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Old 06-05-2002, 10:28 AM   #1
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Question Univolt Replacement

I would like to replace my Univolt unit with a newer model that is quiet. (mine buzzes all the time quietly).

I have a 27 (28?) foot 1981 Excella II model.

Thanks! Ric Jones
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Old 06-05-2002, 12:00 PM   #2
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I believe you will find that they all buzz ..and at the least quietly.
I know from my own experience that when I hear the buzz I know its plugged in and working. We run a small fan at night to mask the sound. This was discussed in your earlier post see this-


http://www.airforums.com/forum...=2006#post2006
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Old 06-05-2002, 12:48 PM   #3
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Lightbulb Bzzzzzzzzzzzz

Ric,
If you connect a a/c strip between the plug and the outlet and use the on/off switch of the strip to control the univolt you can turn it on/off whenever you want. Use one that has a resettable fuse just in case. I turn ours off at night due to the buzz and whenever the univolt has been on a long time charging the batteries. The previous owner of mine did it for those reasons and it works like a charm. Also you can plug in other electrical stuff on the strip, just dont overload it.

Option 2; turn on radio, fan, or talk in your sleep.

John
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Old 06-05-2002, 01:24 PM   #4
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Rick. The newest style univolt that Airstream uses, has negligible hum, doubt that you can hear it.
We have them on sale on our web site, inlandrv.com

Andy
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Old 06-05-2002, 02:24 PM   #5
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Thanks

Thanks, all. If only everyone had this great of a support group!
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Old 08-07-2002, 10:37 PM   #6
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Convert Univolt to Intelipower

I just removed my original Univolt and converted it to a 40 amp Inteli-power 9100 Series Converter. The Univolt charges the battery continuously and can overcharge it. Inteli-power can be combined with the optional Charge Wizard which controls the converter's charging system and automatically activates the optimum battery charging mode. There is no humming with Inteli-power which weighs 4 lbs. compared to the 50-60 lbs. the Univolt weighed. The Univolt produces quite a bit of heat, too. It was so hot when I removed it that I almost burned my hand. I only wish I had converted to Inteli-power sooner, before the Univolt shorted out my front 12 volt lights which I have yet to figure out how to repair!
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Old 08-08-2002, 01:27 PM   #7
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Ric,
How about some photos of your Excella II. In a couple years I will be interested in selling my 31' Excella 500 and buying an '81 or '82 Excella II in the 25' model. I'm just curious what your interior looks like.
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Old 09-28-2002, 05:19 PM   #8
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Noisey Univolt Bzzzzzzzzz

Moderator, Excellor 83, where is the plug and outlet that you speak of????? My rig is a 71 Int. 27'. Tom
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Old 09-29-2002, 02:13 PM   #9
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Univolts, old or new, don't and won't overcharge a battery, UNLESS, it has a failure.

Andy
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Old 09-29-2002, 02:19 PM   #10
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Tom,

I think your univolt is under your bathtub?? if that is the case you may not have a wall switch. There should be a plug in the compartment near the univolt. You may want to do a little detective work and see if you univolt was wired to it's own circuit breaker. You should ahve at least 1 30 AMP breaker, a 20AMP breaker and 2 or 3 15 AMP breakers. With the trailer plugged in and humming, just flip breakers till the hum stops. Then see if there is any other outlet affected, use a fan, or lamp to test. If you are lucky you may find that one of those breakers will stop the hum!
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Old 09-30-2002, 06:07 AM   #11
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univolt continued

I was not sure whether or not to reopen my previous question concerning the lack of 12 volt power in my trailer or to piggyback on this discussion of the univolt. To refresh everyone's memories, my electrical system works fine on shore power but I am unable to operate with the battery itself. The new battery still checks out fine; I get power to the distribution panel; and I hunted for days for a "kill switch". Is it possible that there is something wrong with the portion of the univolt that allows the battery to power the trailer? If that is the case do I need to replace the whole unit? And if so what are my options besides buying a new one for $360 from Andy? As usual, thank you.
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Old 09-30-2002, 06:08 AM   #12
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Univolt location on 71 INT

Hey Nifty,

My Univolt is on the curbside under the middle twin bed .
I also have an access panel on the curbside that when open it, you are looking directly at the Univolt.

To silence Univolt without disconnecting shore power:

I have an polarity indicator installed at the rear compartment.
The indicator,( small 120 volt light bulb), is installed in an electrical junction box.

I removed the light bulb from the junction box and installed a single pole switch in line on the black wire. This switch disconnects the feed from the breaker panel to the Univolt.

I then installed a second juntion box on top of the existing juntion box and re-installed the polarity indicator. This light bulb is merely connected in parrallel to the neutral and the ground wire of the 120 volt feed. Therefore if one should connect the 120 volts in reverse polarity, it will cause 120 volts to ground from the neutral wire and the bulb will light, indicating reverse polarity.


