Inverter or Converter ?

[Tioga Sportsman]

How do you check an inverter to see if it is putting out the proper DC voltage? My lights in my Tioga worked when I lived in Oregon then when I drove it back to Texas they quit working.......any ideas or insight on what and how to check?

Thanks,

Tioga Sportsman

[Russell E Johnson]

First thing is to get our terminology defined so we are understanding each other. A converter changes 120 volt AC to 12 volt DC and an inverter changes 12 volt DC to 120 volt AC. So do you have 12 volt DC or 120 volt AC lights in your Tioga?  

It is my guess that you have 12 DC lights in your RV.  Do any of the other 12 volt items operate?  If they do, then you may have a blown fuse to the lights.  If not then then the converter has probably gone bad or else the fuse or circuit breaker to it has blown or tripped from an overload.

So, figure that out and then we can begin the troubleshooting steps.

[Jimco_W001]

Good advice Russ, Thanks

[Tioga Sportsman]

It is the converter that I need to know how to check, none of the 12 vdc items work and they did work before I left.

[Russell E Johnson]

OK, do you know where the converter is located?  Mine is located under one of the bunk beds. You first need to check the easy stuff, did the 120 volt ciruit breaker trip?  Mine has a circuit breaker on the panel itself labeled MAIN. Flip the breakers to the off position then back on just to make sure they are turned on. If that does not turn on the 12 volts, check all the fuses for continuity. The next thing to check is to make sure that you have 120 volts at the power post where you are plugged into.  Turn the breakers off and then back on to make sure they are on, and check with a volt meter that you truly have 120 volts coming out of the pole. If you do have 120 volts at the pole then you need to remove the front panel of the converter and check to see that you have power into the converter. If you do the next thing to check is if there is 12 volt on the panel where the fuses are. If not then the converter has gone bad. Let me know what you find out.

[Tioga Sportsman]

According to label posted inside the door of the converter this is what I checked:

In the wiring compartment I do have 110 vac coming in

I have measured  A to D

I have measured B to D

and measured C to D

all are giving me 6 vdc

I haven't really looked for a reset button but can try to see if I find one when I get home.

[Russell E Johnson]

OK, at 6 VDC your converter is bad, it is only putting out half the voltage that it should. Here is a link to a convert/charger that will supply the needed 12 VDC and will also charge your house battery, if you have one, there are other converters available on this site so you should be able to find one that will fit your existing hole, or close enough there will be minimal modification needed to install it.  Good Luck!

Converter/charger

[Joseph Terborg]

first thing is to check and see if you have 115v at the power being supplied to the converter, if so the check the leads red and black with a dc volt meter it should read 13.5 anymore any less is no good bro.

[Joseph Terborg]

if you can check the volts at the transformer if it is good then the diode is bad

[Tioga Sportsman]

Any information is useful information, I haven't had time of late to go deeply into it but that is very useful since I have not gone out and purchased a converter yet.

[John "T" Nordhoff]

  Tioga, in the event you choose to invest in a new battery charging unit, I STRONGLY ADVISE you go ahead and buy a so called "Smart" 3 or 4 Stage Charger versus the old technology hot noisy buzzing  combination so called Converter/Charger. YOUR BATTERIES WILL THANK YOU and end up living much longer.

 1) One option: My buddy had an old style Converter/Charger with the built in AC and DC Distribution Panel and he was able to replace THE CHARGING UNIT ONLY (rest of panel etc stayed in place) with a Progressive Dynamics Smart 3/4 Stage Charger at a reasonable price.

 2) Another option: I kept my old style Converter/Charger in place but it had one 15 amps 120 VAC Circuit Breaker that fed AC power to the old Converter/Charger, SO I SIMPLY TURNED IT OFF. Then I bought a Progressive Dynamics 9260 60 amp smart 3/4 stage charger with Charge Wizard Intelli Charge and connected it direct to my house batteries and ran big cables from my house batteries up to the DC output (to panel) of my old unit. WORKS LIKE A CHARM and I didn't have to mess with my existing in place AC DC Distribution Panel system.

 NOTE if you put a voltmeter on your house batteries if charged and stabilized and at rest with no load they should read around 12.6 volts. Now turn on your charger/converter and if its working and all else and wiring is okay BATTERY VOLTAGE SHOULD EVENTUALLY (subject to battery condition and charger)  RISE to at least 13.2 volts up to maybe 14.2 to 14.4. If it don't ever eventually rise, the charger must not be working or mis wired 

 As posted, an Inverter changes 12 VDC to 120 VAC while a Charger or Converter/Charger changes 120 VAC to 13.2 to 14+ VDC for battery charging plus powering 12 VDC RV loads. Also they do make Combination Inverter/Chargers which do BOTH

 John T

[Tioga Sportsman]

Here is a question that I would like to throw for a debate/discussion:

I have never used batteries and would like to keep it that way, I have been/will be always hooked up to permanent power. The only reason I need the converter is to power the 12v lighting in my RV, I do have 1 120v light but that is it other than lamps I am using now. Is it possible just to put a 12v transformer in place of the converter? Has anyone tried it? And does anyone think it will work?

[John "T" Nordhoff]

  A TRANSFORMER is for changing AC voltage up or down like 120 to 12 or 12 to 120 BUTTTTT that's ONLY AC to AC. Other then incandescent lights, many typical RV 12 VDC Appliances (especially if electronic) need 12 volts DC NOT 12 volts AC.

 A Converter/Charger converts 120 VAC to 12 VDC and YES can be used to power 12 volt DC appliances and lights etc.

 With no house batteries YES when plugged into 120 VAC shore power the Converter/Charger will allow the use of 12 volt DC loads and if unplugged (with no battery) none of that will work. HOWEVER a 120 VAC to 12 VAC TRANSFORMER is NOT what I recommend since it ONLY supplies AC voltage while many typical RV loads require DC. A phone charger or LED lights and small electronics are designed for 12 volts DC but NOT AC.

 John T