1977 Fleetwood Dodge M500 need correct battery wiring info

[Wbelk40]

Hello All,
I need some help with our project. We just recently purchased as the title states a 1977 Fleetwood Southwind.  It has alot of issues that the previous owner failed to disclose. But not at big deal, we liked the inside. What I need help with is an actual picture and wiring schematic for the batteries, since this thing has a main and an auxiliary battery up front and they both appeared to have been connected together at  one point in time. I state this because batteries were removed and I have to replace them.

update: a friend pointed me in the direction of another manual i will post it here for your reference.

[betheone]

I think you can find something from here - https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/14219250/srt/pa/print/true/pging

[Mlw]

Both batteries need to be separate. your chassis battery always need to have power reserve to start your engine.  Therefore connecting your main and auxiliary battery together would be a very stupid thing to do. So when your batteries are connected together with wiring then this is done by the previous owner and then I hope for your sake that your previous owner wasn't a wiring magician like mine because then you will have your work cut out for yourself.

A lot of Winnebago's have a dual switch however. This switch is used to connect both batteries via a solenoid so both batteries can be charged by your alternator and only that. Is it possible that such a switch is build in the Southwind as well?



There is also the possibility that the wiring is connected via a battery-isolator.  I've skipped the switch and installed one like the example underneath myself, but they were also factory installed. Of course they are a different model but the same idea.

https://www.victronenergy.com/battery-isolators-and-combiners

Both options you won't find on your wiring diagram which you can find here under Dodge Class A chassis:

http://dave78chieftain.com/index.html

However I think you will want to have this too because it covers everything about your Dodge chassis:
https://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php?action=store;sa=view;id=203

The wiring diagrams for your chassis are also in there. For your coach you will need a separate coach' wiring diagram for the Southwind. As I have a Winnebago myself I unfortunately can't help you there

[Oz]

Excellent reply, Marc!