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Old 09-30-2002, 07:25 AM   #13
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bhsl8

You mention that you are able to use 12 VDC when connected to shore power. If that is the case then the univolt is working.

The battery usally does not connect to the univolt. The univolt and the battery are normally connected to a common buss that then feeds the trailer. The charging voltage to the battery travels across the common buss.

The 12 VDC you measure at the distribution panel, is this voltage present when on shore power? Do you have the same readings off shore power at the distribution panel?

Depending on the panel in use, there may be 2 or 4, 50 AMP fuses. One each for univolt + and ground as well as one each for Battery + and ground. If either of the battery ones are blown, you will not get 12 VDC to the panel. I have seen the boards that these attach to crack and break as well as the fuse holders themselves fail and not make proper contact. This is where I would start. If I remeber your panel is in the fron wall behind the propane tanks. I had a problem as I described above with the distribution panel and had to replace my main fuses with automotive type blade fuses that I wired into the panel. The circuit board was falling apart due to heat from the voltage transfer. BTW running the univolt without the battery attached can damage it, so I would be careful.
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Old 09-30-2002, 09:41 AM   #14
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More univolt stuff

Brett, thanks for your reply. My univolt is in the galley underneath the sink. It sits right behind the buss panel to which you refer. We are able to get evidence of power to the panel even when we are not hooked up to shore power. We have changed all of the fuses and followed all the wiring. We are still scratching our heads. Someone told me that when shore power is disconnected that some type of switch within the univolt is supposed to open or close and allow the trailer to run off the batteries power. We have not operated the equipment without the battery being hooked up however, I believe that this trailer was in a park setting on shore power for several years and when I actually purchased the trailer there was no battery in.
Brouck
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Old 09-30-2002, 11:39 AM   #15
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Univolt operation

bhs18
Univolts do not have a change over relay. You have never said what the make and model of your "charger" is. Quite well it's not a univolt. Additionally, if it is a Univolt, it is connected to the battery through a fuse. That's how Airstream built it, but who knows how someone else may have modified it.

Also we don't know where you got the price of $360.00 for a univolt from us.

The univolts have been on our web site "sale" page for almost a year and the price is $265.00.

If your going to quote prices from us, please make sure that they are correct. It will be one less thing that others can complain about.


Thanks.

Andy
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Old 09-30-2002, 12:04 PM   #16
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univolt price

Andy, my humble apologies. I had looked up the price at your web site and just put down the wrong number. I am unsure as to the make and model of the converter in my trailer but it does not look anything like the picture on your site. Logic tells me from all the information I have been able to gather through this forum that there is nothing wrong with the converter and I will have to identify a bad ground. Again, I am sorry about the misquote of your price, I should have said they are on sale for $49.95!
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Old 09-30-2002, 12:14 PM   #17
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The old Univolts were much larger and heavier then the new models.
Since you have a 1975 trailer, I would suggest that you get a "service manual" from Helen Davis at 937-4928885.
It will answer most of those questions that you could ever have about your trailer. That in it self will save you many labor dollars.
If you have a fax number, I will be happy to fax a schematic of the 12 volt systems in your trailer.
I cannot e-mail it as my scanner won't cooperate, and our main computer crashed on Thursday, so I am using a fill in.


Andy
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Old 09-30-2002, 12:29 PM   #18
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Brouck,

The "converter" (now that we think it is not a univolt) is it brown with a flip down door to access the fuses? Or is the fuse panel mounted to the skin of the trailer?

Where is the battery in relation to the converter/distribution panel?

One thing to try to isolate it to a bad ground or bad battery cable would be to bring the battery inside and temporarily connect it to the distribution panel. If that works then you know you have a bad wire, positive or negative.

If you can I would check to see how well the battery ground is mounted.
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Old 09-30-2002, 01:15 PM   #19
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univolt,the saga continues

Andy, thanks for your offer. I have already purchased a manual from Helen.It is now my bedside reader. The converter that is there in the trailer is heavy and its guts are inaccessable without drilling out rivets.The manual shows a picture that looks like the one on your website so it must be a replacement I have. I am going to take Brett's suggestion and pursue the ground issue.I will post results.Thanks again gentlemen. It looks like I'll try anything twice, but it always ends up costing me money.
Brouck
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Old 10-21-2002, 03:31 PM   #20
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electrical update

As promised I said I would post the results of my excursion into the world of battery grounds. What I ended up doing was grounding the fuse between the battery and the converter to a water pipe and voila I am able to use the battery power. Now, if I can get more than 24 hours of use from the battery I would be happy. I suspect it has something to do with using the furnace, all the lights, and the stereo system for several hours. Thanks again to everyone who had solid suggestions.
Brouck
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