Parrallax converter/charger...12v distribution panel issue

[Rugger334]

Hi All

New to this forum and currently remodeling a 1994 Dutchmen Travel Trailer for myself and my gf.  I have the original power converter/charger from 1994 and it seems of decent construction and I would like to keep using it.  The trailer has 120v outlets, and 12v fixtures etc...When I am on my generator or shore power, everything does as it should ie Batteries are 13.0v~, 12v lights work, 120v outlets work, on the 12v dist. panel...my 6 house circuits and 3 acc circuits show 12.0v~.  All breakers are good on my 120v side. 

When I am not on generator or shore power, only my 3 acc circuits on the 12v fuse panel get power from my 2 deep cycle batteries  (batteries are less than month old Ac Delco).  I have the correct voltage at the +/- lugs on the 12v dist. fuse panel for those 3 acc. circuits but no voltage at the 6 house circuits that are on the same dist. panel.

I thought well maybe the panel went bad for just those 6 house circuits, albeit odd, but that doesn't make too much sense either seeing that the panel does not blow fuses or have any issue when on shore power/generator for those 6 circuits.

I have worked around plenty 12v auto applications, and I am still finishing my bed and bathroom in the camper not in a rush...so I have not made any jumper wires and checked any resistance, strictly just voltmeter and trying to logically think this through.  I was 10yrs old when this camper was built also not sure if I'm missing something as obvious as a factory switch that needs to be flipped when running strictly off my batteries.

TIA

 

[Gizmo100]

Welcome to the RV Forum Rugger334

So your saying you have power at the board but only 3 of the 9 fuses show any power.

A  12 volt shutoff switch is possible and if so..It would be located near the door.

What are the 3 - 12 volt circuits that are working?

 

[Rugger334]

I have heard about this switch from others...just like a typical house faceplate light switch?

its the last 3 fuses on the dist. panel, the accessory circuits.  The panel still has the original sticker with the description of the circuits.  From 1-6 is house circuits, basically just the lights throughout the camper, furnace, fridge etc, 7-9 are accessory...i believe water pump, systems monitor, not sure what else.

In the fall I didn't have heat...so going through the troubleshooting process (along with needing a new circuit board and correct 2 wire thermostat), I had to take the 12v wire off that house circuit and put it into the accessory circuit for a quick fix to get heat when needed.

the picture in the link below is exactly my unit, just with the charger option.

https://www.amazon.com/Parallax-8355TC-converter-Temperature-Compensation/dp/B00NU0JHBA/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=parallax+55+amp&qid=1558991892&s=lawn-garden&sr=1-4

 

[Rugger334]

I have pulled off the 12v fuse panel and nothing is burned on the back.  On my camper as soon as you walk in, to the left of the door was* a stereo setup, in that framed box for the stereo on the outside panel was a faceplate switch, coax cable for tv, an outlet, and I believe a plate for satellite cable.  I demo'd that area and did not notice a wire running to that panel...but I could have missed it too.

 

[Rugger334]

Welcome to the RV Forum Rugger334

So your saying you have power at the board but only 3 of the 9 fuses show any power.

A  12 volt shutoff switch is possible and if so..It would be located near the door.

What are the 3 - 12 volt circuits that are working?

Not only do I have power at the board, but when I am on shore power/generator...the converter is working properly and I show correct voltage at all circuits on that fuse panel.  I only have this issue of no voltage at my house circuits 1-6, when just running on my batteries...however, I do have correct voltage on the acc. circuits when just on my batteries.

Which makes feel like I should be searching for this switch I keep hearing about lol!

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Trailers often do not have a main battery disconnect, so yours probably lacks that switch and solenoid (relay).

You have the old Magnetec 63xx converter/charger. Frankly, the converter & charger in it is a piece of crap by modern standards. It will overcharge batteries while providing "dirty" 12v power that can mess up perfectly good 12v devices. It's a good time to replace it with an up-to-date- version from WFCO, Progressive Dynamics or even Parallax Power (if you like that brand).

