Help please!

Now I am more confused than ever! A technician told me that a dead battery might be causing the problems!!!!!! Why would I need the battery to power the converter if its plugged in? Uggggghhhhh!

GSHenn wrote:
I'm new to the rv world. If "shore power" is the term used for hooking up to electric outlet, then yes, I am plugged directly into my home and was plugged in when it quit working last fall.

Yes - shore power means hooking into outside AC outlet. Are you sure that the house outlet is working and that the RV load didn't blow a house fuse?

I'm new to the rv world. If "shore power" is the term used for hooking up to electric outlet, then yes, I am plugged directly into my home and was plugged in when it quit working last fall.

If you do have to replace the converter, DO NOT replace it with another WFCO. They are cheap for a reason. When I bought a 5 year old RV, one of the first things I did was replace the existing WFCO with a Progressive Dynamic (PD) unit. Why? My previous experience with WFCO products have all been negative. Plus previous WFCO comments on RVnet have uniformly recommended discarding the WFCO in favor of a PD or similar higher quality converter. If you must use a WFCO for price reasons, look at EBay listings because many RVers are replacing their WFCO and selling them online.

Here is typical 30AMP electrical block diagram...



Some converter/charger units require a good connected 12VDc battery to work...

Roy Ken

GSHenn wrote:
It's a wfco 8955 . The battery was connected over the winter and of course is dead. On our last camping trip last fall everything was fine. Saturday night went to bed, woke up Sunday morning no heat or fridge. If I'm hooked to shore power dead battery shouldn't matter or does the dead battery keep the converter from working ? New to this stuff sorry. Anything helps. Just do t want to be out the money if its really something stupid.

When hooked to shore power the converter should power all DC appliances even with battery removed - that wasn't the case with some of the older rigs which required the batteries to remain in place. Access the converter - check whether it's fuses are OK - test the voltage output - if it's not 13.6 then new converter maybe in order.

I assume your positive that your shore power is working properly - converter doesn't work without power.

It sounds like the converter isn't working at all. I would check the reverse polarity fuses in case you accidentally hooked up the batts backwards or a battery shorted internally. These (3 each) are separate from the other fuses on the panel.

It's a wfco 8955 . The battery was connected over the winter and of course is dead. On our last camping trip last fall everything was fine. Saturday night went to bed, woke up Sunday morning no heat or fridge. If I'm hooked to shore power dead battery shouldn't matter or does the dead battery keep the converter from working ? New to this stuff sorry. Anything helps. Just do t want to be out the money if its really something stupid.

Yeah it's possible your converter is on the fritz and not putting out enough DC to properly power your furnace, thermostat (which controls your AC) and fridge - maybe just enough to power a few lights. Check the output of the converter and see if it's registering 13.6 - brand and model of converter might help.

You supplied very little information.

Has the MH been plugged in over the winter?

Was the battery left "connected" in order for the converter/charger to be able to charge it?

Have you checked the battery(s) cells for correct water level? After adding water you may have to charge the batteries with a separate portable battery-charger until the voltage reaches at least 12.0 volts. From that point the converter/charger should be able to work after you "connect" the battery(s) to the circuit with the "disconnect" switch. If it connects you should hear a click from the solenoid and see a red LED lit on the control panel. The battery should charge from the converter/charger then.

Check the voltage with a multi-meter at the battery-terminals. The voltage should move from the 12.0 volt level up to 13.8 volts (14.4 + volts with multi-stage charger) in a short time. Charging to "full" could take 12 to 24 hours. The voltage will read 12.7 volts (over-night after disconnecting) if they can be fully charged.

If the converter/charger does not reach at least 13.8 volts it may have failed and need replacing. The battery(s) may also need replacing if left in a discharged state over the winter.