Coachmen Apex - Battery/Converter Issue

[RoyalPenguin51]

Hey all! Have a question I've seen variations of in the forum, but not exactly what I am dealing with...

I was setting up my 2016 Coachmen Apex last night. I plugged into the shoreline at the site but only the Air Conditioner would turn on. Nothing else in the camper.

I thought that was weird so I unplugged from the post and plugged back into truck and everything worked. However, the HUD in my truck popped an alert "Trailer Battery Not Charging".

So I figured it was a bad battery (the posts were corroded as it was) so I went and bought a new battery. I put the new battery in and everything worked! Problem fixed.....or so I thought.

Now (almost 24 hours later) our lights are dimming as if the battery is running out of power. I am guessing it is converter related. It is the WFCO WF-8955PEC model. Any tips on how to access the actual converter unit and once I do, what should I be looking for? I read there are two fuses on the unit, and I am hoping that is the root cause.

Really at a loss here and I am by no means an expert. All the troubleshooting I've done and info I've collected thus far has been a struggled process for me lol.

Thanks in advance!

[SeaDog]

Welcome to the forum its a great place to get your questions answered. It does sound like its your converter. not know your specific rig I would say you need to pull the distribution panel and the converter will be there. As a work around you can plug in a stand alone battery charger to your batteries to get you thru the camping session until you can replace the controller. JMHO

[tomkatb]

No need to see the converter yet!

Easy. Use a voltmeter to read your new battery. 12 volts is 50% charged, . Over 12.6, 100% charged, indicates something is charging it. The converters charge at 13.1 to over 14 volts. Supposedly a smart charger automatically regulating the voltage to maximize the charge.

If the reading is below 13 the converter is shot. Anothr possibility is the wired backwards fuses are blown. They are on the converter or in the fuse panel.

The breaker could be off.

The hunting then begins for the issue.

[Reverse_snowbird]

Do you have a surge protector that could check the conditions of that campsite plug in? They are under $50 and can check for reverse polarity, bad ground, open neutral, etc.
The actual converter is behind a metal panel where your fuses/circuit breakers are located. The panel comes off. You've reset the circuit breakers and removed the fuses to see if they are all correct? Do you have a battery disconnect switch? The battery won't charge if that is disconnected.

[Tabasco_Joe]

Is this a 30 A or a 50 A system?

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by Tabasco_Joe

Is this a 30 A or a 50 A system?

Probably 30 amp but the OP needs to post the model number of their Apex.

[Tabasco_Joe]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Probably 30 amp but the OP needs to post the model number of their Apex.

My model Apex could be purchased with 30 A or 50 A power.
It sounds like there is no output from the converter, so making sure it is getting 120 VAC in would be my next step. If it's 50 A I'd want to be assured both legs are powered before diving into a converter removal. (And that power is getting to the converter.)