The distinction between "accessory" and other 6 house circuits is that 1-6 are unfiltered while the last 3 are cleaner power. The 63xx series produces two separate power feeds and it seems evident one of yours is no longer functional. 

The attached wiring diagram, provided by another Rver some years back, may help.

 

[Rugger334]

Trailers often do not have a main battery disconnect, so yours probably lacks that switch and solenoid (relay).

You have the old Magnetec 63xx converter/charger. Frankly, the converter & charger in it is a piece of crap by modern standards. It will overcharge batteries while providing "dirty" 12v power that can mess up perfectly good 12v devices. It's a good time to replace it with an up-to-date- version from WFCO, Progressive Dynamics or even Parallax Power (if you like that brand).

The distinction between "accessory" and other 6 house circuits is that 1-6 are unflitered while the last 3 are cleaner power. The 63xx series produces two seprate power feeds and it seems evident one of yours is no longer functional.

Yes you are correct the Magnetec, looks just like the parrallax...someone said maybe parrallax bought them??  Anyway that's great advice, and I will be upgrading to a newer model.  Any suggestion between those 3 brands...those are the 3 that my local rv parts store carries. 

 

[Gizmo100]

You do have a strange situation...But you already know that.

I would have to agree with Mr Gary it may be a good time for a upgrade.

 

[John From Detroit]

Rugger said: Perhaps Parallex bought Magnetek

Yes. they did.. I did not know that Parallex continued thre 6300 line though.

To the OP.. This may be an easy fix  and there are two ways to do it.

on the Magnetek 6300 there is a relay. when you are on shore power it "opens" or switches  so that the converter provides unfiltered rectified AC (I'd have a hard time calling it DC) to the lights and stuff that does nto care if it's fiiltered from the Converter seciton. and leaves the battery charger sectrion hooked to the battery  which provides power to stuff needign real DC.

My guess is the contacts need to be cleaned and burnished.  This is a "No cost" repair

My recommendation is a Progressive Dynamics 4600

Replace the Magnetek guts with the 4600  and a jumper wire..

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Parallax Power is just Magnetek with a new name.  Of course, designs have been updated or created over the years.
You can install a new PD 4600 or WFCO 8900, or replace the Magnetec innards with a deck mount converter/charger  like the PD 9245 and wire it to both of the 12v bus feeds (1-6 + 6-9) so they are all the same.

 

[Rugger334]

Thanks y'all for the tech and wisdom!  Going to check the relay for a very short term fix, but plan to either do the deck mount or the 4600 replacement unit.  I'll start another thread sometime with pictures from my build.

 

[Rugger334]

Parallax Power is just Magnetek with a new name.  Of course, designs have been updated or created over the years.
You can install a new PD 4600 or WFCO 8900, or replace the Magnetec innards with a deck mount converter/charger  like the PD 9245 and wire it to both of the 12v bus feeds (1-6 + 6-9) so they are all the same.

Hey Gary,

Looking at the deck mount from progressive.  Correct me if I am wrong, but if I go with the deck mount I will wire the deck mount to the DC panel for my 12v setup and connect the deck mount to the power feed from my shore power/generator for the charging piece of the deck mount (Im at work so just thinking through my head).  If I don't have to replace my 110v side breakers seeing how they work fine, the deck mount seems like the $$ efficient way to go.  The DC fuse panel looks fine too, so I am thinking I'll re use that panel as well.  I see where the 4600 series upgrade kit comes with a DC panel...its a difference of $35 by just going with the 4600 series upgrade.  Thoughts?  go with the deck mount?  I am looking at bestconverter.com rv electrical supplies, they seem to have good prices.

 

[Rugger334]

Confirmed the culprit, it's the relay as mentioned earlier in this thread.  Going with a deck mount.  I have pictures if anyone wants me to post them, but sounds like a common issue with a solution.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The deck mount replaces the converter/charger portion of the old Magnetek. The deck mount DC connects direct to the batteries and you feed 120v to the deck mount from either the existing 120v in the old unit or direct from the incoming shre power (with a suitable breaker in place, of course).

