Missing Wiring to WFCO 8930/50 Distribution Panel?

[millman75]

Over the holiday weekend, we were dry camping in our Riverstone 38RE, running off the four Interstate 215 AH batteries (two banks of six volt batteries hooked in series, then parallel connection of the two banks). Battery voltage dropped to 50% after around 24 hours, so started to use the 30 amp inverter generator. However, the battery voltage never got higher than around 11.9 - 12 volts. I started investigating, and found the wiring diagram for the WFCO 8930/50 distribution panel (see attached picture) was different than the actual wiring in the panel (see second picture). My distribution panel has no wiring going to the batteries! I don't think this is normal, and suspect this is my problem with not able to raise the battery voltage. Finally went to Tractor Supply and bought a battery charger to keep up with the charging.

Does anyone else have this wiring scheme, or should there be wiring running to the batteries as shown in the wiring diagram?

Sorry for the upside down pictures (can't seem to find a way to rotate them in the post?)

Thanks in advance.

[cavie]

Originally Posted by millman75

Over the holiday weekend, we were dry camping in our Riverstone 38RE, running off the four Interstate 215 AH batteries (two banks of six volt batteries hooked in series, then parallel connection of the two banks). Battery voltage dropped to 50% after around 24 hours, so started to use the 30 amp inverter generator. However, the battery voltage never got higher than around 11.9 - 12 volts. I started investigating, and found the wiring diagram for the WFCO 8930/50 distribution panel (see attached picture) was different than the actual wiring in the panel (see second picture). My distribution panel has no wiring going to the batteries! I don't think this is normal, and suspect this is my problem with not able to raise the battery voltage. Finally went to Tractor Supply and bought a battery charger to keep up with the charging.

Does anyone else have this wiring scheme, or should there be wiring running to the batteries as shown in the wiring diagram?



Sorry for the upside down pictures (can't seem to find a way to rotate them in the post?)

Thanks in advance.

You certainly need the wire from the converter to the batteries.

[kcmusa]

I could be wrong but is the red and white wire to/from the battery?
Do your lights work off the battery?
I believe there is only one set of wires to/from the battery.
Check the voltage at the red white wire there, does it go up to about 13 or 14 volts when plunged in?


Possible your converter is bad?

[CHICKDOE]

if you were using the battery to run 12 volt devices, such as lights, that go through a fuse in the distribution panel, the panel is connected to the batteries.

[millman75]

Originally Posted by kcmusa

I could be wrong but is the red and white wire to/from the battery? The red and white wire come from the converter to the terminal strip in the distribution panel
Do your lights work off the battery? Yes they do
I believe there is only one set of wires to/from the battery.
Check the voltage at the red white wire there, does it go up to about 13 or 14 volts when plunged in?Yes, when it was plugged in to the generator, I was reading between 13.58 - 13.68 volts coming from the convertor


Possible your converter is bad?

I still think that the WFCO wiring diagram should be correct, requiring wiring from the terminal strip to the batteries and it sure looks like there is no such wiring. But, if there is a different scheme to get power to the batteries, then maybe the converter is suspect. How would you check the converter for proper output? I thought that if you read 13.58 - 13.68 volts at the terminal strip coming from the converter, the converter should be doing its job???

[Cypressloser]

The RiverStone has a stand alone converter/charger that plugs into the back of the distribution panel.

On the front of your panel you should have a 120V breaker labeled "Converter", see if this breaker has tripped. This breaker also powers the outlets over the dining table.


The charger can be accessed through the main storage bay on the door side of the trailer, remove the 1st access panel and look for a device that looks similar to your inverter for the fridge. It has a set of control LED's on the front of which the green one should be on. On the back of the charger is two pairs of red and white wires, one set goes to the batteries and the other set goes into the distribution panel. Also on the back of the charger is the reverse polarity fuse and a regular 120V cable that plugs into an outlet in the back of the distribution panel.
See if you have the manual for the "WFCO Deckmount Converter WF-6800 Series".

[millman75]

Originally Posted by Cypressloser

The RiverStone has a stand alone converter/charger that plugs into the back of the distribution panel.

On the front of your panel you should have a 120V breaker labeled "Converter", see if this breaker has tripped. All breakers were still in operation. This breaker also powers the outlets over the dining table. The 2018 1/2 model is different. The converter does not power the outlets or USB connections over the dining table. The converter does power the outlets and USBs on either side of the bed, however.


