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Old 04-30-2013, 03:39 PM   #1
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follow-up to Maiden Trip Cut Short: Converter or Batteries Failure

I have a similar problem to the one explored in the thread Maiden Trip Cut Short: Converter or Batteries Failure, however in my case one of the 110v circuit breakers is open and when I close it, after a few seconds it pops open again. Can a bad battery (ies) cause this condition?
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Old 04-30-2013, 03:50 PM   #2
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I have a similar problem to the one explored in the thread Maiden Trip Cut Short: Converter or Batteries Failure, however in my case one of the 110v circuit breakers is open and when I close it, after a few seconds it pops open again. Can a bad battery (ies) cause this condition?
Disconnect the battery and find out.......sorry.

Bob
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Old 04-30-2013, 04:08 PM   #3
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I'll definitely try that.
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Old 04-30-2013, 04:17 PM   #4
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I have a similar problem to the one explored in the thread Maiden Trip Cut Short: Converter or Batteries Failure, however in my case one of the 110v circuit breakers is open and when I close it, after a few seconds it pops open again. Can a bad battery (ies) cause this condition?
I would say no unless the circuit supplies the the Converter/Battery Charger. What devices is the circuit suppling. Those are the items which you would want to start disconnecting first. If it is wall plugs unplug all devices plugged into the outlets and try the circuit. It is possible you have a wire which has chaffed and is going to ground against the shell. Be careful.
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Old 04-30-2013, 04:31 PM   #5
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Honestly, I'm not sure. The rig is being stored so there are no appliances plugged in and operating.The TV and stereo system probably remain on line and pull some power as does the clock on the microwave. Could be a bad circuit there but I doubt it.

This problem has manifested itself since we last had the trailer on the road.
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Old 04-30-2013, 06:05 PM   #6
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I have a similar problem to the one explored in the thread Maiden Trip Cut Short: Converter or Batteries Failure, however in my case one of the 110v circuit breakers is open and when I close it, after a few seconds it pops open again. Can a bad battery (ies) cause this condition?
I agree with the previous poster, not a battery or converter problem unless it is the breaker to the converter. There should be a diagram on the breaker box matching the circuits with the breakers. I would start by identifying the circuit in which the breaker is popping.
If it is the converter circuit, it is possible that a shorted battery would overload the converter and pop the breaker. I would start by taking off the caps and looking for water in the battery and smelling the battery for that acrid smell which indicates a short. Trying to charge a waterless battery is not good because lots of heat is generated. Lead has a low melting temperature and the plates melt together causing a short.
I don't like sparks and shorts so I would take the trailer to my mechanic if I were close to him. If I were out in the boondocks, I would by new batteries, hook them up, pop the breaker and hope for the best.
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Old 05-03-2013, 10:54 AM   #7
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I finally had time to do some trouble shooting. It turns out that the circuit includes the outlets in the bedroom and the converter. When I disconnected the converter the circuit breaker didn't pop open, which would indicate a short somewhere in the unit. At this point I'm not sure whether I should just replace the unit or have it tested by someone who knows what they're doing. Does anyone know if the converter can be bench tested i.e. I remove the unit and take it to a shop to be tested?

Thanks
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Old 05-03-2013, 12:16 PM   #8
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You can remove it and test it on a work bench in your garage.

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Old 05-03-2013, 02:02 PM   #9
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Thank you.

It makes sense to test the old converter before plunking down the money to buy a new one.
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Old 05-03-2013, 02:47 PM   #10
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If the old converter is a Univolt. I would highly recommend an upgrade to a modern multi stage converter.
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Old 05-03-2013, 03:13 PM   #11
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If the old converter is a Univolt. I would highly recommend an upgrade to a modern multi stage converter.
Even more-so if it's a Parallax...

Bob
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Old 05-03-2013, 06:56 PM   #12
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It's a MagneTec 7300, 55amp and is only about 3 years old. The AS is currently in storage, but I've plugged into the land line a couple of times recently to charge the batteries. I got lazy and didn't use the surge protector, and as a result I suspect the converter was damaged was a momentary. Note to self - never hook-up without a surge protector.

I plan to replace it with an Ultra III conversion kit from Best. It looks like a pretty good unit.
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Old 05-04-2013, 04:46 AM   #13
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Thumbs up

I'm not a big fan of the P-Lax, our 7400 55A took a dump at 2years while camping.
Went to a Zantrex, NG out of the box, Randy swapped it for a IOTA 55a DLS IQ4...never looked back.

BC should be BCS....Best Customer Service.

That said I would feel comfortable with whatever Randy recommends, the up-grade will give you the charging profile needed to keep the batteries in good condition.


Bob
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Old 05-08-2013, 11:16 AM   #14
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$217 is cost delivered of the Progressive Dynamix replacement I'm going to install today. Not bad considering how much everything about an Airstream costs. Installation looks easy from the supplied instructions. The new DC board looks to be the hardest because you have to transfer all the DC circuits over but if you do it one by one should be OK. No modfications are needed and the unit slips into the same space as the old one.

I shouldn't say it looks easy 'cause now I've jinxed myself.

Kelvin

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Old 05-21-2013, 02:01 PM   #15
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I replaced my old unit a couple of days ago with the Ultra III conversion kit from Best Converters. It was relatively easy although the instructions that were provided with the converter weren't very complete and I had to scratch my head a bit ... more wires with the new unit than the old one, etc. The instructions and pictures on the Best Converter website were invaluable.

Once the system was up and running I discovered that my batteries are shot and now have to replace them. They're Interstate Deep Cycle Marine/RV batteries. Any opinions on whether to replace them with the same type or go with another brand?
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Old 05-21-2013, 03:08 PM   #16
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I've had good experience with the Interstates. One of the two started holding much less charge and I couldn't boondock more than a night without a lot of genset time. I eked out another half season and replaced both at the same time when they were 5 years old.

Yours are 3 and potentially up to 4 years old. That's reasonable. A buddy bought his International that had been on a dealer lot for a year. Even less than half a year of dealer inattention isn't good. He replaced his Interstates during his 2nd season of use.

Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) batteries cost twice as much but don't last twice as long -- hard to see the payoff for most users.
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