Here are links to an upgrade kit and related instructions.

http://www.bestconverter.com/Upgrade-Kits-for-MagnetekParallax_c_64.html
http://www.bestconverter.com/Magnetek-Upgrade_ep_26-1.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=We3g-57aEeQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkroh7Ak-Ho

 

[Lou Schneider]

Hey Gary,

Looking at the deck mount from progressive.  Correct me if I am wrong, but if I go with the deck mount I will wire the deck mount to the DC panel for my 12v setup and connect the deck mount to the power feed from my shore power/generator for the charging piece of the deck mount (Im at work so just thinking through my head).  If I don't have to replace my 110v side breakers seeing how they work fine, the deck mount seems like the $$ efficient way to go.  The DC fuse panel looks fine too, so I am thinking I'll re use that panel as well.  I see where the 4600 series upgrade kit comes with a DC panel...its a difference of $35 by just going with the 4600 series upgrade.  Thoughts?  go with the deck mount?  I am looking at bestconverter.com rv electrical supplies, they seem to have good prices.

The deck mount (where you replace the innards in the existing panel) needs a new 12 volt fuseboard because that's where the reverse polarity fuses are located.  Your existing fuseboard lacks them.

You need reverse polarity fuses because the new converter will look like a direct short if you ever should connect the batteries backwards, even for a moment.  The fuses blow and prevent damage to the converter or wiring.

Another option is to go with a stand alone converter like the Parallax 9200 series.  These have the reverse polarity fuses built-in so you can use your existing fuseboard.  If your power panel is more than a few feet from the batteries, placing the new converter closer to them will significantly improve the bulk charging amperage compared to going through the existing wires.

In this case, you'd just disconnect the AC and DC wires going to the old converter and leave it in place for mechanical support (the power center's front panel is on the converter frame).  Connect the new converter to both converter inputs on the existing fuseboard so it can power all of the circuits.

Or if you wire the new converter directly to the batteries, jumper together the two DC inputs on the existing fuseboad so the battery and the new converter can feed everything through the existing wiring.

 

[Rugger334]

, or replace the Magnetec innards with a deck mount converter/charger  like the PD 9245 and wire it to both of the 12v bus feeds (1-6 + 6-9) so they are all the same.

This is my plan, or what I based my plan off of.  I have seen the videos out there, whether it from wfco or progressive dynamics etc.  I have seen the direct replacements with the fuseboard. 

I believe i have looked into all realistic options for my needs and budget, used the info from here etc.  Now i feel a bit confused as I just ordered the progressive dynamics 45 amp deck mount with charge wizard.

I pulled out my converter/charger piece from the metal housing.  3 wires from the DC side (red,white,blue). 2 from the AC side (white,black).  So with the deck mount on the way I assumed I would be running my converter hot wire from the converter to my breaker and my white wire to the ground bar and my DC hot and ground from the deck mount to the existing fuse panel hot/ground posts.  Did not come across anything about reverse polarity fuse panel...they look like the same fuses

 

[Rugger334]

The deck mount (where you replace the innards in the existing panel) needs a new 12 volt fuseboard because that's where the reverse polarity fuses are located.  Your existing fuseboard lacks them.

You need reverse polarity fuses because the new converter will look like a direct short if you ever should connect the batteries backwards, even for a moment.  The fuses blow and prevent damage to the converter

The progressive dynamics 9200 series have the reverse battery fuses on the unit, I believe I should be fine with my existing fuse panel for my 12v accessories.  Any risk of hooking up the batteries wrong albeit low, is mediated with the fuses on the pd9245.  They're just regular auto fuses.

 

[Rugger334]

Wired in my progressive dynamics 9245, straight forward and a nice budget friendly solution.  I re used my existing DC fuse panel. 

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Good to hear you got it in with no problems.  It's a straight-forward task for anyone with home-handyman skills.