old univolt fuse panel new parallax7400

[csaweeks]

I have removed my old fuse block from the univolt. How do I wire it up to the new parallax. The new converter has a positive and a negative hook up on the back. Which wires coming from the old univolt connect to them. Any pictures would be good as well as advice thenk you.

[Zeppelinium]

The old Univolts usually had a shunt for measuring the amps through the battery. If you don't have the shunt on your fuse block, just connect the battery negative to ground (the shell/frame). Some members swear by the fuse in the batter negative lead, but it's only useful if the battery wire comes loose or you drop a tool on the positive battery terminal. Up to you. In the schematic below, the dotted lines enclose what is usually the fuse block (both boxes).



The positive side of your converter can be connected directly to the battery positive and to the main 12V lug on the fuse block. I like to fuse each device that is providing power (battery, converter, tow vehicle). I don't think the Univolt provided sufficient fuse positions for this.

I recommend that you get a new fuse block that is rated for at least 40 Amps (depends on your converter rating) and that uses the current automotive type fuses (between $17 and $40, depending). The larger round glass fuses are no longer available, so if you fuse the battery leads, you're going to be in trouble when you blow one of those old fuses. The smaller glass fuses are still readily available, so your individual circuit fuses are no problem.

Don't get sucked into thinking you have to wire the battery for 200 Amps. You're not going to drive a starter motor with it, so just fuse the battery (and wire it) for 40-60 Amps, just like your converter.

Zep

[csaweeks]

Thank this helps also do you have a picture of how the new atc/ato fuse block would be wired in.

[csaweeks]

Yes I it does still have the shunt on it as well. opps forgot to mention that.

[Zeppelinium]

I don't have any photos of my old fuse block in the Sovereign, but I still use the shunt on it (that's the only thing on that fuse block that I use). So it's mounted back behind the kitchen cabinets on the wall. The new fuse block is brought forward to the front of the cabinet so I can easily get at all the fuses. Note that the battery line (40 Amp fuse) and tow vehicle line (25 Amp fuse) are protected with shrink insulation at the connector, just in case they should come loose and then contact the metal cabinets. That's not necessary for the converter line, since it's individually fused at the converter and the converter has the ability to auto-detect a short and shut itself down.



In the Caravel I just mounted the fuse block to the top of the converter. The Caravel has two batteries (the blue fuses), a tow vehicle charge line(white fuse), and only three circuits in the trailer (the fuses on the right). The converter is attached to the fuse block via the main bus bolt, since it doesn't need to be fused due to the fact that it has its own fuse.



I've never had a problem with the push-on connectors coming loose, but my wires are restrained a few inches away from the fuse blocks either by grommets or clips, even though that's not so obvious in the photos.

You could throw away your old fuse block and make a very simple set of connections to a fuse block like this and the only thing you'd lose is the battery ammeter.

One really great thing about this setup is that you can disconnect a battery just by pulling a single fuse. No need to buy a $25 battery disconnect switch!

Zep

[csaweeks]

So a couple of quick questions. Zep on the above picture on the old fuse box you show a + line from converter to a fuse it's the red line. Is that the line going to the trailler battery fuse on my fuse block? or is this a fuse you added? my old fuse block only has the blue fuse to the battery, the a red battery fuse which is the wire from the battery.the on the bottom is the shunt which has the bat. trailer black then the other side is the white load line. So how do or where do the lines from the converter connect to this block ? ANY help would be cool.

[Lumatic]

I have a Intellipower and use the old Univolt fuse panel. I wired the output terminals on the Intellipower to the input connections on the back of the fuse panel. I also salvaged the Univolt case to house the fuse panel.