Converter on Arctic Wolf 287BH

Peter_W · 12-20-2020, 08:42 AM

Hi all
Camping now and I guess I have a problem with converting shoreline power to the 12V system - last night some of my LEDs faded out (guess the ones on 12V) and this morning I see my refrigerator is not working any more. It’s a 12V + solar fridge, so doesn’t run on 110V. Therefore, I guess I have a problem with my converter. Now wanted to check the fuse and can’t find it. I have a manual for WFCO WF 9800-series. Thanks for your help!

SeaDog · 12-20-2020, 09:01 AM

Not sure I know what fuse your are talking about. The converter is normally protected by a main 30 amp circuit breaker. Do you have 110V power in the rig. What you can do to get by if the converter is bad is hook a stand alone battery charger to your rigs batteries. You could also as an emergency fix use your TV and jumper cables to charge the trailer batteries to get things running.

**Mr. Dan** · 12-20-2020, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_W

Hi all
Camping now and I guess I have a problem with converting shoreline power to the 12V system - last night some of my LEDs faded out (guess the ones on 12V) and this morning I see my refrigerator is not working any more. It’s a 12V + solar fridge, so doesn’t run on 110V. Therefore, I guess I have a problem with my converter. Now wanted to check the fuse and can’t find it. I have a manual for WFCO WF 9800-series. Thanks for your help!

You’ll have to help us with “wanted to check the fuse and can’t find it”. Which fuse?

Peter_W · 12-20-2020, 09:08 AM

There is supposed to be a fuse on the converter, that’s at least what the manual says. Thanks for the hint on the charger that’s a good workaround. I can’t find the converter itself, that’s my current problem...

xomkid · 12-20-2020, 01:40 PM

I'm on my third converter on a 2015 5th wheel so they have a problem.

AFDON · 12-20-2020, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_W

There is supposed to be a fuse on the converter, that’s at least what the manual says. Thanks for the hint on the charger that’s a good workaround. I can’t find the converter itself, that’s my current problem...

Have you located your cb/fuse panel? the converter is usually right behind it. Also check the reverse fuses, usually two big ones close together, they protect the converters charging section if the battery cables were hooked up backwards,pos on neg post, even momentary.

Let us know what you find out, might help someone else

Chuck_S · 12-20-2020, 03:06 PM

The posted page refers to what Don just posted.

Otherwise the converter should have a circuit breaker on the AC side of the panel since it's a 120vAC device.

Reversed battery is common when you replaced or upgraded the battery and ignored the labels by the battery terminals. White is ground, not hot, and goes to the Negative pole which should lead to the trailer frame. Trace the wire to the frame and be sure it goes to the Negative terminal of the battery. Should be the only wire there.

Regarding the so-called "12v refrigerator." Is is a true 12v, or 120 volt driven off an inverter, or a LP/12v refrigerator? All have different power demands. Just curious.

-- Chuck

CedarCreekWoody · 12-20-2020, 03:08 PM

The fuses the manual refers to are the reverse polarity fuses. The are located on the main fuse panel (not on the converter) and are usually in the center of the panel, not in the row of smaller capacity fuses. A search should show you some photos of them (there are two fuses).

Chuck_S · 12-20-2020, 03:12 PM

As Woody notes the power center has been incorrectly called the "converter" since olden days. The converter is a "black box" hidden in the bowels of most power centers. No moving parts, no fuses.

-- Chucki

CedarCreekWoody · 12-20-2020, 03:32 PM

Here you go. The two red 40 amp fuses in the middle:

UT_Grandpa · 12-20-2020, 03:58 PM

Did your house outlets have power to them? If not then there was probably no power to the coach and you should start there. Plug something into the outlets to test like a desk light or blow dryer.

Next, if you have a battery cutoff switch make sure it is off. In this position I can remove the key from the switch. Now if there is any power to your lights, pump, furnace, etc. it is coming from the converter. If you had a volt meter you should see 110V AC at the house outlets and 13+Volts at the cigarette lighter indicating the converter is working.

If your lights won't come on switch the converter breaker on the panel off then on and see what happens.

