Travel Trailer converter broke... wondering if this is possible?

[djlew]

So as the title suggests, I got a travel trailer (2007 Starcraft Antigua 23ft) with what I assume was the stock Elixir ELX-45 converter/power delivery panel. Now, I am familiar with simple home 120v and simple vehicle 12v wiring, but completely new to power converters and how they work outside of the fact that when plugged into shore power, it is supposed to also charge my battery for the 12v circuits.

The converter seems to be busted after some basic testing and fuse checking, so I removed the converter portion of this setup, leaving the AC breakers and DC fuse board intact. Everything seems to still work without the converter/charger in place, just with no battery charging capabilities (which was the case anyway, since the converter was busted). I found this out during a camping trip this past weekend when plugged into a generator. AC power worked fine, but over time, my DC stuff would stop working and the battery would be drained.

Considering this model of converter/power delivery board, I'm wondering if a full replacement (fuse board, breakers, etc.) is necessary which sounds AND looks like a PITA in my setup. If I can just replace the converter portion with an aftermarket replacement, I will just do that. What I'm wondering is if it would be worth it to convert the 12v side to solar, and on cloudy days use 120v power from shore or a generator to run a battery charger if need be. I only suggest this because I have a few panels, charge controllers, and other equipment to get a simple solar setup started with no extra cost. I'd probably just have to get a couple more 100w panels.

Does anybody have experience with this type of setup or this type of converter/power board? Without sounding like a total noob, I want to present myself (and my wife) with some viable options that won't cost upwards of 400 dollars before even considering an RV tech hourly cost since this whole purchase was my idea.

Thank you all very much, as always!

 

[begreen]

Typically the RV gets an inverter/charger that manages both the charging of the house batteries and the conversion from the house bank DC to 110vac. Look for a replacement that puts a very low draw on the house bank when idle. Some can draw over an amp! Xantrex makes good units. The size and model will depend on the house bank battery size and battery type. Note, don't increase amperage capacity without also rewiring the DC wiring to the battery. There is high amperage running through the DC battery connecting wires so they must be sized appropriately.

 

[djlew]

Typically the RV gets an inverter/charger that manages both the charging of the house batteries and the conversion from the house bank DC to 110vac. Look for a replacement that puts a very low draw on the house bank when idle. Some can draw over an amp! Xantrex makes good units. The size and model will depend on the house bank battery size and battery type. Note, don't increase amperage capacity without also rewiring the DC wiring to the battery. There is high amperage running through the DC battery connecting wires so they must be sized appropriately.

Thank you for this! I THINK I've found some compatible units, but this is something I want to take my time on for sure.

 

[EbS-P]

A quick google led me here.

Boondocker 4 Stage Power Center 45 Amp (BD 1245PC) -BD 1245P

www.bestconverter.com

Once fixed I would get a good surge protector too.

Other thoughts if you ever wanted to upgrade to LFP batteries they are not a drop in replacement. Getting an onboard unit that had that option might be worth considering

 

[djlew]

Heard about the boondocker. Not an awful price, but dang having to replace the whole power center sounds like a pain. I went back into the camper today and it makes more sense than it did the first time, so if that's my best bet I am not totally upset, but if I could just get away with solar for my 12v side, it seems like my cheaper option. Not sure, I see folks on both sides of this. If what you would all do is buy a replacement power center, I'd take that advice to heart.

In the event of disconnecting my system, it seems my 30amp 12v "reverse polarity" fuses blew. Now when plugged into shore power my air conditioning doesn't work. Microwave and outlets work. Thought that was weird, because I thought the air conditioning was on the AC side. There are AC fuses labeled AC. Maybe the fan portion is DC and requires that to work? Either way, next step is to get those 30amp blade fuses replaced and hopefully get the system back to its state before taking out the old converter.

Might be biting off more than I can chew, and typically I am not awful at this kind of stuff.

 

[Highbeam]

I’m an RVer too, leaving tomorrow in fact for a few days. I replaced my converter with a fancy one from progressive dynamics for better charging and care of my batteries. Easy.

I would recommend not getting carried away here on a 20 year old trailer. Forget about solar, just get a replacement converter and back on the road.

The converter/chargers that come on these things are not inverters. They are just fancy battery chargers. You need shore power to get AC power for microwave and air conditioning.

 

[begreen]

I’m an RVer too, leaving tomorrow in fact for a few days. I replaced my converter with a fancy one from progressive dynamics for better charging and care of my batteries. Easy.

I put a Progressive Dynamics unit in one of our RVs. It worked well.

 

[djlew]

Fair deal. Currently I have everything back up and running, just have to keep the battery charged separately. Not the biggest deal. I might, in the meantime, just use a solar panel to keep the battery topped off until I get another converter. Fuse block and AC breakers look good. Just seemed wrong to tear them out for a whole new unit but might as well modernize the whole thing. The boondocker also has that nice extra 12v wiring on the back which would help my situation. Also, have fun on your trip!

Thank you all for the advice. Right call is to get a boondocker or a PD, both units look to be almost exact replacements.

