked wire?  Someone suggested that it might be from the engine battery?  For starting on coach battery?  Charging the engine battery?  Is there any connection for the generator?  I didn't note any wires from the battery connectors to the generator?  The sw/station for the generator is an hour meter and start sw. that comes from the generator control box.     I really appreciate all the expertise and information you and others are providing.  I hope to be able to get on the road soon and try it out.  I hooked to water yesterday and every thig worked ok.  Of course there was a leak found at the water heater.  Hot water out nipple cracked at the brass flare fitting.  Hope it is "just a nipple" and I can get it out and replace. Really dont want to replace the water heater.  Had tried to get Dometic ref. working but appears to be clogged or .....  Replaced the element and only gets hot at the boiler.  Hsd it upside down around, every which way.  Still no good.  Those things are pricey!!!  Thanks again!

There is a wire coming from the iso relay in front that allows the engine to charge both batterys at the same time, but unless you have a switch wired in to the iso switch it wont work the the way around the switch and where to wire it is way back in the past issuse of the forum, you also have a main power wire going from your house battery to your gen starter for starting it

The other black wire from the battery should go to the power panel area and connect to the transfer relay.
Regarding how to tell if the coach battery is being charged, you should be able to read a definite increase in the voltage across the coach battery when you plug in the shore line. The earlier gold-colored indicator panel above the fridge had transistors behind the panel controlling the pilot lamps that light up to show the tank levels. If a reverse polarity condition of the coach battery ever happened, these transistors could have failed.
Harold

Dennis,  I just replaced the water heater in my rig (77 rear kitchen). (rvpartsoutlet.com) has a 6 gallon gas only on sale right now for $185.00. If you want the new door also its another $28.00. I ordered it online at the above web site and I recieved it UPS the next day. I am in Seattle, and I think rvpartsoutlet.com is in Oregon. Check them out. They have everything..........Ranger

I just bought 1975 American cilipper which does not have battery to bring the electricity to the motor home,,all the wiers are intact and there ,,is there any Diagram or please advise

Hi Alirkhabbazi, congratulations on your Clipper.  I have a '75 also - they're great.

As for a diagram, if you join the National club, you can order the diagram through the club parts guy.  The info to join the club is on most of the threads in the Greetings section.