battery / converter

[ScoobyDoo]

I know the converter will not charge a battery but why not take out the converter and put in an automatic battery charger?

[oldmoose]

The converter not only trickle charges the battery, it also converts 110v to 12v when you are hooked up to power. Trust me, you don't want to change it.
 
Moose

[tlhdoc]

Converter is not in the PU to charge your battery, although they do charge to a point.  The converter is in the PU so you can use all of your 12 volt appliances (lights, water pump, furnace, fans, etc.) when you are plugged into 110 AC power.  

[ScoobyDoo]

When I'm pluged in my converter runs 2 inside lites(4lambs) and 1outside lite.If I install a battery it can run the lites and ,for short time, the refer.A on-board charger will keep the batt toped off on shore power,it looks like the converter is along for the ride.I need help too stand under this. thanks

[chasd60]

The converter is not a good charger because it outputs a more regulated voltage at 12V and does not vary too much from that. A good charger will have 3 or even 4 stages of charging built in. These different stages of charging can go as high as 16+V which could be harmful to the electronics in the camper.

[gekko65]

This may be a stupid question, but by the comments made in this thread, I am to understand that while I am plugged into power, my battery is not being drained "at all",l as the converter is now powering the 12 volt items like the lights, fans, water, pump etc?

And the converter is trickly charging the battery too?

Is this correct for the 2005 Fleetwoods??? :eyecrazy:

Thanks - Matt in San Diego

[ScoobyDoo]

I don't know what 16+volts would do to the refer.But if 13.8v will kill it then it will die on the way to the campground.If your charger puts out over 16 volts you will be adding water every time you charge it.

[mike4947]

This may be a stupid question, but by the comments made in this thread, I am to understand that while I am plugged into power, my battery is not being drained "at all",l as the converter is now powering the 12 volt items like the lights, fans, water, pump etc?
 
And the converter is trickly charging the battery too?
 
Is this correct for the 2005 Fleetwoods??? :eyecrazy:
 
Thanks - Matt in San Diego

In a word, YES. The WFCO converters used in the newer Fleetwood PU's have a seperate decent battery charging section that will fully charge the trailer battery when hooked into shore power and also yes to the converter powering the 12 volt items when you have shore power hooked up.

[gekko65]

So Mike,

You are saying that the converter is charging the battery only and the battery is powering the lights etc. when plugged into shore power?

[tlhdoc]

So Mike,
 
You are saying that the converter is charging the battery only and the battery is powering the lights etc. when plugged into shore power?

No the converter is powering the lights, etc.  You don't need a battery on your trailer to use you 12 volt appliances, when you are plugged into shore power.  The converter will also supply power to recharge the battery.

[mike4947]

To expand. Your WFCO converter is several things in one.
It has the main input from the shore power cable connecting to the 120 volt breakers. It has a transformer/rectifier that converts 120 volt AC to 12 volt DC, a fuse block that supplies the 12 volt power to various items in the trailer, and unlike older converters it also has a seperate section that takes the 12 volt power and uses it to charge the trailer battery if equipped with one. It's my understanding that it works similar to the new smart chargers that have popped up on the market in recent years. It just has the charging algorithem in it, not all the bells and whistles of the smart chargers.
Way back when I started camping you actually needed a battery in the system with a converter. They were so cheap they needed the battery to act as a large capacitor/buffer to keep the voltages level.

[ScoobyDoo]

Found paperwork on my power converter.  Output 12v,6 amps.(If I turn all 3 lites I'm using most of that.) It also states does not provide "filtered" DC to operate electronics;that must be conected directly to batt.If I install a waterpump and stereo my converter will not carry the load,or charge the battery.I will have to wire in a battery anyway when I put brakes on the trailer. I will hardwire a charger so the batt is charged at the same time the refer is pre-cooling.If I pull the converter the charger can mount in that place.