If I went to a Progressive Dynamics Converter.......

Doesn’t sound like much of an upgrade for a bunch of money and time.

Hi,

I would look at the variable voltage Boondocker models.

I mainly use an inverter/charger that allows me to program voltages.

#4 wire is fine and might be the max that fits the converter lugs.
Consider a 9280-14.8 for maximum charge as long as your generator can handle it.
Never read a complaint post on poor charging or shortened battery life with a PD converter. All top ratings.

Have the 9280 14.4V version. #4 is the largest wire that will fit in the converter lugs. The run to the T-105 Trojans is about 12 feet and I measure 14.37V at the battery terminals in "boost" mode. Have had the Trojans and the PD for 3 years. Hardly ever need to add water. Have had no issues with the batteries or the converter. Very happy with it.

I have the Progressive Dynamics Modified 14.8 with the charge Wizzard,with the pendent I can put it into boost,14.8, mode when I want to. When I run the generator it will automatically put it into boost mode. When plugged in it will follow its normal routine of charging.

It has worked out very well when boondocking and never failed to bring my batteries back up to 100%. Batteries are now 4.5 years old and in top shape,very little water use over that period.

If one wants to use thicker cables than will fit in the cable receptacles, there are adapters available, or one can simply destrand at the connection until it fits. It's not going to cause any measurable voltage drop or excessive heating destranding a 0 gauge cable to 4 awg at the connection. The thicker copper cable will help wick away any extra heat. Do be sure to retorque it after a few cycles though.

The Pd is a good converter. The ability to manually force one of the three voltage stages is awesome. I am only annoyed by their marketing, calling the 4th stage , that 15 minute blast to 14.4 or 14.8 every 16 hours from 13.2v "equalization' instead of destratification.

True equalization is accepted as applying voltages over 15.3v, to as high as 16.2v, after the battery has already been held at a regular absorption voltage until amperage quit tapering in order to max out the specific gravity of all cells. To call Destratification which is simply inducing gassing voltaegs for a period of time to stir the electrolyte, 'equalization', annoys me, but I still recommend their converters for those who require automatic, as at least this Automatic, has the option of manual override.

I've installed two pd9245s for those needing automatic but liked the idea of manual override, and an Iota DLS-45 for the one person who said they would never manually override it even if they knew when why or how that would be desirable.

I like the Manual powermax adjustable voltage models too. The older 100 amp model I have modified with a 60mm continuous running fan opposite the provided 80mm fan, and calibratable illuminated voltmeter on a switch, and with 10 turn 500 ohm bourns potentiometer, makes only 94 amps, but that is likely as it is near maxing out the 15 amp household AC circuit and is not getting 115vac+ from it. It goes as high as 15.5v. Adjustable voltage is great when charging in hot or cold climates or multiple batteries that ask for wildly different setpoints, or when one simply hates anything 'automatic' which falls so short so often that it negatively affects battery longevity and enjoyment one can have when the batteries are not prematurely dying from chronic undercharging in back to back nightly deep cycle duty.

Powerpole princesses that rarely or never boondock, with their dual 12v group 24 marine/rv batteries are 'just fine' with the Manufacturer provided Wfco, until it fails anyway.

I switched from the WFCO to the PD and my batteries come up to full charge very fast. With the WFCO, I could be plugged in for over a day and still not be fully charged. Not cheap, but compared to new batteries not a bad investment. If you look at owning an RV, there are really just expenses, not any real "investments."

Vintage465 wrote:
If I went to a Progressive Dynamics retrofit I'd be re-conductoring to #1 or #2 wire from the converter to the batteries. I was reading that their charging profile is to pack 14.4 or 14.6 volts to 90% of the charge. Then somewhat float it up to 100% with 13.5-ish volts? To me this doesn't really seem like that great of "wizardry" even though it's called the charge wizard.

You were informed wrong.
Absorption is 14.4 volts same as bulk Just current is lower
when full it drops to 13.x and then after 20 hours kicks back up for like 15 minutes to keep things stirred up a bit. (Equalization and anti-stratification)

My OEM interstates lasted 9 years with moderate addition of Water.

I have done some research and frankly believe the Wizard to be the best charge controller made.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=Creekside+20fq&tbm=isch&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwib8Nq73pLoAhXWFzQIHYsCAYcQ7Al6BAgFECI&biw=1024&bih=422&dpr=1.25

You have a front compartment close to the battery bank on the tongue (assumed location) so you can just put your new converter in there and leave the WFCO and all that wiring work alone.

Getting wires from the front compartment to the batteries in a TT like that seems to be usually done by drilling a hole in the floor and going under and up instead of through the front cap.

Now is your chance to add an inverter to go with the converter. Your four 6s can run a 2000w inverter which can run the MW, eg. They can share the same wires going to the battery bank. You run your shore cable into that front compartment to plug it into the inverter (via 30/15 adapter) and unplug the new converter and disconnect the 120v from the WFCO too. Fridge on LP not on Auto.

You can put a "cable hatch" in the compartment door so you can close and lock the door with the shore cable still in there for when you are away from the rig.

The rig's 12v still uses the same long wires back to the DC fuse panel as now, no need to change any of that.

Choice of converters is mostly about your own style for automatic vs manual being there, as noted above. Your four 6s can take big amps for faster charging but you need a big enough generator for that. EG a typical "2200" can just manage a 75 amp non-PF corrected charger, but a "2000" would be for a 60 amper.

(See my profile for what my choices are for inverter and converters.)

Inverters have a remote on/off switch with a long telephone-like wire you would run back into the TT from that front compartment.

That would be one way to do an upgrade. YMMV of course.

I will try to find a photo of the cable hatch in the door trick I did with the 5er we had.

^ BFL, can you clarify a bit.

Assuming the Original Poster (OP) has the original charge controller somewhere near the middle or rear of the RV.

Ignoring the inverter suggestion for a moment, You are suggesting putting the new Progressive Dynamics (PD) charger in the front storage compartment. This will allow the OP to run a much shorter charge cable to the batteries by going through the floor and up to the batteries on the other side of the wall.

The original #8 wire from battery to old charger/fuse panel can be left alone as it is what powers the coach. The only difference is that this #8 wire is no longer used to charge the batteries.

If possible the OP should find a way to disconnect and cap off the 120V AC and the 12V DC wiring that fed the original charger so it is out of the picture.

This makes sense as far as the battery hookup. But how does the shore power get to the new PD to charge the batteries? Would the OP run an additional three wire (pos, neg, gnd) from the original breaker box down through the floor in the rear and up through the hole in the front by the PD? If this is the suggestion and the user has an 18 foot run, would standard 14g wiring be sufficient for the 120v AC run?

Bringing the inverter back into the equation. Am I correct that your suggestion of running the shore power cord forward and into the front compartment is only for powering the RV through the inverter?

When running the trailer on batteries and using the shore power cord to the inverter. The OP must find a way to disconnect the PD charger to prevent a losing electrical loop. The loop being the batteries power the inverter which goes through the shore power cord to the coach. The coach then uses the newly added AC wiring to the PD charger and tries to charge the batteries. So the batteries are trying to charge the batteries.

Did I get it all correct?