2009 Coleman/Fleetwood Avalon Pop-Up Battery not charging

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ZDarryl

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Joined
Sep 2, 2015
Posts
7
Location
Corona, CA
Hi Everyone,

I am new here and have an issue with my 2009 Coleman/Fleetwood Avalon Pop-Up trailer. 

The battery does not charge when plugged into shore power.

I assume that the problem must be with the converter, but I don't know anything about it.  I've noticed that the little cooling fan that blows on the circuit board used to run, but now it doesn't.

Is the converter something that you simply buy and replace(if so, where do you buy?), or does a dealer/service center need to replace individual components?

Thanks for your help!

Darryl
 
ZDarryl said:
Hi Everyone,

I am new here and have an issue with my 2009 Coleman/Fleetwood Avalon Pop-Up trailer. 

The battery does not charge when plugged into shore power.

I assume that the problem must be with the converter, but I don't know anything about it.  I've noticed that the little cooling fan that blows on the circuit board used to run, but now it doesn't.

Is the converter something that you simply buy and replace(if so, where do you buy?), or does a dealer/service center need to replace individual components?

Thanks for your help!

Darryl
Click to expand...

Yes, I think its fair to say that the simple answer is yes, they sometimes do fail and they are replaceable.
But it could be something simple
such as a blown fuse or tripped breaker
or some other bad connection between the converter and battery

questions that might help the more expert among us here
Is the converter still powering lights and other loads ok?
what brand model of converter is it?
do you have ability to do any troubleshooting with a multimeter (check voltages at various places?)
 
Sometimes they are a separate unit that can just be replaced, and sometimes they are integrated with the 120v power panel and 12v fuse box. In that case, the usual "repair" is to disconnect the internal converter components and wire in a separate unit which you place along side somewhere. It's not difficult but does require some basic electricity skills, e.g. connecting and splicing wires.

You can buy them at an RV dealer, but it's much less expensive to get them from an online RV parts supplier or Amazon.com or Ebay. Here is one popular source:
http://www.bestconverter.com/
 
Hi Everyone,

Thanks for the responses!!! ;D

I looked at my Power Converter and it is a WFCO 8935AN (see pics).

Everything operates normally except that the battery does not charge.
- Lights work on Battery power
- When plugged into shore power, outlets work, A/C unit works, microwave, lights, etc.

I do have a multimeter and can try to troubleshoot if the converter is bad.  I don't see any fuses on the actual converter, and I don't think any of the breakers or fuses on the panel ar blown/tripped, so something on the converter probably burned out.

Looks like the converter sells on Amazon for $128.73

http://smile.amazon.com/WFCO-WF-8935-MBA-Board-Assembly-Replacement/dp/B004LF140U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441303762&sr=8-1&keywords=WFCO+8935AN&pebp=1441305134342&perid=0GXBWX3TSM045JBHCJ7F
 

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I think it is great than some of the members are trying to help you, but my sense is that you are having some difficulty responding to their ideas and suggestions.

So, my thoughts are that you have basically three choices: 1) handle this similar to throwing darts with a blindfold on, 2) hire a service provider to troubleshoot your system and get you back on the road (my suggestion), or 3) if you have the downtime and are not in a hurry, to commit to studying electricity, rv electrical systems, batteries, buy a few tools like a multimeter and learn to use them, etc. (my style of solving the problem...each problem an excuse to learn a lot...but requires time and patience.)

Sometimes the long hard way is the best because when similar problems come along you will be better able to understand how to proceed with minimal downtime so you can get back on the road and enjoy your MH.
 
That's a combo unit. You can disconnect the converter portion and install a standalone unit, or buy the replacement components you found.

All you need to do is check the voltage at the battery while the RV is plugged into shore power. If the voltage is above about 13.0, the charger is working. If not, it is probably down around 12.6 or less, and the charger is not functioning.
 
Gary RV Roamer said:
That's a combo unit. You can disconnect the converter portion and install a standalone unit, or buy the replacement components you found.

All you need to do is check the voltage at the battery while the RV is plugged into shore power. If the voltage is above about 13.0, the charger is working. If not, it is probably down around 12.6 or less, and the charger is not functioning.
Click to expand...
Hi Gary,
Are you saying that the photos of my unit are a combo unit?  After I test the outputs, I will most likely buy the replacement component from Amazon and install it into my combo unit.  Installing a stand alone unit would be a lot more work. ::)

I had shore power plugged into my trailer for about a month and the battery was at 2.9V, so it is definitely not charging.  The Propane/CO monitor sucks the life out of a battery!  Normally, I disconnect the battery when it is parked so that the monitor doesn't drain the battery, but since I had it plugged in, I figured it would be OK.

I bought a battery charger to charge up my battery, which by the way, I replaced a couple month ago.  The original 6 yr old battery would not hold a charge. 

RodgerS said:
I think it is great than some of the members are trying to help you, but my sense is that you are having some difficulty responding to their ideas and suggestions.
Click to expand...
Hi RodgerS,
Not sure about your comment, since I used both suggestions.  I looked at Amazon for a replacement, checked fuses and will check out my converter with a multimeter.  But thanks for the thoughts.
 
http://wfcoelectronics.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/11-3-Operator-Manual.pdf

When you charged the battery, did your lights work when the cord wasn't plugged in?
 
Check over on PopUp Portal.com. Someone probably has your same unit. I used to and loved it until I couldn't manage putting it up and down anymore. Hope you get some help.
 
jyro said:
http://wfcoelectronics.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/11-3-Operator-Manual.pdf

When you charged the battery, did your lights work when the cord wasn't plugged in?
Click to expand...
Yes, everything works as it should, except battery doesn't charge.
 
Hi Everyone,

I replaced the converter with a new one from Amazon, butthe battery is still not charging.  I guess I'll have to find a wiring diagram to make sure all of the wires are connected and continuous.
 
Gary RV Roamer said:
All you need to do is check the voltage at the battery while the RV is plugged into shore power. If the voltage is above about 13.0, the charger is working. If not, it is probably down around 12.6 or less, and the charger is not functioning.
Click to expand...

Were you able to run Gary's test, either on the old unit, or the new? I might have missed something in the thread, but how did you prove the battery charging circuit is not functioning?
 
I disconnected the battery while connected to shore power and measured the voltage at the battery cables and it read 0.0.  I don't remember if I checked at the converter output as well.  Will check that later.
 
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