Fixing Keystone's poor engineering

ib516 wrote:
After replacing the converter with a new one, I took the time to hole saw some ventilation holes in the cabinet and cover the holes with the same small louvered covers that they use to vent battery boxes. It turned out ok.

Looks great - good mod indeed. In my RV, the back of the converter is open to a large area which is actually also open to the cupboards under my kichen cabinet, so I don't think that overheating should be much of an issue.

To the other posters wondering why you might want to replace the converter with another of the same type I can only suggest to them that nothing is there to say that - other than failure due to heat - there is anything wrong with the converter used and hence the replacement. That being the case, replacing with the same converter AND improving ventilation should effectively resolve the issue.

So why did you buy it with such obvious defects when other options are available?

Most of us like to mod the RV's to suit our individual needs. Sometimes my so called "better engineering" ends up worse off the RV original design hehe..

My WFCO 8900 series with WF8945 Converter didn't really fail on me just would never go into SMART MODE charging. I tried everything I could think of to do it but never got it to go into 14.4VDC BOOST charge mode for more than few a seconds.

When my batteries got run down to their 50% charge state (appx 12.0VDC) when camping off the power grid I expected the smart mode converter like the WF8945 unit to re-charge them back up in a quick three hour run time being powered by my 2KW Honda generator. I had to use my B&D VEC1093DBD 40AMP smart mode portable charger to get my batteries back to their 90% charge sate so we do the next day/night camping run off the batteries.

I keep my WF8900 series chassis and was just going to replace the WF8945 converter unit but when my PD9260C unit arrived I decided to leave the WF8900 setup as is and install my PD9260C on the inside of a cabinet wall closes to my battery bank. The PD9260C goes into smart mode charging as soon as it it is turned on. Then decides whether to continue smart mode charging or revert back to normal 13.6VDC mode depending on the status of the batteries. The PD9260C converter/charger keeps my 255AH battery in great order since 2009 when it was installed. I can run either unit now by just flipping the 120VAC circuit breaker for the one I want on. This gives my a back-up plan for converters I guess.

I like your vent idea. I finally added similar round vent panels (LOWES) to all of my interior cabinets that are almost all connected together lined up in a U shaped layout going all around my POPUP floor space. On the compartment where my push-in 30AMP shore power cable is installed I added a 6-inch muffin type axial fan to blow into the shore power cable compartment sucking air through all of the interior cabinets... The 6-inch axial fan is controlled by an attic thermostat panel where i can set the temp level for the axial fan to turn on. Have it set for 80 degrees. During the winter months I can turn off the axial fan that is blowing the air out of the trailer and have a different 6-inch axial fan installed in a large vent near the POPUP doorway. This is great to have running in the winter months pulling warm air from the inside floor space of the popup thru the interior cabinets. This provides some good icing-up protection for my water lines inside the trailer. I know of one other RV'er doing something similar to this being Mr Don PIANOTUNA or is it Mr Mena.

Just food for thought here hehe...
Roy Ken

My Keystone cabinet is fine.....There is so much air coming in from outside that its plenty cool in there.......lol

i just ordered a boondocker replacement from best converter.com . I'm piecing together a better relocation project... in prep for solar and an inverter install. WFCO isn't cheap.... just best value... lol

Wow,

And you bought the same brand converter?

Good luck with the new one. I was reading about Weekend Warrior RV's and their decision to change to a 30 amp converter. Probably a really bad idea, as it will work great only with the group who spends most of the time in full hookup RV sites. WW owners are mostly toyhaulers who camp in the desert, most come with a generator installed, so minimum generator run time means the need for a 55- 65 amp converter to quickly recharge the battery, but they put in a lame 30 amp model. WW was a good company, until about 2004 when they started expanding.

Fred.