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12 volt items not working - new power converter and nothing

hedbeac0
Explorer
Explorer
We have a Starcraft Orion pop-up camper. We were having issues with the original power converter and that issue was it wasn't working. Thinking that was the only issue we replaced the power converter. We installed a WFCO WF-8725 Power Converter and still the items that operate on 12 volts still does not work. Another item that doesn't work is the batter volt meter. The only thing that does work are the exterior lights. Any thoughts?

Thank you!
7 REPLIES 7

MEXICOWANDERER
Explorer
Explorer
Buy a good electrical book like

THE 12-VOLT DOCTOR

Online. Primarily aimed at sailboats, the easy to understand text will educate as to how to go about troubleshooting problems instead of fixing things by shoveling
scoopfulls of hit-or-miss money at them.

PS: The book is cheaper than the replacement converter.

SoundGuy
Explorer
Explorer
hedbeac0 wrote:
We were having issues with the original power converter and that issue was it wasn't working. Thinking that was the only issue we replaced the power converter. We installed a WFCO WF-8725 Power Converter and still the items that operate on 12 volts still does not work.


While WFCO converters seem to take a beating here on the forums for being somewhat less than "the best" generally speaking there's no reason for any current model converter to suddenly up and die on it's own, meaning there's almost always some event which caused it to fail in the first place. Simply replacing a blown converter with a brand new one without first trying to understand what caused that first one to fail seems to me to not be with wisest decision. While external conditions such as voltage surges or excessively low incoming campsite voltage can easily cause converter damage that failure could also have been caused by some failure within the trailer itself. If so, you may well have also blown this second converter IF the condition that caused the first one to fail still exists ... time to do some serious investigation with a volt / ohmmeter to determine just what is going on.
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beemerphile1
Explorer
Explorer
Many pop ups have a disconnect to prevent the lights from operating and scorching the canvas while folded down. That switch may be under a folding galley or can be under the roof. Look for that switch.

For pop up specific advice the forums at http://www.popupportal.com/index.php are really good.
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RoyB
Explorer II
Explorer II
Your 12VDC Distribution Panels provides POWER to your 12VDC items.

Both the CONVERTER/CHARGE and the trailer battery setup connect to this Distribution Panel (Where all your 12VDC FUSES are located) to operate all of the 12VDC items.

You will need to start at the battery terminals and measure your 12VDC there first. If the battery is fully charged this will read 12.6=7VDC at the battery terminals without the shore power turned on.

If all was normal you would see 13,6VDC or more at the battery terminals depending what the charge state of the converter/charger unit is when you connect up to the shore power.

With shore power turned OFF I would start at the battery terminals and measure the 12.6-7VDC first. Then I would go to the heavy wire terminals on the 12VDC Distribution Panel and you should read the same 12.6-7VDC VOLTAGE. If you DO NOT see this then there is a disconnect somewhere between the battery terminals and the +BAT terminal on the 12VDC Distribution fuse panel.



This is a WF8900 series 12VDC FUSE PANEL showing where the +BATTERY connection is at. The LARGE WHITE CABLE on the top double lug connection is the -12VDC (NEG) cable going to the battery. The LARGE BLACK CABLE on the bottom double lug connection is the +12VDC (POS) going to the battery.

The TOP double lug connection HEAVY WHITE WIRE to the left goes to the 12VDC connection on the WFCO Converter/Charger unit. The CENTER LARGE WIRE LUG with the RED CABLE is the +12VDC connection going to the converter/charger unit. This is where the converter/charger unit connects to the 12VDC Distribution FUSE Panel to also provide power to the 12VDC items connected to the panel. This also provides a charging DC VOLTAGE for your connected batteries when shore power is connected. Right now however you should only be concerned with why the BATTERY POWER is not being measured on the top and bottom double lug connection point when the shore power is turned OFF.

The only thing between these two points on the 12VDC Distribution connections and your battery connection is an IN-LINE FUSE mounted close to the BATTERY TERMINALS or maybe a RESETTABLE 12VDC AUTO-RESET CIRCUIT BREAKER.

You to do some hand tracing of cables between these two points to determine where the disconnect is. It could also be a BATTERY DISCONNECT SWITCH has been installed breaking the POS wire connection. It could also be a BAD terminal connection at the battery terminal. Once you get the 12.6-7VDC readings here with your multimeter then things should start working the the 12VDC FUSED DISTRIBUTION PANEL is controlling.

Another item one should check again is when you have removed the battery connections for what ever reason you may not have put the cables back in the correct order. The best way I have found is to find the PRINTED word NEG or SYMBOL '-' on the battery CASE and make sure this is the battery cable that goes to the trailer frame ground close to the batteries. If the battery cables have been reversed or sparked together etc you probably have blown the IN-LINE fuse close to the battery and two fuses on the 12VDC Distribution Panel that are off to them self in the above 12VDC panel photo which are the REVERSE POLARITY FUSES.

CHeck back on here when you have 12VDC at the top and bottom double lug connections on the 12VDC Distribution Panel fuse board.

If you do not have a multimeter they are very inexpensive from WALMART/LOWES/AMAZON/Any number of Auto Parts stores ($7-$25). Actually HARBOR FREIGHT will give you one for the asking when you purchase other things from them. This is a must have item if you want measure your actual 12VDC and 120VAC connections in your trailer.



Roy Ken
My Posts are IMHO based on my experiences - Words in CAPS does not mean I am shouting
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MrWizard
Moderator
Moderator
by exterior lights, do you mean the TT lights, brake light , turn signal etc..
those are connected to the Harness that connects to the tow vehicle
they are not part of the RV section, are you plugged into shore power ?
check the voltage at the ouput terminals of the new wfco converter
this sounds like a missing or bad connection someplace
either a main fuse or the main ground/negative wiring
I can explain it to you.
But I Can Not understand it for you !

....

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time2roll
Nomad
Nomad
Do you have a hand held voltmeter?

Did you replace the entire panel or just the converter portion?

Is the battery charged?

newman_fulltime
Explorer
Explorer
Sounds like the fuse board is broken try testing for voltage on a fuse you should find the break that away