Replacing a converter

[Rob&Deryl]

On the trailer I just bought, when pawing through the basement, I found what must be the original, dead, converter. It is a ?55 amp? though it has 35 amp fuses ?

Since it was replaced under warranty, I assume the dealer put the same thing back.

I was thinking I might put in a more modern advanced converter with the 3 stage charging to prolong the life of the AGM batteries I plan to install in the spring.

So, I assume the converter is somewhere behind the electric panel? The trailer is a Grand Design 337rls.

Anyone here done this? Suggestions?

 

[IBTripping]

Installing a converter/charger is a pretty straight forward job. Unless you can't find it.  ;D

 

[Rob&Deryl]

Any suggested models?

The oem one was a WFCO.

 

[phil-t]

I bought a Boondocker 4 stage converter/charger tthrough Best Converter.  They were very helpful and sell many replacement brand units.  It's been exceptionally good at keeping my 6V wet cell house batteries in excellent condition for 2 years now.

 

[John From Detroit]

There are two places the converter often is located..  Now look at the unit you found as it will give you a "hint".

One is directly behind the fuse/breaker box/panel  In this case 12 and 120 volt fuses and breakers are often behind a common door...  WFCO makes units like this. The Converter is actually physically part of this assemble (Though it can be seperated by removing a few screws.

A Progressive Dynamics 4600 series  is often recommended to replace.

And the other place. this is for converters designed to be Flat mounted to a floor or wall
sadly that's "where can we hide it so that it is impossible to find".

 

[Rene T]

You need to locate the convertor and give us the make and model.

The fuses you are talking about I believe are the ones that protect the convertor if someone connects the battery wires incorrectly. I don?t know if they have to be the same amperage as the convertor. I would take it out, replace those fuses and plug it in to 110 volt AC and see if  you?re getting around 13.5 volts DC on the lugs which connect to the battery.  Give us the make and model of that one too.

 

[Lou Schneider]

If your present converter is more than a few feet from the batteries, you'll get faster charging with a stand-alone converter located closer to the batteries and connected directly to them.  All you need is a location adjacent to the batteries but not in the same compartment (acid fumes) and a source of 120 volt power.

The wires running back to the power panel will still carry the power to it, just like when you're boondocking.

 

[Rob&Deryl]

Another treasure from the basement was a replacement power panel. Brand new but apparently GD sent out the wrong one on a recall but told the owner and shop, they didn?t want the wrong one back. I do notice that there is a built in AC outlet on the rear. I am guessing that is where the converter was powered from.

The current converter works fine. Not need to pull it now. However, next spring when I get the trailer to a campground, I plan to put in some nice batteries so though that might be the time for a more advanced converter.

 

[Rene T]

Maybe you already have a more advanced convertor. We need to know the make and model of the one installed and the one you found.

 

[Seon]

I just replaced the dead convertor in my TT with a 55amp WFCO.  As mentioned, pretty straight forward and I made sure it worked prior to placing it back in the cabinet.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

All the WFCO converter/chargers available in 2018 were multi-stage smart chargers, so you don't need an upgrade for that reason. 

Determine the WFCO model number for more specifics (and an operating manual). There are two styles, one is a "deck mount" standalone converter/charger and the other an integrated AC/DC power center that has the converter/charger inside somewhere.  In a 2018, the deck mount is probably a 9855 and the power center is probably an 8955.

55 amp refers to the maximum combined capacity for both charging and house 12v power needs.  There won't be a single fuse anywhere that says 55A, since no single circuit gets the full 55A.    55 amps is plenty unless you have an expanded battery bank and sometimes need more rapid charging. Trailers like yours typically are equipped with 200-240 AH of battery capacity and a 55A converter/charger is adequate.

 

[Rob&Deryl]

Yup, the dead one was a 9855. No idea what is there now. The trailer is an 8hr drive from here until April.

Gary, good to know I can at least have one less thing to worry about for our 1st season.

In the future I see a couple of AGM batteries and some sort of solar but I think that will be season 2 (before our first adventure out west).

