Power converter box

[Paul Lessner]

Hi this is Paul Lessner. I'm reworking a 1984 Elandan and I have a question about  the power converter box.  When I am plugged in to shore power it seems like the auxialliary batteries are discharging instead of keeping a charge. Is it possible that the power converter box is bad and the charging side is shot. Everything else works when I'm plugged in but if I shut everything off and check the battery the next day it's almost dead like the charger isn't working, more like the charger is drawing power. If I do not plug in to shore power the battery does not loose a charge.

[Lakota Wolf]

Sounds like the Charging side of your converter box is possibly bad.  Did you check the wires from the converter box that connect TO the batteries for current?

[Paul Lessner]

It seems to be putting out about 1 1/2 to 2 amps

[randall rowell]

hi. I have a 89 elanden  and my converter screams my fan will hang up Iam looking for a replacement unit or a instruction book for the unit. if you know the manufactor or have any info please let me know  thanks randy

[Jimco_W001]

Hi Paul,stock RV converters are not the best when it comes to charging house batteries.If you have the original 120 volt to 12 volt converter its 30 years old now.Maybe its time to replace it.Could be a diode has gone bad and its putting out AC voltage.That might be why its not charging the house batteries.

[Paul Lessner]

Yea I think thats it. I just put a small trickle charger in there and I'll use that. Do you by chance know if the heater switch on the dashboard has a relay and is it inside the fan box under the hood.? I don't think the swich is bad it looks new. The fan works if I hook it to the battery.

[John "T" Nordhoff]

  Yo Paul, good info from the fine gents below which I pretty well agree with, heres my independant take on your question.

 

 Those generic cheap Converter Chargers arent very good quality, certainly not well regulated or SMART battery chargers, they are more like not well regulated pure DC voltage supplies to provide nearly constant  13 to 14 VDC to power lights and vent fans and water pumps and on the side "charge" the house battery...

 

 There arent electrically two sides or seperate house voltage and battery charging (just one converter/charger) boxes, the output voltage is connected to BOTH      HOWEVER its sure possible the output may be wired to the DC distribution fuesd panel BUT NOT GETTING CONNECTED TO THE HOUSE BATTERY TO CHARGE IT.

 

 Thats the FIRST thing Id troubleshoot, see if the house battery has a good electrical connection to the chargers output, the circuit that feeds the fused  DC distribution panel where all the fuses are. If it lacked that connection, when youre NOT plugged into shore power, none of the 12 volt lights or fans or water pump would work !!! I f when not plugged in the ligts etc still work, the house battery must be connected properly.

 

 The thing is, if the house battery has a connection to the charger/converters output (the feed that serves the DC fuse panel for lights etc)  AND THE BATTERY IS GOOD?????? when plugged in IT OUGHT TO CHARGE THE BATTERY

 

 UNLESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS as I believe was posted below !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The converter/charger has a rectifier problem (diodes) and its outoput is more like 13 volts AC (lights still work) but NOT good DC

 

 So insure the houase battery is good, a shop will give it a free load test,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,then insure charger output is actually getting to battery,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, then insire charger is pumping  out DC NOTTTTTTT AC (bad diodes) because if so lights may still glow while battery will go dead,

 

 John T retired electrical engineer

[Paul Lessner]

thanks John

[Matthew Tritt]

Paul. Most older converters have a pretty simple transformer in them to change AC to DC. Most of these Xformers are quite small and are capable of only putting out enough amps to maintain 12.8 volts and are lousy at doing bulk charging, which is what you really need. I would find a modern unit and not bother trying to fix the old one. Easy for me to say, since I have a '73 vintage converter in my rig that also needs replacing, but it's so difficult to get to that I keep putting it off. Instead of relying on the converter to manage the batteries properly I use 70 Watts of photovoltaic power managed by a MPPT (maximum power-point tracking) charge controller that constantly cycles between low resting voltage and 14.5 VDC. The FLA batteries LOVE this type of charging regimen.

[John "T" Nordhoff]

  " I would find a modern unit and not bother trying to fix the old one."

 I SECOND THAT Paul. Those old Converter/Chargers are poorrrrrrrrrrr battery chargers. Some cant provide sufficient bulk charging while others I've seen over the years WILL OVERCHARGE AND OUTGAS AND FRY A BATTERY because they keep pumping out excess voltage and current despite the battery being charged grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I went with a Xantrex Truecharge2 Smart 3 Stage (Bulk Absorption Float) Charger that also has Equalization feature NOW THATS ONE SMART CHARGER but I wanted to protect my investment and extend the life of my Four Six Volt Golf Cart Batteries (460 Amp Hrs of energy storage). We do a lot of extended dry camping in Utah and Colorado BLM and Natl Forest Camps so I also added 200 watts of rooftop solar panels and an MPPT Charge Controller. It (subject to sun and angle)  brings the four batteries up to around 13.8 and + volts initially and once charged settles in and regulates at a 13.15 volt float level.

 

 PS I think you mean t to say a pretty simple transformer (steps down the 120 VAC) and Rectifier circuit (likely a full wave diodes configuration) changes AC to DC

 

 Fun chat yall

 

 John T

[Paul Lessner]

Thanks for all the info everybody. I figured out my heater up front it just took a little rewiring and bypassing the original harness.

                                              Thanks again   Paul