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Old 04-23-2015, 07:26 AM   #1
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Name: David
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Exceedingly basic battery question

I took the battery out of our Scamp to store during its first winter and foolishly neglected to mark the wires. The Scamp manual and electrical video are not helpful on which wire goes to the positive terminal. I think it is the black (with short yellow section and fuse on the end) wire and the white wire is negative. I would appreciate a confirmation before I make the connection and risk blowing a fuse or worse.

Spring is slowly creeping up to Vermont and we're looking forward to our first full season of scamp adventures.

Many thanks.
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Old 04-23-2015, 08:00 AM   #2
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You didn't mention how old your Scamp is; if it is more than a few years old, it's hard to tell what a previous owner might have changed.


While the color code and the presence of a fuse are good clues, I'd still follow wires out to find which one is the ground side, it's usually a fairly short wire.



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Old 04-23-2015, 08:12 AM   #3
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It's new, 13', - picked up from the Backus factory last June
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Old 04-23-2015, 08:15 AM   #4
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In the RV world black is positive and white is negative. Putting them backwards might cause the cheaper LED's not to light, and motors to turn backwards. Plugging into the tow would pop the fuse. Raz
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Old 04-23-2015, 08:17 AM   #5
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I figured out that I had it backwards when I switched my converter from shore power to battery. My vent fan stopped then reversed. Oops.
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Old 04-23-2015, 09:19 PM   #6
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Thanks all - appreciate the advice. I'll go with black/yellow to positive.
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Old 04-24-2015, 10:11 AM   #7
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There should be a sticker right above the battery box with the connection info

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Old 04-24-2015, 10:15 AM   #8
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Sticker on Scamp above battery box

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Old 04-24-2015, 10:16 AM   #9
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Scamp trailer wiring is like house wiring. The negative (neutral in the house) is white, the positive (hot in the house) is black. As was mentioned my 2006 13' has a sticker on the front of the trailer.
NOTE: Nasty things can happen if connected backwards, fuses can blow, converters and be damaged, and it plugged into the tow alternators can be damaged.
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Old 04-26-2015, 08:00 AM   #10
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Name: David
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Oh my, I'm certainly feeling foolish this morning. As several of you pointed out, with pics no less, the instructions are right there in plain sight. My only defense is that when I posted the question the Scamp was still wearing her winter coat. I removed the cover this morning and the label was obvious.

Thanks for your replies and patience.

David
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Old 04-26-2015, 08:41 AM   #11
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Yeah, I hate when that happens. But It does make my wife feel good when she can point things like that out. By the way I'm just south of Barre. Cold and cloudy here. Any better where you are? Raz
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Old 04-26-2015, 09:19 AM   #12
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Alas, no better here in the Connecticut valley. T.S. Eliot was right about the cruelest month - maybe he was a Vermonter!
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Old 04-26-2015, 04:46 PM   #13
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My first year with a Scamp I didn't see it either.. I recalled there was a sticker but do you think I could find it.. Once you slide the battery box cover all the way off

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