Ok, I thought it would just be simpler to answer all questions in one post with quotes from each responder below:
Chris Bryant:
"A make and model of the converter would help"Sorry, should have grabbed that info. I'm at work now, but I have the photos that the fellow who originally sold it to me sent me:
It looks like a Progressive Dynamics power converter (can't read the model number, but I'll try to grab it tonight if I can remember)
"The white is negative, red to the battery, blue to the fuse panel. There is an internal relay which switches the battery out of the circuit when power is present, and charges it."White and blue made sense (though, not why there are two). It was the red that I had no clue about. Thanks! I'll try connecting it to the battery, and I really hope this guy has a charger built in, that would be REALLY handy.
"The wiring you have looks jury rigged, at best."Yep! This is how I got it and I'm trying to clean it up.
red31:
"Breakers are for 120v AC, the regular household outlets and how the converter gets power."If the breakers are for the 120v power coming in, how come killing one of the breakers doesn't cut the power completely?
"Red is battery + input, blues are two separate circuits (fused on the front of the power center), you do not have to use both, cap one off if ya like."Thanks, I'll probably just cap the second blue wire as I don't think I need two. This was one of my biggest questions.
"Power centers with conv/off/batt do not charge batts, in the batt position, 12v enters via the red wire and goes out the blue, in conv position, the batt is disconnected and 12v converter dc goes out the blue, the white is neg/common/chassis."Darn, I was hoping that this unit would also charge/maintain the battery when 120v power is connected.
"leave the ground block alone"I don't know exactly what a ground block is. Sorry.
"disconnect the battery and toggle switch, the power center conv/off/batt will do that function. Connect the batt + to the red on the power center, connect one blue to the fuse block in lug, connect the batt - to chassis or ground block. "I think I understand what you mean (I think fuse block lug is the bolt at the bottom, and ground block is the negative terminal bus/block, right), but I'll draw up a diagram on what I think I need to do.
"the switch (conv/off/batt) isolates the converter power from batt power."This is not what I thought it did when I first saw it. I thought there was a charger built in or something."
wa8yxm:
"Red is positive to part of the fuse block. Blues are battery and the rest of the fuse block. When you are NOT hooked to shore power they all hook up together"From what others are saying, the blue goes to the fuse block and red is battery. I did look into a brand new converter, but this camper just isn't worth putting that kind of money into it (we bought it for $1200 and are just looking to fix it up to use for a few years)
MEXICOWANDERER:
I'm getting almost 14v on the blue wires. Should I be concerned? Is there anything I could put on it to regulate it back to 12v (like a resistor)?
Ok, here is what I've drawn up and am going to try (assuming I don't get any negative feedback or recommendations to do otherwise) and to use as a reference for anyone else who stumbles upon this issue with similar questions.
I've left out the 12v branch circuits from the positive fuse block, as well as some of the other 120v outlets, which some may see in the original photo, to keep it from getting too messy.
