WFCO Converter

The battery voltage went up so that means the converter is working , likely at 13.6v. Wait a couple of days and the batteries should be recharged with the voltage at 13.6

Then remove 120v input to the converter and battery voltage should drop to about 13 and then settle at about 12.75 (or less if they are sulfated)

BFL13 wrote:
The battery voltage went up so that means the converter is working , likely at 13.6v. Wait a couple of days and the batteries should be recharged with the voltage at 13.6

Then remove 120v input to the converter and battery voltage should drop to about 13 and then settle at about 12.75 (or less if they are sulfated)

Shouldn't I be showing at least 13.6 VDC at the battery when plugged in to shore power or with the generator running?

I may have not understood the OP. Anyway, if the battery is at 12.2 (50%) and you run the converter at its 13.6 (assuming it does not go into boost) the voltage reading should spike to maybe 13.3 and then slowly climb to 13.6

The actual battery voltage would only go up a little from the 12.2 with a short time recharge.

If the converter is not charging the battery that was at 12.2 but it went up to 12.5 with the generator on, then a possible scenario for that would be a load came off the battery so it bounced back to 12.5, but the generator would not take a load off the battery unless it was taking over from an inverter that was drawing on the battery.

Kober wrote:

BFL13 wrote:
The battery voltage went up so that means the converter is working , likely at 13.6v. Wait a couple of days and the batteries should be recharged with the voltage at 13.6

Then remove 120v input to the converter and battery voltage should drop to about 13 and then settle at about 12.75 (or less if they are sulfated)

Shouldn't I be showing at least 13.6 VDC at the battery when plugged in to shore power or with the generator running?

It depends on how much current is flowing. If your battery is low (which it seems it was, based on the resting voltage), the converter can easily be operating in a current (or power) limited mode rather than a constant voltage mode. In simpler terms, it can't supply an unlimited amount of power and so under high loads the voltage sags from the setpoint.

It is also quite possible that there's some voltage loss in the wiring between the converter and the battery, which would also be particularly noticeable with high charge currents.

At this point it is customary :) to ask where you are taking the voltages and with what. You need the voltage meter to be at the output of the converter, not at the battery. This is because there might be an "open" between the converter and battery which is not the converter's fault.

Check the reverse polarity fuses on the converter or its DC fuse panel wherever they are located in your rig. with a new battery, there could have been an "oops" at first in installing it. Lights etc will still work but fans will twirl the wrong way around.

Then there are the usual battery disconnect switches and battery fuses or circuit breakers to check if there is 13.6 at the converter but only 12.x at the battery.

Whether to change out the WFCO depends on your camping scenario. If it is working and all you do is use shore power then there is no reason to change it. If you do a lot of off-grid camping, then there are several options for what to install or use instead--including just leave the WFCO in place and use a different charger just for that fast charging 50-90 job.

I think I'd just bite the bullet and get a PD drop in upgrade and be done with it. That WFCO will fail at some point anyway. Made in Marshall, Michigan is a lot better in my view than made in China.

SidecarFlip wrote:
I think I'd just bite the bullet and get a PD drop in upgrade and be done with it. That WFCO will fail at some point anyway. Made in Marshall, Michigan is a lot better in my view than made in China.

Internet folklore. :R Not unlike many RV owners I've owned several WFCO converters in several different trailers and haven't any issues with any of them, other than none of them would bulk charge the battery @ 14.4 volts - but none ever "failed". Not sure I understand the OP's testing method as his measurements would seem to indicate a failed / seriously depleted battery loading down the converter. Instead, measuring the converter's unloaded output will tell the tale.

SidecarFlip wrote:
I think I'd just bite the bullet and get a PD drop in upgrade and be done with it.

Good choice, go large.

SidecarFlip wrote:
I think I'd just bite the bullet and get a PD drop in upgrade and be done with it. That WFCO will fail at some point anyway. Made in Marshall, Michigan is a lot better in my view than made in China.

Best thing you can do. Get the model with the "L" at the end of the part number in case you go lithium later. It works with regular batteries too. Money well spent.

Hi sidecarFlip,

I'd go to a temperature compensated unit.