<center>https://s22.postimg.cc/cmas6mflt/0725181837a.jpg</center>

So, we are making things happen. Today I want to take a minute to talk about putting new batteries in the RV. When we first got the big beautiful RV there was only one tractor battery and it needed three new ones. 

### <center>The Setup</center>

This RV requires three batteries (like most). It has one main battery that runs the truck, and two batteries that run everything in the coach or house area. It comes from the factory with one 12 volt battery and two 6 volt batteries that are hooked up in series.
***

I bought three brand new batteries the other day, one 12 volt deep cycle with higher cold cranking amps to use as the main battery, and two 12 volt deep cycle batteries that are for the coach.

I got them home and had to start sorting out the random wires that were hanging all over. Since the previous owner took the batteries out and used just one battery, nothing was labeled. 

I hooked everything up to the best of my understanding. _BOOM_ everything worked. I was able to start the truck, generator, and run all of the lights and things inside.

The family loaded up the next day and took a trip to town to get fuel. It was our maiden voyage together. Since it is a high profile vehicle, it rocks when the wind blows. No big deal usually, but as soon as we hit the road we were met by a semi driving over the double yellow. If Stacie D was going to ever get scared and pee....that would have been it.

When we got home, and had a full fuel tank, I decided to start checking all systems and started with the generator.
I found that the generator would only turn on when the truck was running, and when we turned the truck off....the generator died.

I spent hours googling what it could possibly be. I called RV service places all over Southern Missouri, and had zero luck. I was going to have to get real dirty and start tracing wires and really sorting it out.  Our oldest son ( The Artist... @thegreatdayne) and I started by unhooking the coach batteries and starting from scratch. 

We started by trying to trace the power from the battery to the generator starter. No luck. There was no power, and the truck wouldn't even start. We had three dead batteries....

I don't currently have a volt meter, so I decided I would just move forward with wiring before I jump the battery.

I reached a point that it felt like I was just staring at the battery compartment simply hoping they would wire themselves.
***
<center>https://s22.postimg.cc/9guruemg1/0725181838_Burst01.jpg</center>
***
I started praying that God would show me what to do, or just use me on autopilot to make it happen. If I didn't do this job, there was no one else that could do it for me. I felt the urge to go look through a container of extra parts that came with the RV. I found and additional battery cable!! 

I stopped and thought about a hand drawn picture I found online (all I found) about how to hook them all up. I recalled there was an additional wire connecting the coach batteries to the negative on the truck battery. 

So I added this additional cable to the whole set up and planned to go borrow some jumper cables. I opened the RV door....and there was a light turned on. How did I have a light if the batteries were dead?

I tried to start the truck again and just like magic it fired right up. Turns out....when I tried to start it before the key wasn't all the way in, but it still was turning. This time I got the key all the way in and it started perfectly.

So now it was time to test the generator power. I disconnected the power to the fuel pump and touched it to the main starter post on the generator to prime the fuel. We were having a little fun watching the fuel line jump when we put power to it....and flooded it with fuel. When we started to crank it up. _**BOOM**_ a huge back fire....and then it started running like a top! A bit exciting, met with alot of hooting and hollering.

We checked to make sure it started and stopped without the truck running. We checked all of the power in the coach. All of the recepticals and lights etc. Everything worked great!

### Turns out I just needed that extra ground wire!

Now it's time to start packing! Be well.

Check out the set up
https://youtu.be/TyXLnlqXDbA