My 2005 Jayco has an IOTA 40 amp converter charger that has always struggled to charge the batteries while on generator. Well this weekend I finally got curious enough to put a meter on it. While I did record the charging voltage every 10 minutes, there really wasn't much change. Here's a condensed view of my chart.9:00 am 11.74v9:10 am 13.37v9:30am 13.77v it never got higher than 13.779:40 am 13.47v12:45 am 13.30vI am in the desert with no neighbors so I gave up recording at this point and just let the generator run all day.the next day I did two things. I used the super expensive fuel inefficient charger (the truck and jumper cables) to make sure I would have heat for sleepingI decided enough is enough I'm going to get a replacement charger.I do plan to call Randy at Best Converter, but figured I'd ask some opinions from all of you as you hopefully have no vested interest in the converter I ultimately decide on.Should I go with a replacement IOTA, or a progressive dynamics, or a boondocker or? How many charge amps? I'm running a Honda EU2000i to the shore power cord.ThanksEdit because I forgot important information. I'm running two 6volt Costco batteries.I checked multiple times and there is no port for the IQ4 charge controller

First check to see if your Iota has the jack fitting. Some Jaycos back then did not have the Iota with that fitting. If yours does, just get an IQ4 and plug it in. If no idea what that is all about, read the Iota website.If no jack fitting, you can replace the converter with one that does 14.x for a time before dropping to 13.6A 2000w gen will run a 55 amp converter at 14.x, so stick with 55 or less. Might run a 60.

Sorry forgot that important part. I'm running two 6v golf carts from Costco

I'm gonna throw this out there. I don't know the layout of your Jayco but on my old Starcraft the batteries were on the front tongue and the converter was in the rear kitchen. 30' of 8 gauge wire between the 2 was causing a large amount of resistive voltage loss and my tongue batteries NEVER could get a full charge through no fault of the converter.From the pictures it looks like your converter is probably under the fridge about 3/4 of the way back from the tongue - - so you could have a similar bad factory design as I had.For me, moving the converter was the easiest solution so I could get some heavy gauge wire from the converter to the batteries. I put it in the front storage compartment and solved the problem.Just throwing this out there as a converter MAY not solve the issue....-Chak

I have an IOTA-55 deck mount converter that's 12 years old and has been in 3 trailers I've had. It makes my Honda 2000 work when the dual GC batteries are depleted but the genny never trips out. Bulk mode is 14.8V, better than the stock WFCO.

Why have I dealt with this charger for 13 years?

BFL13
Explorer II
Dec 31, 2018
You can leave the converter as is for when on shore power and use a better one for fast charging when off grid this way:
time2roll
Nomad
Dec 31, 2018
For me... I would get the IOTA DLS-45 or 55 model with built in IQ controller.

http://www.bestconverter.com/DLS-Series-12-Volt_c_144.html

You really want to max out charging to minimize generator time get the PD9270-14.8

http://www.bestconverter.com/9200-148-Modified-Deck-Mount_c_227.html

May need to upgrade the wire in the battery charging loop.
opnspaces
Navigator II
Dec 31, 2018
Chakara wrote:
I'm gonna throw this out there. I don't know the layout of your Jayco but on my old Starcraft the batteries were on the front tongue and the converter was in the rear kitchen. 30' of 8 gauge wire between the 2 was causing a large amount of resistive voltage loss and my tongue batteries NEVER could get a full charge through no fault of the converter.

From the pictures it looks like your converter is probably under the fridge about 3/4 of the way back from the tongue - - so you could have a similar bad factory design as I had.

For me, moving the converter was the easiest solution so I could get some heavy gauge wire from the converter to the batteries. I put it in the front storage compartment and solved the problem.

Just throwing this out there as a converter MAY not solve the issue....

-Chak

You are correct, the converter is 3/4 of the way back under the refrigerator which would be roughly 20 feet from the batteries. Since it's a one piece breaker box, converter charger I'm guessing I would still need to buy a new converter and split it out from the breaker box whether I moved it up front or left it where the original is.
mbopp
Explorer
Dec 31, 2018
I have an IOTA-55 deck mount converter that's 12 years old and has been in 3 trailers I've had. It makes my Honda 2000 work when the dual GC batteries are depleted but the genny never trips out. Bulk mode is 14.8V, better than the stock WFCO.
Chakara
Explorer
Dec 31, 2018
I'm gonna throw this out there. I don't know the layout of your Jayco but on my old Starcraft the batteries were on the front tongue and the converter was in the rear kitchen. 30' of 8 gauge wire between the 2 was causing a large amount of resistive voltage loss and my tongue batteries NEVER could get a full charge through no fault of the converter.

From the pictures it looks like your converter is probably under the fridge about 3/4 of the way back from the tongue - - so you could have a similar bad factory design as I had.

For me, moving the converter was the easiest solution so I could get some heavy gauge wire from the converter to the batteries. I put it in the front storage compartment and solved the problem.

Just throwing this out there as a converter MAY not solve the issue....

-Chak
opnspaces
Navigator II
Dec 31, 2018
Sorry forgot that important part. I'm running two 6v golf carts from Costco
BFL13
Explorer II
Dec 31, 2018
First check to see if your Iota has the jack fitting. Some Jaycos back then did not have the Iota with that fitting. If yours does, just get an IQ4 and plug it in.

If no idea what that is all about, read the Iota website.

If no jack fitting, you can replace the converter with one that does 14.x for a time before dropping to 13.6

A 2000w gen will run a 55 amp converter at 14.x, so stick with 55 or less. Might run a 60.
2oldman
Explorer II
Dec 31, 2018
How many batteries?

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