Question about converter

Thanks for the update!

I wanted to update all who helped me with this. I installed a new Intelli-Power converter (bye bye WFCO)and a new water pump. I had already went through all the wiring and found no problems. With the WFCO when I turned on 3 lights the fan on the converter came on and was loud, now I can turn on almost all of them and the fan barely runs. After changing the pump from a Flojet to Shureflo, I don't have such a voltage drop at the pump. I am thinking that the motor must have been going bad. Again I thank you for all your input.

I am using a digital meter it is a Fluke. I had 13 volts on Thursday when I started messing with it. I have not had time to get back to it, I should be able to work on it Monday.

If your using a digital volt meter and only reading 12 volts your batt. is just about dead. A charged batt should be reading 12.6 volts or better.

Ok, actually I do not think it is the converter,, Though WFFCO converters, made in China, are not well noted for reliability (in fact they are well noted for swift failure).

Here is what I think is happening.

First: your batteries are not reaching full charge. 13.6 volt will get you there or darn close to it, given a couple of weeks but you really need a 3 stage converter, I recommend a Progressive Dynamics 9200 line.. I have found some I'd rate as GOOD (IOTA with IQ-4 is as good for most users) none better (For me the 9200 is ever so slightly better by the way, but I'm odd).

Question: Are you measuring battery voltage AT THE BATTERIES? or elsewhere (A display panel in the RV)

Now: What is happening:
Dirty connection.. I'd start by cleaning the battery terminals, then the ground on the battery negative cable, then start following the power line and clean anything that looks like it needs it.

Your description fits best on a high resistance connection.

You can use your volt meter to find the tribble as well. Here is how.

I just picked up a new light blub, 75 watts at 12 volts (fits a trouble lamp) get one in the 50-100 watt range and a trouble lamp that can use it.. Hook this to something that is a ways from the battery (like the power lead TO the water pump) and turn it on.. Now you have a load so you are load testing.

Follow the power with your volt meter.. If you pass a connector, be it a battery terminal (Check the battery post and the lug around it) or a circuit breaker/fuse holder just a distribution panel. and the voltage suddenly drops a volt.. You have found a problem (or a significant part of a volt)

If moving from one end of a wire to the other causes voltage loss.. Inspect the wire, You may need a heavier lead or .. In my case, it was defective and I found a point where there was a "Bulge" in the wire,, Slicing it I found corrosion and then I cut it back and spliced it.> Worked great.

tryingitout wrote:
Do the battery disconnect switches go bad?

Yes they can.

OK here is what I found out. The first thing I did was to sand the area and terminal on the battery chassis ground, no change. Second I could not get to ground from the panel, so it was easier to run a new one, no change. Third ran a jumper cable from pos. term. to panel, (bright lights 12 volts). Turned all the lights on, (15 of them) only dropped from 12 volt to 11 volt. I can live with that, that is a lot of lights to power without a drop. So problem lies between the panel and the battery. The pos. line runs into the trailer into a cavity, where the radio is in. Can not get the radio all the way out, but far enough to see a mess of wires (battery positive, light switch, slide out, speaker, coax, ect.) and they screwed a clothes hanging bracket up through it. Plus my battery disconnect switch is there. So the next step is to cut a hole in the top of the cabinet and look at the wires. Do the battery disconnect switches go bad? That is a connection that is buried in that space.

SpoiledRotten where did you get it from, all the sites I have seen it is an additional option? I don't want to pay for one if it comes with one.

tryingitout wrote:
I checked the battery connections already, but I am thinking now that the panel/converter might have a ground connection also. I also have a temp laser, fun to play with, but drives our dog crazy!!! after I get this figured out I still might buy a new converter, looking at an Intella-power 9200 series. I like the idea of the charge wizard, large deep cycle batt. are expensive.

That's the converter that I purchased last week and put on last weekend. Since I didn't know it came with a pendant, I purchased one on the side. I now have two.

Myredracer I will check all the terminals tonight. My trailer is a 2006, so anything could have come lose. The grounds are first I will check. It makes sense if the ground is attached but not well, under load it will start to fail. I did check the battery ground to the frame, but I am positive that the ground bar at the panel is grounded to the frame, and not ran back to the battery. I did not check that.