The charger can be accessed through the main storage bay on the door side of the trailer, remove the 1st access panel and look for a device that looks similar to your inverter for the fridge. It has a set of control LED's on the front of which the green one should be on. As seen from the pictures, the converter front does not have the green LED lit up. Tried pushing the rectangular button on the front by the LEDs but to no avail. Will have to access the converter back panel through the basement access panel to the right of the fridge tomorrow after work (man, this work stuff gets in the way! to check the wires and fuses On the back of the charger is two pairs of red and white wires, one set goes to the batteries and the other set goes into the distribution panel. Also on the back of the charger is the reverse polarity fuse and a regular 120V cable that plugs into an outlet in the back of the distribution panel.
See if you have the manual for the "WFCO Deckmount Converter WF-6800 Series".

I did download the converter manual, since that did not come with the coach. More info tomorrow after work. Thanks for the replies so far!

[millman75]

Looking at it tonight from both the basement access and from the kitchen access panel to the right of the fridge, I will have to power down everything, remove the distribution panel, unplug the converter from the distribution panel, then unscrew the converter from its floor mount before I will be able to get to the fuses to see if they are good or blown. Got sliced and diced arms from laying on top of the furnace, banging into the tankless water heater, and trying to snake myself around the washer drain plumbing that is right in the way(where is Ant-Man when you need him?

Pic #1: Access from kitchen panel (probably close to 5 feet from access panel):
Pic #2: Access from basement panel (probably close to 4 feet to the back of the converter with plumbing and hydraulics in the way):
Pic #3&4: Back of converter showing 6 AWG cable to batteries (I think):
Did find out there are 3 x 35 amp Littelfuse type 257 fuses (which makes sense, since the converter is rated at 100 Amps).

More to follow another night...

[Cypressloser]

Millman, I had the converter out once when our Xantrex was in for repairs and I had to use the WFCO as backup.
I suggest, you disconnect the trailer from the power first, pull the distribution panel, unplug the converter and supply power to it through an extension cord to eliminate the panel as the culprit. If it's not powering up and sending a charge to the batteries you'll know it is the problem.

There is no need to remove the converter to measure DC output, testing it at the battery terminals is close enough.
If you have to work on the converter, unscrew it from the deck and pull it out and then check the fuses and the wiring, much easier to work on it this way.

[millman75]

Originally Posted by Cypressloser

Millman, I had the converter out once when our Xantrex was in for repairs and I had to use the WFCO as backup.
I suggest, you disconnect the trailer from the power first, pull the distribution panel, unplug the converter and supply power to it through an extension cord to eliminate the panel as the culprit.
There is no need to remove the converter to measure DC output, testing it at the battery terminals is close enough.
If you have to work on the converter, unscrew it from the deck and pull it out and then check the fuses and the wiring, much easier to work on it this way.

I tried unplugging the converter to supply power from an extension cord, but found this as the pronged connector. Apparently, there is no adapter plug to turn the horizontal prong into a vertical prong so you can plug it into a standard extension cord! So, I pulled the plug out just a tad so I could get my voltmeter leads on the prongs, and I read 117 VAC constant (good reading). The fan was cycling on and off.
I thought that meant the converter was cycling on and off, but after talking to WFCO tech support, they told me that was normal, that the fan would cycle depending on the heat dissipation requirments. The reverse polarity fuses were good, and I measured 13.76 VDC on the output terminals.
I also measured 13.76 VDC on the terminal strip inside the front basement, so figured the cable between the converter and terminal strip was not suspect. WFCO then told me to unhook all the batteries and see if that changes anything. I did so, and measured the same voltage on the output with no cycling of the fan. Then I started wondering whether or not I had a bad battery (or batteries), so only hooked up the newer two batteries that I bought when I picked up the coach (other two were supplied with the coach from the dealer at purchase). I started with battery voltage of 12.3 V, and after somewhere between 3-4 hours of charging, I now have 13.2 V on the two newest batteries. Don't know if there is a way to test the two older AGM batteries, but will pay a visit to the local supplier since they are under warranty. Sorry for the long post....

[Cypressloser]

Double dang.
I never paid attention to the plug and I would have never suspected the batteries, but it makes sense.



Not sure the charger in the RS is the best choice for AGM batteries, but I'm no expert by any means. My Xantrex has optimized settings for AGM's and adjusts the charge based on battery temperature.

[millman75]

Cypress, does your Xantrex converter plug into the original WFCO distribution panel in the same place as the WFCO converter did? If so, I guess it must use the same style plug, and would be an option for an upgrade in the future for me as well.

I might try hooking up the second set of batteries to the converter today to see if they will charge or not charge. If they don't I know one of them is bad.

Hopefully getting to the end of this fiasco Thanks for your help so far!

[Cypressloser]

I apologize, I should have been more precise.

The WFCO converter/charger is unplugged and totally isolated.
My charger is a 2013 (same age as the batteries) Xantrex Freedom SW 3012 3000 Watt (pure) sine wave inverter/charger, it is hardwired and lets me set exact charging parameters for my batteries on the control panel.