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Old 09-21-2021, 10:41 AM   #1
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Blew something and now my 12volt batteries won't charge

I'm newly registered to the forum although I've looked at it several times.
I have a 2015 Forest River 2503s bought in 2017 to experience the great outdoors. In the last four years have gone on many short trips but recently went for 21 days.
I bought a 50 amp adapter plug not realizing my system is designed for 30 amps. We had virtually every plug in use with all sorts of conveniences when we heard a loud pop in the fuse panel / power center. Since then the 12 volt batteries go dead at the site and I have to plug into my truck. What blew? Inverter,converter? What do I need to fix it?
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Old 09-21-2021, 10:47 AM   #2
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Sounds like you blew your convertor, by the way, you can use a 50 amp to 30 amp plug adaptor on your 30 amp camper, it only uses one side of the 50 amp plug. Until you get it fixed go buy a battery charger and extension cord from Walmart and charge your batteries that way.
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Old 09-21-2021, 10:49 AM   #3
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When you are connected to shore power what is the voltage across the battery?
Probably convertor went.
Using a 50A adapter to plug in a 30A load shouldn't cause a problem.
I assume you don't have an EMS?
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Old 09-21-2021, 11:29 AM   #4
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Thanks for the input on the converter.
Can I just replace that(silver box?)or the whole panel that it is attached to. We looked on Amazon and you can buy everything for less than 200.00 then either swap out just the converter and save the rest or replace it all..
Which would you recommend?
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Old 09-21-2021, 11:33 AM   #5
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Typically you can just replace just the silver box. They're often very easy to do- usually getting to it sucks, but the actual replacement isn't hard.

Do you have the make & model of your current one?
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Old 09-21-2021, 11:33 AM   #6
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If it is the converter (and I'm guessing it is) get a good one. These Progressive Dynamics are probably the best. They come in different sizes (amps), so get one the same or a little bigger than what you have now.
https://www.progressivedyn.com/power-converters-2/
You only have to replace the "metal box" unless you melted some wires or plugs on the fuse panel. These things are really plug and play, easy job.
https://www.amazon.com/Progressive-D...%2C253&sr=8-20

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Old 09-21-2021, 11:35 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ependydad View Post
Typically you can just replace just the silver box. They're often very easy to do- usually getting to it sucks, but the actual replacement isn't hard.

Do you have the make & model of your current one?
LOL....you beat me by seconds...
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Old 09-21-2021, 01:42 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Willsdad View Post
Thanks for the input on the converter.
Can I just replace that(silver box?)or the whole panel that it is attached to. We looked on Amazon and you can buy everything for less than 200.00 then either swap out just the converter and save the rest or replace it all..
Which would you recommend?

Be sure to check the two big fuses normally 40 amp sitting side by side next to the rest of the 12-volt fuses in the panel. Those are the reverse polarity fuses for the converter charger and can blow both from reverse polarity as well as from large surges.

I blew mine from a surge one day and because I charged with solar normally didn't even realize it until months later. The guy we sold the trailer to called me 2 weeks after he bought it and he had blown them. He also blew the circuit breaker under the A-frame tongue. Found Usually between the battery the house it's a protective fuse or circuit breaker and it is normally hidden along the
A frame rails or behind the crossmember in the front of the coach. That shouldn't affect whether or not the converter produces power but it is a breaker that will blow sometimes with power surges and prevent power from going to the batteries or coming from them.
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Old 09-21-2021, 01:49 PM   #9
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I would check the voltage directly out of the converter where it goes into the DC fuse panel before you replace the converter.
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Old 09-21-2021, 03:40 PM   #10
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Thanks. A retired electrician at the campsite came over and tested and isolated the converter box . 12. Something coming in, 0 going out..
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Old 09-21-2021, 03:46 PM   #11
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What about the fuses on the converter? Usually have two. Just a thought before you spend all that cash.
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Old 09-21-2021, 04:26 PM   #12
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Just replaced the converter on mine four screws and five wires. 15 minutes tops. Ordered it through Amazon. Saved $100 off the quoted price from the dealer.
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Old 09-21-2021, 04:27 PM   #13
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Should be 13.6 going out.
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Old 09-21-2021, 06:31 PM   #14
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I don't have plans to go to LI batteries anytime soon, but if I had to replace my converter I'd be asking y'all if there was any harm in upgrading the converter to one that's LI capable while I was at it.
Something for the OP to consider if that happens to be a good idea.
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Old 09-21-2021, 06:47 PM   #15
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Should be 13.6 going out.
If the R/P fuses aren't blown.


These need to be CHECKED before any plans are made to replace.
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Old 09-21-2021, 10:55 PM   #16
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A 'pop' usually means that a fuse has blown. Finding it might be a challenge though. A 50 to 30 amp adapter wouldn't cause this problem. If you don't have a surge protector on the power cord, a reverse polarity in the power pole could have caused this problem and blown a fuse to protect the rig. The cheap short term solution would be to do as suggested and buy a battery charger that you could probably plug into the 110 outlet on the post.. using an extension cord.

I'm curious, since only certain things run off the battery, do the appliances work when you plug into the campground electric?
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Old 09-21-2021, 11:18 PM   #17
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A 'pop' usually means that a fuse has blown.
Well....a pop that is not accompanied by smoke and acrid metal burning smell is usually blown fuse.....smoke and acrid odor would mean more than a fuse.
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Old 09-21-2021, 11:52 PM   #18
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Well....a pop that is not accompanied by smoke and acrid metal burning smell is usually blown fuse.....smoke and acrid odor would mean more than a fuse.
True, but I don't think he said.
I'm still wondering if the whole rig is dead or just things that operate on the battery.
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Old 09-22-2021, 04:11 AM   #19
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A 'pop' usually means that a fuse has blown. Finding it might be a challenge though. A 50 to 30 amp adapter wouldn't cause this problem. If you don't have a surge protector on the power cord, a reverse polarity in the power pole could have caused this problem and blown a fuse to protect the rig. The cheap short term solution would be to do as suggested and buy a battery charger that you could probably plug into the 110 outlet on the post.. using an extension cord.

I'm curious, since only certain things run off the battery, do the appliances work when you plug into the campground electric?
Just curious, what does reverse polarity mean with respect to alternating current?
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Old 09-22-2021, 05:11 AM   #20
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We just finished helping a relative repair his converter. It blew the fuse and two capacitors on his wfco 8955pec. It also blew the GFCI outlet, the refrigerator 5A ac fuse and heating element. All this due to campground maint mis-wiring the pedestal so he got 240vac to his camper.
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