One of the most important steps in managing an RV battery is making sure you are aware of how to charge it.
A lot of mistakes can be made in this regard and that is something you are going to want to avoid at all costs.
This is why it’s essential to learn what it takes when charging an RV battery with jumper cables.
When charging an RV battery with jumper cables, park the vehicles near each other, place jumper cables on the + and – terminals, attach the black cable to the negative terminals in both vehicles, and then attach the red cable to the negative terminals in both vehicles. Once done, start the vehicle and let it run for a few minutes.
This is all you are going to have to do to charge the RV battery with jumper cables.
It can feel overwhelming to go through a process such as this and most people worry about making mistakes. It’s natural to have this feeling and it should not be this way.
You will want to take your time to make sure the right approach is taken when it comes to charging an RV battery with jumper cables.
This article is going to pinpoint what you are going to need when it comes to charging an RV battery with jumper cables.
Table of Contents
Steps On Charging RV Battery With Jumper Cables
1. Place Vehicles Close To One Another
When you are looking at charging the RV battery, you will want to keep things as simple as possible.
This includes ensuring the vehicles are in the right spot.
The first step you are going to take is to place the vehicles close to one another. This is going to make it easier for you to get the jumper cable into place as required.
Do not make the gap too wide as that can compromise how the jumper cable works. This is dangerous and not a good thing.
Look into this to make sure things are trending in the right direction. It’s essential.
2. Find + and – Terminals On Both Batteries
You will want to also take the time to think about the batteries and where the terminals are.
A lot of people will position the vehicles improperly making it much harder to get the jumper cable into place.
Don’t do this.
The best thing you can do is focus on finding where the terminals are. This includes looking at the + and – terminals on the batteries.
After you have found where the battery and its terminals are, you are then going to begin working on using the jumper cable.
3. Attach Black Cable To Negative (-) Terminals On Batteries
The goal here is to start with the black cable.
You will want to attach the black jumper cable to the negative (-) terminals on both batteries. This includes the battery in the RV and the one in the vehicle you are using to charge the battery.
It is important to locate where the “-” sign is.
This is the sign that indicates it is the negative terminal on the battery. You will not want to connect this part of the jumper cable to the positive terminal as that is not going to get it to charge.
4. Attach Red Cable To Positive (+) Terminals On Batteries
You are now going to turn your attention to the red cable.
With the red jumper cable, you are going to attach it to the positive terminals on both batteries. This is just like the black jumper cable.
The idea here is to focus on the other set of terminals.
The “+” sign is what you are looking for with the batteries.
You are going to attach one end to the positive terminal in the RV and the other to the vehicle you are using to charge the battery.
5. Start The Vehicle And Let It Run For A Few Minutes
You are now going to have everything in place.
This is the right time to go to the vehicle and start it.
You are going to want to start the vehicle that is going to be providing the power. It has to run for a few minutes while the battery in the RV begins taking in the power.
Be methodical while doing this and make sure the jumper cables don’t budge.
After a few minutes, you should have started to charge the battery and it will be better. You can then look to start the RV to see how it does.
Final Thoughts
These are the steps on how to go about charging an RV battery with a jumper cable.
When charging an RV battery with a jumper cable, you will want to place the vehicles close to one another. Next, connect the black jumper cable to the negative terminals in both vehicles. Once done, connect the red jumper cable to the positive terminals in both vehicles. After this, start the vehicle and let it charge the RV battery for a few minutes.
You will have to be patient with this process and give the RV battery a chance to charge.
