Converter Question

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UpsManBrad

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Joined
Mar 11, 2018
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I recently bought a 2002 Palomino Thoroughbred T-21SL. I think I might have an issue with the converter and was looking for some info.

The slide will only move in/out with the battery power.

It didn?t have a battery when I bought it, but I have installed one.

Basically, everything works, but it doesn?t make any sense to me? Shouldn?t everything but the a/c run off the battery if I?m not plugged in? Shouldn?t the slide run in/out if it?s plugged in, even if I didn?t have a battery?

I wonder if my converter is bad?

Ideas and suggestions are appreciated!
 
Check battery voltage while plugged into shore.  Converter should be putting out 13.*-14.* to charge battery.  Most units will operate off the converter without a battery.
 
Thanks for the advice. I will check it this weekend. I have it parked at a friends house while working on it and getting my vehicle ready to tow it.
 
On my Passport TT the slide will only move in and out when hooked to the battery. There
is a sign next to the switch that states that. Hope that helps.
 
On my Class A the slide motor turned a 25 amp fuse into a flash bulb. 10 amps running current.. So with that kind of load many smaller converters simply can not handle the load.

I helped the Campground management at the place I was Stuck in GA move another class A. the batteries in that puppy were TOAST. We used the converter, but 3 men, Myself and the park landscape/maintenance man pushing the slide in and the office boy holding the switch. Got it done.

The converters just do not have the "Muscle" of a good battery.  But they do have Stamina. Batteries on the other hand are kind of like me.

I have tremendous strength compared to many... For about 30 seconds.
 
John From Detroit said:
I have tremendous strength compared to many... For about 30 seconds.
Click to expand...

How's that song go? Something like "I'm as good once as I ever was?"
 
Typically the slide motor is wired more-or-less direct to the battery(s). In some RV power systems all the 12v power comes off the battery bank and the converter acts mostly as a charging source. In other systems the converter is the primary source and the battery acts mostly as a back-up.  The difference can be subtle and we would have to examine the details of yours to figure it out.

Everything is supposed to work when you have shore power connected, but sometimes heavy loads like the slide motor exceed the capability of the onboard converter and a battery is needed to sustain the short but heavy amp load.
 
Thanks to everyone for the info. I hope to figure something out tomorrow, but here we are a few weeks into spring, and Mother Nature is going to give us more snow tonight and a high temp of about 38 tomorrow, which is about 20 degrees below the average high. I need the weather to cooperate so I can be ready to hitch and go!

I?m not as concerned with the slide only running off the battery, as much as I am that nothing else seems to run off the battery. If I?m traveling, and want to make an overnight at Walmart or something, I will want everything else to work properly for the night.

I will update if/when I figure it out!
 
Are you saying you have no lights, fridge, furnace, etc. when not connected to shore power?  All those things require 12v power to work and should be getting it from the battery if necessary. Basically the battery and the converter/charger are supposed to be in parallel, with both feeding the 12v fuse panel. There are differences in how the wiring is done to achieve that, but the net effect is the two sources in parallel.

The converter/charger is only active when the trailer is connected to shore power. Shore power (120v) also runs the a/c unit, the wall outlets, and the 120vac mode of the fridge and the water heater (dual mode heaters only).
 
Is there a 12V disconnect somewhere that is turned off? Maybe, the slide doesn't go through the disconnect so it can always be operated via battery, but maybe all of the other 12V things that aren't working is because the 12V disconnect is turned off.
 
Nothing runs off the battery???

Ok, on most RV's it is like this..

Battery--Fuse/Breaker--SWITCH--Everything else

Suspects = Fuse/Breaker (Blown triped) Switch OPEN, bad connection

NOTE: sometimes the slide will be connected before the switch and via it's own fuse/breaker.. There are reasons for this. Same for electric steps.
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
It could have a 12v (main power) disconnect switch. Most trailers do not, but it is certainly a possibility.
Click to expand...

Yeah, just going off of my experience with my Northwoods product (Arctic Fox). They have the disconnect.
 
So I spent the day working on things. Installed 4 new stabilizer jacks, replaced all 4 tires, new thermo coupler in the furnace, new propane regulator, and some other stuff, including a little electrical. We tested wires and voltage. We pulled the converter out, check all the connections and fuses. We were stumped. One last thing was to check the junction box under the trailer where the 7 pin goes into, as well as wires coming from the battery. Flat on my back, under the trailer and scratching my head, I look up towards the battery and say to myself...?what is that little black square thing coming off that wire a few inches from the battery??? Is that an in-line fuse holder? Why isn?t there a fuse in it?? So this is one of those so simple, it?s right in front of your face things. So I go grab a 20amp fuse and I swear I heard a choir singing Hallelujah! Everything is working like it should now! I feel like an idiot. It was staring me in the face and I was looking at everything but the actual problem.

I appreciate the advice from everyone who took the time to chime in. It makes it a little more difficult for me since the camper isn?t parked at my house. I try to research and have some direction before I go to do the work.

I still can?t believe it was just a missing fuse. I?m still shaking my head.....
 
Glad it is working!  It sounded like a missing fuse or open switch, but I had no idea where to look for it!  You learned a critical piece of knowledge about your camper!
 
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