You already had notes about the reverse battery fuses on the DC side of the panel. If the battery was installed backward then these will blow and the converter will not produce power until the fuses are changed.

There is no shortage of advice here so you should have a way to fix it. When trouble shooting electrical problems I always start at the source of power and work towards the device(s) that don't work.

Merry Christmas

Larry-NC · 12-20-2020, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chuck_S

As Woody notes the power center has been incorrectly called the "converter" since olden days. The converter is a "black box" hidden in the bowels of most power centers. No moving parts, no fuses.

-- Chucki

Chuck, they DO have moving parts. Every converter I've ever seen has at least one fan.

One way to find the converter is to start up several 12 appliances (fans, lights) and follow the noise. It won't work for Peter, the OP, because the converter isn't feeding the loads.

Besides looking for the reverse polarity fuses, Peter should be looking for the circuit breaker that's on the hot battery cable. His unit is a fifth wheel, not sure where it will be--somewhere between the batteries and the converter. It will look like the image below. It's not very big, maybe 3/4" x 1-1/2". It might have a flexible cover. There is a tiny button on one end. Press the button to reset it.

MR.M · 12-20-2020, 04:15 PM

Converters do not need battery to supply 12 power they just need 120 for that . there is a main fuse 12v on 12v fuse panel usually 30 or 40 amp . more then likely it's the converter . Assuming you have a wafco power center with the built in converter , most 30 amp units have these . Or a deck mounted unit that plugs in and stands alone . need a meter to diag can't say enough how important it is to get a meter even a cheap one so you can test voltage and continuity in these systems .

MR.M · 12-20-2020, 04:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Larry-NC

Chuck, they DO have moving parts. Every converter I've ever seen has at least one fan.

One way to find the converter is to start up several 12 appliances (fans, lights) and follow the noise. It won't work for Peter, the OP, because the converter isn't feeding the loads.

Besides looking for the reverse polarity fuses, Peter should be looking for the circuit breaker that's on the hot battery cable. His unit is a fifth wheel, not sure where it will be--somewhere between the batteries and the converter. It will look like the image below. It's not very big, maybe 3/4" x 1-1/2". It might have a flexible cover. There is a tiny button on one end. Press the button to reset it.

Even if that fuse was tripped or bad he would still get 12v from converter if plugged into shore .

Chuck_S · 12-20-2020, 04:56 PM

Not gonna quibble about a fan being a moving part...

The CONV breaker is 2d from the bottom of the breaker stack on the left. Just above the Water Heater someone couldn't find to switch off in another thread today.

-- Chuck

sunseekercamper56 · 12-20-2020, 05:37 PM

We own a 2104 Sunseeker 3050. On a trip in the fall of 2105 the converter began to malfunction. The CO detector started to beep the lights dimmed and could not fully charge the batteries. All this started at midnight.
We went to a near by RV dealer who informed us the present converter is of poor quality and we required a new converter. A new converter was installed (made in America) and have had no further issues.

Peter_W · 12-20-2020, 09:57 PM

Alright - been on the road for a couple of hours, thanks for all the replies.

So, I'll just briefly summarize the whole story - we arrived at a campground last night, plugged into 30a 120V as usual and everything worked fine. Within an hour, some of the LED lights (and I know now that those are the ones on the 12V circuit) started fading out. Being tired I didn't think too much about it yet, but when the fridge light was out this morning (and fridge not working) I started connecting the dots. The fridge btw is a Furrion 12V with Solar Panel - no propane. So my battery was all drained already last night when the LEDs faded out.

I finally managed to locate the converter - it's behind a panel in a storage compartment, close to the furnace - on the manual it's called a Deckmount Converter Charger (WFCO WF 9800) btw. There are two fuses (35amp) at the back of that convertor, however they look fine. I will need to get a voltage tester tomorrow to do some testing, for now I have taken the advice of a battery charger attached to my battery. I do think it is the converter/charger which is bad, since the battery is not charging any more, but I'll test that tomorrow.

Thanks again for everyone's advice, fridge is currently working and we are happy

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