New coach, old (charging) question....

FIRE UP wrote:
Vibrant93,
You've been given some good info. You have stated that see no more than 12.2 on the house battery side. May I ask, WHERE are you seeing this reading? Is it on a panel for checking the house battery voltage? Or, are you reading it with a VOM at the house batteries posts?

I was seeing the reading on the info panel inside the coach. To verify it's accuracy I did use my VOM direct at battery and confirmed accuracy at the battery. Each battery was at 6.1v individually and then 12.2 in series.

FIRE UP wrote:
gemert and Don have both indicated that you "should" see 13.8 at the output of the Converter/Charger. Well, something's obviously not correct here. How are your lights in the coach, with no shore power attached and, with shore power attached? Are they any brighter with the shore power attached?

Honestly, I can't really see a difference in the light output between being shore power plugged in and unplugged...

FIRE UP wrote:
If you take a reading at the house battery posts with the shore power disconnected, then take another reading across those same posts, WITH the shore power connected, is there any difference? How much is any?

I did try this last night and there wasn't a difference. From what I'm seeing, the only charging is coming from the solar panel at this point.

FIRE UP wrote:
Yes, if you have a Converter/Charger, it is wired and setup to not only supply a charge to those house batteries but, also supply 12V to all your house appliances if and when, you are plugged into shore power.

If you run the tests that have been suggested, and, you see no difference in the voltage across the battery posts, then you potentially more than one issue.

1. As you suspect in your original post, you have a problem with the output side of the charger side of your converter.
2. You have a breakdown in the line(s) from the charger to the batteries.
3. You may have a bad cable, cable connection, set of cable connections, loose terminal, ????

It will interesting to find out just what your issue is. Keep us posted.
Scott

Thanks again for all of the info, it's very helpful. I just wanted to make sure there wasn't some odd wiring identity from the factory with these coaches not actually be able to accept a charge from the Converter. I'll follow up once I know more.

Thanks everyone!

vibrant93-- jGet rid of the Magnetek boat anchor. It has "cooked" countless batteries since it was installed in your Suncruiser. Don't let it "cook" your new batteries, even if you can get it to work. It just will cost you more than getting a new Progressive Dynamics or Iota converter.

Winnebago also did not install anything to keep your chassis battery charged. I highly recommend you install a Ultra Trick-L-Start to automatically charge the chassis battery whenever you are plugged into shore power or the generator is running.

If you do want to check the boat anchor, first make sure the converter is plugged into a good 120 volt ac outlet. Start with a voltage reading right at the output terminals of the converter. It should always read over 13 volts. If it is less than 13 volts at the converter output and you are sure the fuses on the converter are good, then the converter is dead. Good Riddance!

There is also an automatic circuit breaker just before the batteries on many Winnebago MHs. Check for converter voltage on both sides of this circuit breaker to make sure it is good. This is usually in the charge wire just before the batteries.

You will never regret installing a good multi stage converter over the boat anchor you have now. Good luck-- Mick

Converters do lose their "edge" over time. My coach is a 2001 and the converter was marginal...just last fall. I bought and installed a new one (Parallax) on the net for $209. 55 amps.

Not to be confused within INverters. They either work or they don't.

The voltages given above are to low. GC-2's need 14.4 to 14.8 volts to properly charge as measured at the batteries. Float should be 13.4 to 13.6 volts. I'd replace that old converter even if it is working and get a Progressive Dynamics or Iota 3 stage converter.

Vibrant93,
You've been given some good info. You have stated that see no more than 12.2 on the house battery side. May I ask, WHERE are you seeing this reading? Is it on a panel for checking the house battery voltage? Or, are you reading it with a VOM at the house batteries posts?

gemert and Don have both indicated that you "should" see 13.8 at the output of the Converter/Charger. Well, something's obviously not correct here. How are your lights in the coach, with no shore power attached and, with shore power attached? Are they any brighter with the shore power attached?

If you take a reading at the house battery posts with the shore power disconnected, then take another reading across those same posts, WITH the shore power connected, is there any difference? How much is any?

Yes, if you have a Converter/Charger, it is wired and setup to not only supply a charge to those house batteries but, also supply 12V to all your house appliances if and when, you are plugged into shore power.

If you run the tests that have been suggested, and, you see no difference in the voltage across the battery posts, then you potentially more than one issue.

1. As you suspect in your original post, you have a problem with the output side of the charger side of your converter.
2. You have a breakdown in the line(s) from the charger to the batteries.
3. You may have a bad cable, cable connection, set of cable connections, loose terminal, ????

It will interesting to find out just what your issue is. Keep us posted.
Scott

"Vibrant93".....Your converter charger only has two jobs....convert 110 volts to 12 volt and charge your batteries. It sounds like you the ability to use a voltmeter, so pull it out. Locate the converter charger and identify the two large wires that go to the batteries. It should be pretty easy to identify those. Take your meter and check those two wires at the converter/charger. They should be showing the voltage "gemert" discussed above. If not, the charger side is not working. If it's not working, check the entire unit carefully. Some have one or two blade type fuses plugged into the body of the unit. Check your Magnetek manual or go on line and download it.....and look for any fuses.

If the unit is putting out the correct voltage, you'll need to follow those large wires to the house batteries and check everything along the way and see where the connection is broken or there is a hidden fuse.

Congrats on your new coach! I am not an expert but I have never heard of a converter charger that was not supposed to charge your house batteries. That's what they do. I would plug the coach into a known good shore power and check across both of the 6 volt batteries. In other words, from the positive on one battery to the negative on the other battery. That should read initially at least 13.8 VDC or more. As the batteries become charged the voltage should go down to 12.5ish. If you don't get a charging voltage (12.8-14 VDC, some as high as 18 VDC)then the charger is not working or there is a broken or loose connection. Again, not an expert but thats how my RVs have operated. Good luck
PS. On edit...put your coach info in your signature or some of the old fuddy duddies on here will give you hell! Me I know so little about other people's coaches that I don't care! LOL