Forum Discussion

mkmnc's avatar
mkmnc
Explorer
May 18, 2014

Converter problem?

I have had my camper in one campground for 2 months and will be there until end of July.
It stays connected to shore power and the battery is disconnected.
When the converter comes on (fan), anything on in the camper blinks off for a second and then runs normal.
However we have been camping on weekends and when we return the next weekend, the frig has been off and then back on ( you can tell by the way ice behaves in the freezer). Does this sound like a converter issue and is there some way to check?
  • I have a 2001 camper but the converter went bad about 4 years ago and I had it replaced. The documentation on the converter is at the camper so I do not know what model it is, but I do know that when left plugged to shore power for extended period with the battery hooked up, it will overcharge and burn the battery up.
    I guess I will look into maybe seeing if I can buy the module that hooks to the converter to control the charging process. I believe that the converter I have has a port for this option.
    Thanks for the info,
    Mike
  • With older converters the battery is used to stabilize the voltage. So the answer is "it depends".
  • I did not think you needed to have a battery if you were hooked to shore power. Correct me if I am wrong, but if you have to have a battery for this system to work, then why would you need a converter that converts the AC to DC. All you would need would be an on board battery charger and the DC part of the power would come exclusively from the battery with no need to convert.
  • Monitor the water level in the battery monthly and refill with demin water. Deal with the battery or deal with burned out 12v control boards. You could also just upgrade the converter/charger, but even then you still have to monitor battery electrolyte levels.
  • I am not sure the brand name but it does not have a smart charger. If you leave the battery in the loop for and extended time, it will over charge and burn the battery up
  • pianotuna wrote:
    I would be inclined to leave the battery in the loop.


    Me too!
  • Hi,

    What converter do you have?

    I would be inclined to leave the battery in the loop.