 

[zrock]

Just replace the whole system in the long run its going to be easier and more reliable, if parts are starting to fail now their is no point in changing bits and pc's as something farther down the line will eventually fail. Putting in a solar system is not that hard you can buy a system and just hook it direct to the battery's. That is how i started and then i upgraded the charge controller and mounted it inside the trailer and installed a port on the outside of trailer to plug the solar panel in. My panel is a 200w and it keeps my batteries topped up no problem. Remember when your running off battery you have be conscious of your power usage like only turning the water heater on when you need it ( i will let it get to temp and shut it off until needed), water pump off, lights off, you get the idea.. Also make sure your batteries are good if you have a bad battery it taxes the system trying to charge it, if they are more than 5 years old they may be due for replacing.

 

[djlew]

Just replace the whole system in the long run its going to be easier and more reliable, if parts are starting to fail now their is no point in changing bits and pc's as something farther down the line will eventually fail. Putting in a solar system is not that hard you can buy a system and just hook it direct to the battery's. That is how i started and then i upgraded the charge controller and mounted it inside the trailer and installed a port on the outside of trailer to plug the solar panel in. My panel is a 200w and it keeps my batteries topped up no problem. Remember when your running off battery you have be conscious of your power usage like only turning the water heater on when you need it ( i will let it get to temp and shut it off until needed), water pump off, lights off, you get the idea.. Also make sure your batteries are good if you have a bad battery it taxes the system trying to charge it, if they are more than 5 years old they may be due for replacing.

This is sort of the approach I was going to take if I were to go solar. I still might as an addition or just in the meantime since I have most of the equipment. In my case, the fridge was the biggest issue. I even ended up running it off propane, but it still requires that bit of power. I'm sort of a solar noob, in terms of sizing systems. I understand how they work and the parts required, but if I wanted to use my fridge, water pump, and lights and it's a moderately sunny day - I'd have issues coming up with the right amount of wattage to make that happens with zero issues. Dual battery setup is an option, but at that point, upgrade the converter. Seems like there are options, but most folks would just go for the converter and drop in a proper replacement. It'll be fun testing out everything at least. Throughout this process I lost sight of that!

 

[zrock]

i can go for quite a while with the panel i have and dual 6v batterie's. Still have to be smart and not leave the lights on when you do not need them.

 

[djlew]

i can go for quite a while with the panel i have and dual 6v batterie's. Still have to be smart and not leave the lights on when you do not need them.

I charged up my battery the other day and I have been putzing in the camper cleaning up, etc. and I am still at full. Granted, mainly just lights. Getting the pump, fridge, and the like going and I bet I'd have a bit of a time.

Reminds me, do any of you have a good recommendation for a proper battery charger that can plug into AC outlets? Something separate from the camper. Just for in the meantime, like a safe fast charger and trickle charger combo type of thing. I plan on doing a bit of Googling on that one but if you all have any recommendations I am all ears.

 

[zrock]

Just stick with a good trickle charger/maintainer your battery's will thank you. You could just leave it hooked up while your unit is parked. That is what i did before i hooked up the panels.. I also installed a night switch/power disconnect on the battery's as their is still a draw when the unit is just sitting.

 

[djlew]

Just stick with a good trickle charger/maintainer your battery's will thank you. You could just leave it hooked up while your unit is parked. That is what i did before i hooked up the panels.. I also installed a night switch/power disconnect on the battery's as their is still a draw when the unit is just sitting.

Fair deal. What disconnect do you use, if you don't mind me asking? Unless I was searching the wrong thing, I didn't find anything that seemed like what I wanted. Just a simple on/off type situation. I was going to install one for the same reason, like radio, and other phantom draw,

 

[djlew]

Update - found a pretty good kill switch which looks to do what I need. It's a FEITON. Never heard of them, but reviews look good. Looks like I can mount it to my battery box and problem solved. At least for that portion. 😅

 

[zrock]

this is what i used.. Even though it says you can mount it in/on the battery box my box was to tight to do this and the way the bolts are situated they would have been rubbing on the battery. I ended up drilling and tapping the frame beside the battery box and mounting it their. Been using it all year with no issues.

Amazon.ca

 

[begreen]

i can go for quite a while with the panel i have and dual 6v batterie's. Still have to be smart and not leave the lights on when you do not need them.

Parasitic loads can drain a battery down when it sits for weeks. In our RVs one suspect was the propane/CO detector. A kill switch stops the problem.

 

[djlew]

I did get the kill switch installed. I mounted it to the battery box. Tight fight, so had to drill out a bit more instead of the 3/4" suggested hole to get a bit more of it through, and then seal around it. Works pretty dang good! For me, I know the radio has an always on display, of course the CO detector, and probably some other stuff drains the battery over time.

All in all, I think I'm in pretty good shape until I can get in the camper and do a proper converter replacement and do the whole kit and caboodle. After watching some videos it looks a lot less intimidating. I might get one of my solar panels or two up on the roof just to have a bit of extra juice because why not? Maybe even wire them to a separate inverter for small loads when a converter is in.

Definitely part of the fun! Lots of options. Thank you all again for your help.