Bad Converter/Charger

[arogers]

Last week while camping I noticed that our battery was losing power.  During our stay I noticed that the camper lights were slowly becoming dimmer every day.  We were using the AC, Fridge and Water pump but we were very diligent in not leaving the lights on.  We were connected to shore power for 4 days by the time we went to leave the battery was completely dead.  Do you think the converter/charger is going bad?  The manufacturer is Todd Engineering PC45A.

 

[petelakeland]

I am going through the same thing.  I replaced the converter and have found that it is a battery problem. I am checking for a dead cell this afternoon.  I would check the batteries first before the power converter.. 

 

[arogers]

I should also mention that as long as we don't turn on any lights or use the water pump the battery power indicator gauge in the camper will show that it is charged.  but as soon as we turn on a light or run the water the battery power drops immediately drops down, then takes a while to display a charge again.

 

[Carl L]

That sounds very much like a battery problem.  How old is your battery?  After about 5-6 years they are suspect.

 

[arogers]

the battery is only a couple of years old and has been maintained during the off season.  it's a intersate marine/rv battery.  any chance it's the charger is over charging it causing it to go bad?

 

[1joester2]

It could very well be overcharging if the battery is only a few years old and won't hold a charge. I think that's what killed mine.
I would like to invest in a better converter, one with some intelligence that will cut back on the power being supplied when it's not required. Until then, I got a motor control timer and am using it to switch the converter on for a few hours every night. I also installed a maintenance switch that will either turn on the converter or the battery minder depending on the switch position.

Joe

 

[arogers]

I put a good battery in it and tested it with a meter and the battery displayed 13.9V with being plugged into electric.  When plugged in the volts did not change however when I turned on every light switch the battery dropped down to 12.0V.  Should the converter/charger have kicked in when the lights were on to increase the battery read out?  sorry for all the questions I'm far from an electrician.    Maybe the better question is what kind of read out on the multimeter should I expect to see and what is the best way to test this?

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Yes, the converter should have supplied all the 12v you need.  It could be bad, or it could have a blown fuse or maybe the circuit that feeds 120v power to it is dead, e.g. a tripped circuit breaker. Without knowing more about the brand of the converter/charger, or at least the year/make/model of RV, it's hard to make a more educated guess.

 

[arogers]

the converter/charger is power sourc Todd Engineering PC45A.  The RV is a 1999 american star by newmar.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I can't find any tech data or manuals on the Todd PC45A, but I think it is a standalone converter/charger, not integrated into the power distribution panel. If so, it probably has a pair of fuses on the back that protect it from being hooked up to the batteries improperly. See if it has these fuses and one or both might be blown.  If the Todd plugs into a 120v outlet, check to see if there is power to that outlet as well.

If neither of those is the problem, you may well have a failed charger. I would suggest replacing it with a Progressive Dynamics PD9245C, which is a quality 3-stage charger that will take good care of your batteries.

 

[Jim Godward]

We were connected to shore power for 4 days by the time we went to leave the battery was completely dead.  Do you think the converter/charger is going bad?  The manufacturer is Todd Engineering PC45A.

On the Newmar lists the general reaction when someone asks about a Todd converter, which you have, or the Todd transfer switch, is to throw it away and get something good.  Todd stuff was junk, wonder why they are out of business.  Gary's recommendation is a good one, go with it.

 

[arogers]

I think its dead.  I just tested the wires coming out of the converter/charger with the battery installed and the camper plugged in and I received a reading of 12.4V then I turned on some lights and instead of the voltage increasing or holding steady it dropped to 11V.  The converter/charger didn't seem to kick in.  Any input on an Iota engineering DLS 45 as a replacement?