 

[Lou Schneider]

55 amp refers to the maximum combined capacity for both charging and house 12v power needs.  There won't be a single fuse anywhere that says 55A, since no single circuit gets the full 55A.   

The pair of 35 amp fuses are in parallel, not one each on a pair of outputs.  Being in parallel they theoretically make a single 70 amp fuse at less cost than the larger fuse.  They're meant to protect the converter against reverse polarity if the battery is hooked up backwards, which makes the converter look like a direct short.  But they will also blow if anything inside the converter fails and places a direct short across the output line.

And to clarify, the converter has only a single output, not separate battery and house outputs like some older converters.  The current from this output divides itself between battery and house needs, so if the house is drawing 40 amps, only 15 amps is available to charge the batteries.

 

[Rob&Deryl]

Thanks Lou. Good to know. I learn something every day here.

 

[John From Detroit]

If the original was a deck mount 55  I'd go with a Progressive Dynamics 9260 (As close to 55 as you can get and I have yet to find a better converter for lead acid batteries).

If you have an exotic battery..  Like a Battle Born LI.. well I think it's BB has a deal with PD to supply a wizard controlled charger/converter for their LI batteries... Not 100% sure it's BB.

 

[Rob&Deryl]

If the original was a deck mount 55  I'd go with a Progressive Dynamics 9260 (As close to 55 as you can get and I have yet to find a better converter for lead acid batteries).

If you have an exotic battery..  Like a Battle Born LI.. well I think it's BB has a deal with PD to supply a wizard controlled charger/converter for their LI batteries... Not 100% sure it's BB.

For me,I don?t see Lithium in the foreseeable future. Maybe sometime when Lithium is more mainstream for this application and therefore more affordable.
For now, my way forward is AGM because I know I don?t check water level in batteries, never have.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Yeap, the deck mount 9855 is exactly as Lou describes. There is no house 12v power distribution as in the 8955, so no individual fused 12v circuits.  The twin 35A fuses are for reversed battery polarity protection, not for current overloads.  The internal electronics automatically limit current flow to 55A, and will drop the voltage to zero if a direct short is detected.

Here's the manual for a 9855 in case the replacement is the same model:

https://wfcoelectronics.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/9800-Series-Manual-web.pdf

 

[CharlesinGA]

WFCO Is junk, period. Many people report that the multi-stage WFCO units will not properly switch stages and stay on Bulk charge when they should drop down to the top off voltage.

I bought my most recent trailer with a nice Parallax panel in it, expecting to find a crappy Parallax converter. Instead, I found a crappy WFCO 9845 mounted on a special tray to fit in the Parallax panel in place of the original converter, or possibly that was the combination Bigfoot installed in 2008, not sure. Well, that WFCO unit is now sitting in the junk pile of used RV parts in my shop and I installed a new PD4645 to replace it. I trust it. The WFCO worked, I just have no faith in a company named the World Friendship Corp and their known to be terrible products.

To the OP and others. If you have a WFCO panel with an 89XX WFCO converter and want to install the Progressive converter, you buy the PD4600 series in the steel housing, and if you carefully read the instructions, you remove the converter from the steel box, and slip it into the WFCO panel in place of the original converter, and there is a plastic bar that is included with the PD and it locks the PD converter in place in the WFCO panel. Then you DISCARD the steel box. Seems like a waste, but they do not sell the converter out of the box. That is what their instructions state to do. In the link below it is PDF page 5 of 6 and is steps 7-9 that tell you to do this.

https://www.progressivedyn.com/wp-content/uploads/Support/manuals/PD4600-110197F-owners-manual.pdf

Replacement instructions for:
WFCO Models: 8935, 8945, 8955

*SNIP*

Installation:
.....
7. Attach new adapter bracket to power center using (2) screws removed in step #6.
8. Remove new converter core assembly from provided enclosure, by removing (4) screws securing converter to enclosure and
slide converter out. Discard the metal enclosure and screws as they are not used when replacing this model converter.
9. Slide new converter into power center. Route black/white/green wire-set into AC power section and black/ white wire-pair
into DC section. Secure converter by snapping into bracket installed in step #7.


Charles