Did our converter die?

[TURBS]

Perfect example of needing a volt meter in your camper so that you can verify, not guess


2015 Columbus 320RS
2008 2500HD Duramax
2015 nights camped "34"

[FrankMor]

My question is why did the lights dim then go back bright and the fan come on when the only load was LED lights. The battery was good because I ran lights till bedtime then the heat till I turned the converter on and the fan came on and ran till we unpluged to come home.
The VOM is back in the TT now, I had used it in the house an not put it back

Frank

[Herk7769]

It is possible you had an intermittent ground. The ground wires are attached to the frame with screws and the cut threads in the metal can rust and cause high resistance connections. This situation can be intermittent causing the lights to vary in voltage.

[FrankMor]

I have checked all the accessible connections. I will call WFCO today to ask for trouble shooting help. Nothing that has been suggested here or anything else I tried has worked to tell me what happened.

Frank

[FrankMor]

I called WFCO today. The 8930/50 is different than the 8900 models. The reverse voltage fuses are on the converter, you have to remove the cover to get to them. I told him how I had tested and he said the converter was good if I was getting 13.75 volts at the battery cables with the battery disconnected like I tested. He said to test the battery with a hydrometer, not test with a load tester or by voltage. I tested it and it said to charge battery and retest. I will check again tomorrow after charging overnight.
He also said the fan works on LOAD not HEAT. The fan comes on at about a 5 amp load. He thought the dimming and brightening showed that the battery was having problems. Does not explain how I went about 8 hours on just battery till I turned the converter back on during the night.
The battery is an Interstate group 27 marine, new with TT August 2014.

Frank

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by FrankMor

He also said the fan works on LOAD not HEAT. The fan comes on at about a 5 amp load. Frank

Does not take much to get to 5 amps DC.

[FrankMor]

True. But not just LED living room lights and vampire loads. Looking like a new battery in my future.

Frank

[pgandw]

You have jumped from insisting the converter was bad to a bad battery. I would have the battery load tested before I replaced it. It may or may not be the problem. I hadn't thought of it, but corroded ground connections (or other poor connections) can cause a lot of intermittent problems.

In my A-frame, the connections behind the converter/distribution panel are all done with crimped clear wire nuts (and no color code). A careful look at the wire nuts reveal several in which the wires are barely touching - one wire is basically behind another rather than twisted together. This is another possibility for poor contact, and erratic voltage that depends on current.

Fred W
2014 Rockwood A122 A-frame
2008 Hyundai Entourage minivan
camping Colorado and adjacent states one weekend at a time

[FrankMor]

It looks like it is the battery. Charged it to 100% the unhooked it, waited 24 hours. Voltage was good but specific gravity was 4 cells at 1.26, 1 at 1.275 and 1 top of scale. Now to fight with Interstate Battery to get it replaced.

Frank

[Flybob]

Originally Posted by FrankMor

Here is the converter.

Frank

Did you order a 50A upgrade? My 2015 248RBS Aniv has 30A service.

[FrankMor]

Yes 50 amp, second AC in bedroom. The second AC does not hook to the duct work, it just dumps in the bedroom. We have camped when it is 105 degrees and more. Our MH that we traded in on the TT had 2 ACs but was 30 amp and you could only run 1 at a time, it had a selector switch. Many times we wished we could have both running. The MH was slightly bigger at 31' inside the 248 is 24 feet. Last year was not as hot as usual, so we have not really needed both yet.

Frank