I have a Parallax 7345 converter in my 2004 5th wheel. The PO decided that since it wasn't charging the batteries, the best thing to do was put a battery charger on them. I am looking at a PD4600 series upgrade kit. But, after looking at what is involved, I also need to do some wiring upgrades as well. In trying to figure out the wiring, I discovered a pair of red 8 or 10 ga wires going up into the floor about where the power center is. Both are hooked to the + side of the battery. Then there is a pair of similar size going into the wall. One is red, the other is pink. I located the 10 ga romex from the shore power receptacle, and 10 ga romex from the generator. I don't know how the genny is hooked into the system, until I can pull out the converter and get an eyeball on things. I found a pair of red 8 ga or so wires next to the bed. One wire has black tape wrapped around it to indicate neg side, I presume. I love trying to track these kinds of messes down. So after all is said and done, what would be recommended for the genny to power center hookup? An automatic transfer switch? Unplug the shore power before starting the genny? A simple disconnect so there is no feedback into the pedestal? I do want to be able to run the generator every so often to exercise it without damaging anything.

Let me put it this way.. GOOD CHOICE.In 2005 when I got my Class A... IT came with a Progressive Dynamics converter with charge wizard. I went looking to see if there was a better converter out there.. So far. There is not. Found a few as good. but not one I'd rank as better.Dongle optional. For most people it will never be used I have used mine a few times in what 12 years but Well. special conditions I hope to avoid).As for a Generator.. Up to 60 amp most any 1,000 watt inverter generator, 60 and up make it 2,000, automatic or manual transfer..of AC power is up to you but unless the generator is a built in model.. Manual is way less expensive (Plug it in to the generator) a pair of Honda 2000 watt INVERTER generators with parallel kit (or equal) will provide all the power a 30 amp RV needs.. IF yours if a 50 you may need MORE POWER, MORE POWER. up to 10,000 watts. but Well my 50 amp class A gets by on 5500 just fine (Onan traditional generator)NOTE: Inverter Generators the peak power is a hard limit.. Traditional generators can exceed peak for very short periods, So though a 1000 watt Honda Inverter job won't run my converterm, a 1,000 watt Genrac Portable has.

Thanks for the reply, wa8xym. I am considering getting the dongle, since it is inexpensive, and another gadget. ;) My genny is a built-in Generac Q55 (2004 ?)with remote control. I imagine it's from the factory. 5500 watts, 120 V output. I have to sort out the wiring. There is a disconnect on the + side, but I can't remember which wire it is on until I go out and look again. There is no fuse or circuit protection on the wires to the batteries that I have seen yet. I believe there is a requirement per the install instructions. I also ordered the correct wire (8 ga, 90C) and new battery lugs to make sure the wire itself meets code from the battery to the charging section.

I thought about this, and I cannot locate a negative connection to my house batteries to or from the converter. The neg side of the batteries is connected to the switch for the jack on the front of the trailer. I have 12 volts between the pos and neg terminals on the converter, but no return path for 12 volts to the batteries themselves. In my 50+ years experience, this does not seem that it should work to charge the batteries. Which it doesn't. But with a battery charger on there, I get 12 volts to all circuit breakers. Without it, the batteries go dead, and 12V stuff starts to go out or lights go dim. What am I missing here?

I found a diagram that gives me the idea that the neg side to the battery is the chassis. But the diagram shows chassis ground, and a cable from the ground buss in the converter to the battery. The lack of that neg cable is what threw me. I will be adding a neg cable when I install the new converter. The current battery cables to the converter are a double 14 gauge positive, and a 14 gauge wire to the jack motor switch. I have already ordered 8 gauge 90° C wire and lugs to run from the batteries to the converter. I suspect the junction in the positive wire is a circuit breaker. I need to pull it out so I can see it and verify what it is.

