WFCO WF8955 complete garbage?

[totaldla]

Searching through the forums and found many people repeating the mantra "WFCO is junk - replace with anything better". But looking at ORV AND Keystone, who both use the WFCO WF8955, I find it odd that either would install a charge controller that would increase service ussues and bad press on forums.

So what is the real scoop on the 8955?

[RobWNY]

It's like everything else installed in a camper. It works but isn't the best and not very good in many cases. If manufacturers put the best stuff in campers, they would sell very few campers. No one could afford them. Imagine shopping for a camper and seeing the price tag doubled.

It reminds me of when we bought our camper. Small dealership and the owner, who I know personally said to me..."They're all junk. Every last one of them and If you knew how these things were made, you would never sleep in one". That tells you a lot about what manufactures put in them. There has to be a huge profit margin for them.

[rbpru]

Yup, as mentioned the reason for the WFCO charger is the same reason they do not use military grade bullet resistant tires, shock absorbers, high strength axels, disc brakes, four season insulation etc. etc. The market will not pay for them nor in most cases do they need them.

Those few that do indeed need these features, usually only need them after they have developed that need through their evolving camping style.

It is nice to know that the options are available when you decide which of them you need but there is no use paying for something you do not need.

[horton333]

Try these, easy to install yourself and do a great job.

[SoundGuy]

totaldla wrote:
Ok, so it sounds like the WF8955 is pretty bad for those boondocking.

Do folks ask the manufacturers to swap them out ahead of time? IE, can you order a trailer with a differdnt converter?

We're talking mass production and you want custom modifications? :R If you want a different converter you'll have to change it yourself or have your dealer do it for you. That won't necessarily solve the issue entirely though as most trailer manufacturers stick the converter wherever it's convenient, regardless of how far the run to the battery location may be, and use lighter than ideal cable gauge, most often 6 gauge. If you're really serious about this you also need to match the battery type and AH rating to the charger as some require higher bulk charging voltages than others, some require temperature compensated charging which most converters don't offer. This isn't simply a matter of picking some converter other than a WFCO and calling it good. :R

[totaldla]

Ok, so it sounds like the WF8955 is pretty bad for those boondocking.

Do folks ask the manufacturers to swap them out ahead of time? IE, can you order a trailer with a differdnt converter?

[SoundGuy]

Big Love wrote:
I have two TTs that came with WFCO converters. Neither one could get into 14.4 volts for fast charging of a depleted battery and neither one got into 13.2 trickle charge mode once fully charged. They both only provided 13.6 volts constantly. This is not ideal for battery life and could eventually lead to premature battery failure.

A presumption not borne out by my own experience. My current flooded Interstate G27 will be 9 yrs old in May, has been used on 3 different trailers each of which had a WFCO converter, the first and current being 8955s. We mostly camp on electric sites, only draw down the battery any significant amount on occasion if we happen to lose campsite shore power for one reason or another. The voltage monitor I use always displays in the 13.6 to 13.7 volt range when the converter is powered, never more, never less, yet this battery still maintains a full charge. It wasn't until last fall when I had the opportunity to buy a CTEK portable charger at a great price that I turned the WFCO off and began using the CTEK which does do an honest 14.4 volt bulk charge, a proper absorption charge, and a proper trickle charge. Over the winter I've been using it in the workshop to maintain this battery and fully charged, once surface charge has fully depleted, it's rest voltage consistently sits @ 12.82 volts. Clearly these WFCOs in my case did not lead to "premature battery failure". 😉

[horton333]

They work ok if you are plugged in most of the time, which is most people. If you dry camp and don't want to run your generator 8 hours a day then you need a 4 stage charger. Bestconverter.com does a good business selling drop in replacements for them, so it's not not just a few people bring obsessive.
Note my measurement was maxumum charge current into a totally dead battery was 11 amperes, out of a possible 55. It went down rapidly from there. They just never go into the bulk charge mode in the real world.

[NanciL]

OK, so a question on mine.

We have a brand new Forest River trailer that we have on a permanent spot( with full hook up) where we snow bird for six months.
I have already decided that I will take the battery out and bring it home with us when we return to keep it charged during the summer months.

What can I expect as a life span out of mine figuring it will never be used during the summer months? - And never boon docking?

Jack L

[Big_Love]

I have two TTs that came with WFCO converters. Neither one could get into 14.4 volts for fast charging of a depleted battery and neither one got into 13.2 trickle charge mode once fully charged. They both only provided 13.6 volts constantly. This is not ideal for battery life and could eventually lead to premature battery failure. For only a few dollars more, many of us upgraded to the true 4 mode PD charger, which automatically monitors and keeps the battery in good shape using different voltages, and also has an automatic desulfation mode for longer battery life.
I agree that if you only camp with full hookups, the WFCO may function adequately, but if you dry camp, the upgrade is worthwhile.

[SoundGuy]

cyntdon2010 wrote:
Cheap, Cheap, That's the norm when you purchase an rv. they use the Lowest price items not the best.

Of course manufacturers don't use "the best", why would they? ... other than a very few who might have researched the subject who would ever select a trailer to purchase based on which converter was in it? Since probably more than not camp on electric sites and rarely to ever dry camp a WFCO is in fact a reasonable choice. If you were manufacturing RVs you'd do the same. Compare prices for a new WFCO8955 against a similar competitor, even a Progressive Dynamics, and there's not all that much difference in retail price. Yes, you can purchase a much better converter / charger but it will cost a lot more.

There's always a reason and to simply declare it as "cheap, cheap" misses the point entirely. :W

[cyntdon2010]

Cheap, Cheap, That's the norm when you purchase an rv.
they use the Lowest price items not the best.
I have swapped out converter, propane gas detectors, Axles,tires

[Shadow_Catcher]

Progressive Dynamics makes a head unit for them and yes they do have a disproportionate number of problems, but they cost less and manufacturers want to save $.

[bob213]

I almost always have full hook-ups. For my needs it works fine as SoundGuy said. When it dies I"ll replace it with something else. Easy swap out when the time comes.

[SoundGuy]

totaldla wrote:
So what is the real scoop on the 8955?

For those who don't rely solely on battery power often or don't deep discharge on a frequent basis the WFCO 8955 works just fine. The most common complaint is that as installed it rarely bulk charges at it's advertised 14.4 volts, a situation exacerbated by the trailer manufacturer just sticking the converter wherever there may be room, regardless of how far that may be from the battery location, and using light weight cable, usually 6 gauge, to wire it in. On a workbench, set up to bulk charge a deeply discharged battery, it might well achieve 14.4 volts ... but that does little good for those of us wanting to charge in the real world. :R Mine works fine but I've simply turned it off and instead use a portable CTEK charger that does bulk charge @ 14.4 volts - problem solved. 🙂