where does this wire go?

[WDPatterson]

Never connect a black wire to a positive lead. Ever.

I would recommend going to whoever you got that unit from, and get them to inform you where those wires go.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by WDPatterson

Thor Industries is a division of Berkshire Hathaway. Keystone is a division of Thor Industries.

That said, I would be really careful about that black wire on a positive lead. Make sure where that black wire goes, before you connected to that black lead. That red lead, as others have said, should have a terminal on it.

Originally Posted by WDPatterson

Never connect a black wire to a positive lead. Ever.

I would recommend going to whoever you got that unit from, and get them to inform you where those wires go.

Black wiring, in house wiring is a "hot lead". Almost all travel trailers prior to about 2018 used the "RVIA approved wiring standard" of black to POS and white to NEG. It caused bucketloads of owners (including me) a "crapload of problems" with reverse polarity fuses as well as some "melted wire issues"....

FINALLY, in 2018 (or around then) RV manufacturers adopted the "automotive standard" rather than the "household standard" and started using red to POS and black to NEG.... But, there are literally hundreds of thousands of trailers with the black wire connected to POS....

I'll certainly agree that EVERY owner should verify what the heck he's connecting to which battery terminal and if in doubt, get help before making a "wrong connection"....

But, the blanket statement, "Never connect a black wire to a positive lead. Ever." simply doesn't "ring true" in almost every RV built from around 1974 or 1975 (when the industry started providing a charging system for travel trailer batteries) until around 2018. During those years, black was the designated POS battery cable. Only recently (in the past 4 or 5 years, has Red been the designated POS battery cable)...

I agree with WDPatterson: "Make sure where the black wire goes"...

[WDPatterson]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Black wiring, in house wiring is a "hot lead". Almost all travel trailers prior to about 2018 used the "RVIA approved wiring standard" of black to POS and white to NEG. It caused bucketloads of owners (including me) a "crapload of problems" with reverse polarity fuses as well as some "melted wire issues"....

FINALLY, in 2018 (or around then) RV manufacturers adopted the "automotive standard" rather than the "household standard" and started using red to POS and black to NEG.... But, there are literally hundreds of thousands of trailers with the black wire connected to POS....

I'll certainly agree that EVERY owner should verify what the heck he's connecting to which battery terminal and if in doubt, get help before making a "wrong connection"....

But, the blanket statement, "Never connect a black wire to a positive lead. Ever." simply doesn't "ring true" in almost every RV built from around 1974 or 1975 (when the industry started providing a charging system for travel trailer batteries) until around 2018. During those years, black was the designated POS battery cable. Only recently (in the past 4 or 5 years, has Red been the designated POS battery cable)...

I agree with WDPatterson: "Make sure where the black wire goes"...

Black wiring is a positive lead only in AC (alternate current) wiring.
When dealing with direct current wiring, Red is always the positive.

[chuckster57]

Originally Posted by WDPatterson

Black wiring is a positive lead only in AC (alternate current) wiring.
When dealing with direct current wiring, Red is always the positive.

I am with John on this one. Black was positive battery lead and WHITE was negative battery lead for years in RV’s.

[sourdough]

On my last trailer the black wire was positive right off the battery. On this one it's red.

[flybouy]

My 2012 Laredo has black as positive and white as negative. It's a fact that the industry did that for decades.

[WDPatterson]

Originally Posted by flybouy

My 2012 Laredo has black as positive and white as negative. It's a fact that the industry did that for decades.

My 2004 Laredo has red is positive, black is negative on the 12 volt leads. That's DC circuit.

If you have a black wire on a positive lead since some time back in the late 50s and early 60s, then somebody shorted you the red wire.

Furthermore, let's be clear: there have no been no reverse polarity DC circuits for quite some time.

Let's all try and stay in the "here and now". Otherwise, you're going to confuse the new people.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by WDPatterson

My 2004 Laredo has red is positive, black is negative on the 12 volt leads. That's DC circuit.

If you have a black wire on a positive lead since some time back in the late 50s and early 60s, then somebody shorted you the red wire.

Furthermore, let's be clear: there have no been no reverse polarity DC circuits for quite some time.

Let's all try and stay in the "here and now". Otherwise, you're going to confuse the new people.

????? No "reverse polarity DC circuits" ??????

My WFCO 8955 has one (2013 year model). My 2011 Springdale's WFCO had one (2010 WFCO model) and my 1993 Holiday Rambler Magnatek had one. The current WFCO and Progressive converter chargers still have "reverse polarity DC circuit" protection.

It's a "simple fact" that about half the Keystone RV's on the road today, unless the POS battery cable has been changed by the owner, WILL have a black POS battery cable.

My point in posting was not to get into an argument with you about POS battery cable color, but to identify, for owners of Keystone trailers with OEM battery cables, that your statement, "Black wiring is a positive lead only in AC (alternate current) wiring.
When dealing with direct current wiring, Red is always the positive."

That statement is simply not true when applied to Keystone RV's in model years from around 2010 through 2018 (possibly model years prior to those as well as some trailers built post 2018). Many/most Keystone RV's built in those years WILL HAVE BLACK POSITIVE BATTERY CABLES......

Thankfully, the "reverse polarity DC circuit" protection is alive and well for those who don't connect the black battery cable to the POS terminal on the majority of those Keystone trailers.

ADDED: PLEASE NOTE THE COLOR OF THE WIRES CONNECTED TO THE RED AND BLACK TERMINALS ON THE END OF THE CONVERTER/CHARGER. Yep, black is connected to POS and white is connected to NEG.

[travelin texans]

Every rv I've owned the black was +, the white was -, there wasn't a red wire near the batteries anywhere.
I own a golf cart that's also 36 volt DC with about a dozen cables, not a single red one in the bunch.
My 2021 car, both cables are black, the + has a small red band at the terminal end.
As stated know where the wire goes where before connecting to the battery as color doesn't mean much, especially in the rv world.
Start working on the lighting in a rv, both wires could be the the same color with 1 having a different color thin strip on it, never red & black.
Supposedly the Amish build rvs, how would they know which wire might be hot or ground, they know which end of the candle to light.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by WDPatterson

My 2004 Laredo has red is positive, black is negative on the 12 volt leads. That's DC circuit.

If you have a black wire on a positive lead since some time back in the late 50s and early 60s, then somebody shorted you the red wire.

Furthermore, let's be clear: there have no been no reverse polarity DC circuits for quite some time.

Let's all try and stay in the "here and now". Otherwise, you're going to confuse the new people.

I'm sorry but "in the here and now" you're statements about "all DC circuits" and being "shorted" just aren't accurate. Don't mix motor vehicle standards with previous RV trailer standards. No one's going to confuse "new people" unless they bought a used trailer, then you will have caused the confusion.