Sounds like you know what you are doing. . Using chassis as negative is a fairly common practice. In fact there is one reason for NOT running a separate negative wire but I do not think it applies to you. Does to me though (I sometimes press a button that puts 100 Watts RF into a wire 50=90 feet long and well ground loops (Multiple paths to groudn) can be an issue when you do that... But you don't do that)

Time for a new power converter. | Good Sam Community

Davidlee64
Explorer
Sep 04, 2017
I have been busy getting everything in order to do the converter replacement. I re-ordered 6 AWS ga 90°C wire for the battery to converter leads instead of 8 ga. I got lugs and a circuit breaker as well. I traced all the 12V fuses in the panel so I can label everything a bit more clearly.
Everything has been ordered and should be here by the end of the week. The weather should be cooled off a little for next weekend. I am NOT cutting power to the trailer with it 110° outside. I don't want to work in an oven if I don't have to.
Davidlee64
Explorer
Aug 31, 2017
I went ahead and ordered a PD4645 converter from BestConverter with the dongle. Now to get everything in so I can do an inventory and make sure I have everything I need in hand.
The closest I do to Ham, or similar, is to have it in a sandwich or at thanksgiving. :)
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Aug 31, 2017
Sounds like you know what you are doing. . Using chassis as negative is a fairly common practice. In fact there is one reason for NOT running a separate negative wire but I do not think it applies to you. Does to me though (I sometimes press a button that puts 100 Watts RF into a wire 50=90 feet long and well ground loops (Multiple paths to groudn) can be an issue when you do that... But you don't do that)
Davidlee64
Explorer
Aug 30, 2017
I found a diagram that gives me the idea that the neg side to the battery is the chassis. But the diagram shows chassis ground, and a cable from the ground buss in the converter to the battery. The lack of that neg cable is what threw me. I will be adding a neg cable when I install the new converter.
The current battery cables to the converter are a double 14 gauge positive, and a 14 gauge wire to the jack motor switch. I have already ordered 8 gauge 90° C wire and lugs to run from the batteries to the converter. I suspect the junction in the positive wire is a circuit breaker. I need to pull it out so I can see it and verify what it is.
Davidlee64
Explorer
Aug 30, 2017
I thought about this, and I cannot locate a negative connection to my house batteries to or from the converter. The neg side of the batteries is connected to the switch for the jack on the front of the trailer. I have 12 volts between the pos and neg terminals on the converter, but no return path for 12 volts to the batteries themselves. In my 50+ years experience, this does not seem that it should work to charge the batteries. Which it doesn't. But with a battery charger on there, I get 12 volts to all circuit breakers. Without it, the batteries go dead, and 12V stuff starts to go out or lights go dim. What am I missing here?
Davidlee64
Explorer
Aug 30, 2017
Thanks for the reply, wa8xym. I am considering getting the dongle, since it is inexpensive, and another gadget. ;)
My genny is a built-in Generac Q55 (2004 ?)with remote control. I imagine it's from the factory. 5500 watts, 120 V output.
I have to sort out the wiring. There is a disconnect on the + side, but I can't remember which wire it is on until I go out and look again. There is no fuse or circuit protection on the wires to the batteries that I have seen yet. I believe there is a requirement per the install instructions. I also ordered the correct wire (8 ga, 90C) and new battery lugs to make sure the wire itself meets code from the battery to the charging section.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Aug 30, 2017
Let me put it this way.. GOOD CHOICE.

In 2005 when I got my Class A... IT came with a Progressive Dynamics converter with charge wizard.

I went looking to see if there was a better converter out there.. So far. There is not. Found a few as good. but not one I'd rank as better.

Dongle optional. For most people it will never be used I have used mine a few times in what 12 years but Well. special conditions I hope to avoid).

As for a Generator.. Up to 60 amp most any 1,000 watt inverter generator, 60 and up make it 2,000, automatic or manual transfer..of AC power is up to you but unless the generator is a built in model.. Manual is way less expensive (Plug it in to the generator) a pair of Honda 2000 watt INVERTER generators with parallel kit (or equal) will provide all the power a 30 amp RV needs.. IF yours if a 50 you may need MORE POWER, MORE POWER. up to 10,000 watts. but Well my 50 amp class A gets by on 5500 just fine (Onan traditional generator)

NOTE: Inverter Generators the peak power is a hard limit.. Traditional generators can exceed peak for very short periods, So though a 1000 watt Honda Inverter job won't run my converterm, a 1,000 watt Genrac Portable has.

Forum Discussion

Time for a new power converter.

About Technical Issues

Related Content

Power converter

Power Converter Problems????

Norcold N8LX Hi DC Fault Error With Power Converter on

converter replacement

Converter Fried