Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
The converter/charger. But don't leap to disaster conclusions - usually only a couple things get destroyed. Get on good power and start checking the appliances.
New and need help
- Thread starter Ham21
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
John Canfield
Site Team
Welcome, sorry you're here due to an electrical disaster. You've gotten excellent advice from the guys, just a couple of remarks about your appliances. If you saw them smoking, they are done as in replace them. Anything else that was powered by AC that didn't smoke could be okay. Some power supplies are rated for voltages from the 100s to 240V so they are universal for different countries.
For those appliances (or whatever) if they are portable, take them to a known good source of AC and see if they work.
You have a mess on your hands thanks to your incompetent electrician (or whatever he was.) If he was a licensed electrician I would take him to small claims court. If he was a friend, etc then you will have to mull that over.
For those appliances (or whatever) if they are portable, take them to a known good source of AC and see if they work.
You have a mess on your hands thanks to your incompetent electrician (or whatever he was.) If he was a licensed electrician I would take him to small claims court. If he was a friend, etc then you will have to mull that over.
John From Detroit
Well-known member
Regarding those reports. Have read a bunch of them as well.
But there is one customer / electrician who got lucky (I may have mentioned this up-thread)
When I stopped into the electrical supply to see if they had a switch (They did not) I needed he was standing there holding a twin 30 amp breaker and a TT-30 outlet.. I pointed out the "125 volt max" on the outlet and he swapped the twin breakers for a single. Saved both him and his customer a lot of headache that day.
Sadly so many look at that big black hunk of outlet and AssUme 240 volt... Note how I remember the spelling of AssUme and you will see what I think of assumptions. ALWAYS read the label .
Ham21
Member
We just moved to Alabama and wanted to get an Rv that we could remodel. The wife asked about an Rv tech on the local facebook group and this guy came recommend by the community. I never asked if he was licensed . I told him my level of knowledge and experience on the subject of electrical work and he claimed he knew the how if I had the cash .
Tulecreeper
Well-known member
Well, now you can tell the "community" what happened and that the idiot doesn't know what he's doing.
Rene T
Site Team
I would call him and explain to him what he did wrong and what the outcome was. I would press him for something in return to make you whole.
Tulecreeper
Well-known member
And the dude will walk. He got his, he's not worried about yours.
Ray-IN
Well-known member
Yup, and I wouldn't spare any words or language. I would offer to show any of the "community" his work and results thereof.
Rene T
Site Team
No one really knows what he would do. Hard to believe these days but some people still have a conscience. The OP has nothing to loose and everything to gain.
John From Detroit
Well-known member
If the installer of the wrong voltage outlet is a professional electrician (like the one I alerted to the error in time to prevent it was) you should as Rene said. Inform him and keep the repair reciepts so you know what the damages are.
Some will as Rene said "Make you whole" (Pay for the damage)
Some need to have a chat with Dewy, Cheetem and Howe attornies at law (OK so that's a fictional firm from the TV show 3 Stooges but hopefully you get the idea)
If you are on Cape Cod I'd recommend McCormick and McCormick but hey. She is my sister.
des29483
New member
New here and a similar thing happened to us recently: a friend with a background in naval engineering and previous camper owner "helped" install a receptacle in my garage. A few weeks later, I picked up the camper before a trip and tested the receptacle. Turned the breaker on and heard a "pop" inside then the breaker in the garage panel tripped. Went in the camper and there was thin white smoke rising in the vicinity of the panel/converter. The GFCI in the bathroom had also popped and wouldn't reset making that circuit useless. Buddy came back over and realized the mistake, etc. and it will be fixed (house side). Afterward, I replaced the GFCI and ran the camper on the generators to check things by turning the breakers on one at a time and everything checked out.
First night out, we noticed the lights getting dim. I looked and the batteries were at about 50% and slowly drained almost all the way out before long. I turned the batteries off.
The next day we went to an auto parts store and purchased a Die Hard battery charger/tender. It worked to get them back up to 100% but they would drain slowly when on and not charging. We kept the batteries on the charger the rest of the trip which worked out great. No issues with appliances that we noticed during the 5-nighter. Didn't run the A/C in cooling mode because it was too cold but the fan and thermostat seem fine.
Went to the camper today and the batteries are at 100% being charged on the solar panels.
From everything I've read, I'm going to be replacing the converter (fingers crossed that's it). As far as my buddy, I've probably drank enough of his beer over 19 years that we're at least even.
2022 ROCKWOOD MINI LITE 2109S
First night out, we noticed the lights getting dim. I looked and the batteries were at about 50% and slowly drained almost all the way out before long. I turned the batteries off.
The next day we went to an auto parts store and purchased a Die Hard battery charger/tender. It worked to get them back up to 100% but they would drain slowly when on and not charging. We kept the batteries on the charger the rest of the trip which worked out great. No issues with appliances that we noticed during the 5-nighter. Didn't run the A/C in cooling mode because it was too cold but the fan and thermostat seem fine.
Went to the camper today and the batteries are at 100% being charged on the solar panels.
From everything I've read, I'm going to be replacing the converter (fingers crossed that's it). As far as my buddy, I've probably drank enough of his beer over 19 years that we're at least even.
2022 ROCKWOOD MINI LITE 2109S
Isaac-1
Well-known member
Sounds right, when the magic smoke comes out it is awfully hard to put back in.
You should systematically check all AC and DC powered appliances onboard the RV DC side will typically include water heater, refrigerator and air conditioner control boards, furnace lights, water pump, CO and LPG detectors, control panels AC will include air conditioner, maybe water heater and refrigerator too, TV, microwave, etc.
You should systematically check all AC and DC powered appliances onboard the RV DC side will typically include water heater, refrigerator and air conditioner control boards, furnace lights, water pump, CO and LPG detectors, control panels AC will include air conditioner, maybe water heater and refrigerator too, TV, microwave, etc.
John Canfield
Site Team
Welcome to the forum
If your batteries were almost completely discharged they have permanently lost a great amount of their capacity. If you will be depending on them they should be replaced.
If your batteries were almost completely discharged they have permanently lost a great amount of their capacity. If you will be depending on them they should be replaced.
des29483
New member
Update to my post above:
I went to storage to take a closer look at the converter. I think I found the source of the puff of white smoke. New converter (same one) on the way.
I went to storage to take a closer look at the converter. I think I found the source of the puff of white smoke. New converter (same one) on the way.
Isaac-1
Well-known member
Yep, blown capacitor that will do it.
John Canfield
Site Team
There's good quality electrolytic capacitors (Japanese Rubycon, Panasonic, etc) and then there's the usual bottom dollar Chinese garbage.
Mark_K5LXP
Well-known member
“Rapid Unscheduled Disassembly” (SpaceX)
Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
CharlesinGA
Well-known member
Being a Winnebago, and 30 amp, I'm going to assume you have a Parallax/Magnetek power panel, and the very best converter you could install would be a Progressive Dynamics 4600 series unit (last two numbers would be the amperage, ie. 4635, 4645, etc. which will come in a new mounting box, exact fit in the place of the old one, and a new 12v DC fuse panel. These are multistage units that will bulk charge the battery at about 14.2v and then drop to 13.6 and when the battery is topped up, it will maintain 13.2 and not cook the batteries.
Best Converter
Pic is of my Winnebago View (sold) converter (with metal front and door removed) and I later converted my Bigfoot trailer also.
Charles
Attachments
Isaac-1
Well-known member
I second the idea of upgrading to a Progressive Dynamics
des29483
New member
It's a Rockwood Mini Lite 2109S. The OP had the Winnebago.
