Converter problems!

Kevin Allison · 05-31-2011, 09:13 AM

Ok guys i need your help. I have a 392 Salem travel trailer and i had to pull it out due to flooding. I put it back last week and when you turn lights on they start to really dimming and they start out really weak. When it flooded the pole was completely under water for about a week and a half. I am curious if there is maybe a fuse blow on the converter or if the converter is bad but i have no clue on where the converter is in the tailer. Needless to say i had to run a battery charger to my battery all weekend so i could run my A/C and actually have lights. Any advice on where to look and what to do would be great. Thanks everyone.

mpolkki · 06-10-2011, 03:55 AM

I assume new battery?

**Herk7769** · 06-10-2011, 06:15 AM

Kevin,

I am not sure what you mean by "the pole was underwater".

Are you talking about the place where you plug in the camper?

Have you tested the outlet (the one you plug the camper into - it is possible for that one to be bad, but the one next to it to be good)?

Have you tested (with a multimeter) the voltage available at the pole?

jimh · 06-10-2011, 08:12 AM

i'm thinking utility pole as well.
sounds like u have enough a/c if ur running ur air conditioner.
do u know where ur fuse panel is for the DC? it should be near that. check and see if the converter unplugged itself during the move.
check ur 110v breakers as well.
i have a 5th wheel cardinal and the converter is in the cargo bay right next to the breaker box. my last trailer, it was under the oven but that was an '84 (also next to the breaker box).
the old trailer also had a switch on the converter haven't studied the 2002 yet. it should also have a fuse or two as well.

**Herk7769** · 06-10-2011, 08:24 AM

The "converter" circuit is powered off the same AC circuit breaker as the main house AC outlets in my camper. If that breaker is tripped, your will not get DC charging or power from the converter, just from what is available from the battery.

Kevin Allison · 06-13-2011, 08:53 AM

UPDATE: Ok guys i want to first say thanks for the replies. I went up on Friday and everything was working fine but things started to fade out but not everything just everything that is ran off the converter. So i pulled the battery off and my wife took it and it tested bad so she bought a new one put it on and everything was back to normal till Saturday morning same thing happened, so i hooked the battery charger up and it worked fine all weekend. My thoughts are that the converter is bad i've checked the fuses on the converter and they are good and all the breakers in the the trailer are good. So i'm thinking about ordering a new converter.

Kevin Allison · 06-13-2011, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by herk7769

Kevin,

I am not sure what you mean by "the pole was underwater".

Are you talking about the place where you plug in the camper?

Have you tested the outlet (the one you plug the camper into - it is possible for that one to be bad, but the one next to it to be good)?

Have you tested (with a multimeter) the voltage available at the pole?

Yes the pole was underwater where the trailer is it's right on the TN river and when it floods i have to pull the camper out. The water got so high the utility pole was under water for a few days but they had all the power shut off to the whole campground.

**Herk7769** · 06-13-2011, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kevin Allison

Yes the pole was underwater where the trailer is it's right on the TN river and when it floods i have to pull the camper out. The water got so high the utility pole was under water for a few days but they had all the power shut off to the whole campground.

Back to why the converter is not charging or you will be buying ANOTHER battery that is still good. Batteries that are discharged FLAT have pure water in the cells. All available sulphates are plated onto the plates and a de-sulphater is needed to "blast" it off and back into solution. Pure water is BAD at carrying current (no ions to move the charge) so you really need that 14-15 volts to get it started.

Did you do ANY troubleshooting on the converter? Try the troubleshooting in the attached WFCO manual.

Kevin Allison · 06-13-2011, 10:23 AM

I think mine may be a little different, there is one of these https://www.americanrvcompany.com/WF...-RV_p_170.html# behind the breaker panel. I'm new to the travel trailer world and it's not easy to keep troubleshooting something an hour away with no cell phone service.

**Herk7769** · 06-13-2011, 11:11 AM

Page 8 of that manual has everything you need to find out what is wrong.

Do you have a multimeter?

Kevin Allison · 06-13-2011, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by herk7769

Page 8 of that manual has everything you need to find out what is wrong.

Do you have a multimeter?

Yeah i have one. I'll check it out. It still makes wonder why it works fine when you hook the battery charger on the battery. It hard for me to think if it was a loose ground that the battery charger would even help it.

**Herk7769** · 06-13-2011, 01:51 PM

Because you are putting the battery charger on the battery.

The battery is your only source of DC if the converter is not working,

Putting the battery charger on the battery is like having a working converter.

Kevin Allison · 06-13-2011, 03:09 PM

Thanks herk. I will check it out.

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