My Converter stopped converting

thecatsandi · 12-23-2007, 12:26 PM

I finally made it to Florida!
My batteries were a little low 75% or so.
I hooked up my trailer to 110 last night and looked at my solar panel readout. It stayed at 75%. Well I had enough to get me through the night.
All the rest of my 110 works. I checked the outlet under the couch that feeds the converter. 115VAC. I checked the pair of 30A fuses. Fine. I checked the buss where the converter is tied in. 12.3VDC. Bummer. It quit.
I looked around for breaker on the converter. Nothing.

So is ther anything to check or do I need to make an appointment at JD Sanders in Alachua?

guy99 · 12-23-2007, 03:04 PM

I'm not familiar with your converter but it sounds like you have a problem. If you need to live in your trailer until you can get an appointment you're going to run your batteries down beyond the point where they could be damaged.

When I was in the same situation, I bought a battery charger and used it a few hours per day until I could replace my converter.

HowieE · 12-23-2007, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thecatsandi

I checked the buss where the converter is tied in. 12.3VDC. Bummer.

Was the 12.3 VDC open circuit or were the batteries still in the circuit? Try the reading open circuit to be sure it is not a bad battery.

thecatsandi · 12-23-2007, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HowieE

Was the 12.3 VDC open circuit or were the batteries still in the circuit? Try the reading open circuit to be sure it is not a bad battery.

the 12.3 was the converter connected and the batteries connected. I unplugged the converter and hooked up a battery charger. The battery voltage is slowly coming up. I am up to 12.5 now.

DreamWeaver · 12-23-2007, 06:01 PM

I've been following your travels for the last few weeks. You are quite an airstreamer!

Bates RV is just off I75 and I4.

I'm in St Petersburg just north of Skyway Bridge (30 min or so from Bates).

If you need a place to stop for a night or two we may have a spot available at our shop in Pinellas Park.

Let me know if I can help.

Steve

**john hd** · 12-23-2007, 06:29 PM

Quote:

I looked around for breaker on the converter. Nothing.

michelle,

pop the cover off, i am pretty sure there is a fuse inside if yours is like mine.

worth a try before you go to the dealer.

john

HowieE · 12-23-2007, 07:10 PM

Disconnect the groung leg at the converter and check the battery voltage again. Even if the fuse in the converter has blown your charge is still seeing the converter while charging the batteries and if the problem is in the converter it may be a load on the charger.

thecatsandi · 12-24-2007, 06:38 AM

I am not inclined to go inside the unit quite yet. She is still under warrenty.

thecatsandi · 12-24-2007, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HowieE

Disconnect the groung leg at the converter and check the battery voltage again. Even if the fuse in the converter has blown your charge is still seeing the converter while charging the batteries and if the problem is in the converter it may be a load on the charger.

Howie,
I will try that this afternoon. I am having my truck 30,000 mile service this morning. I though about that but I should be getting 13.8 unless a cell is shorted. Then I would have expected a fuse to blow.

Wabbiteer · 12-24-2007, 09:34 AM

I think I remember you had an open fuse that prevented the TV from maintaining your AS's battery so am wondering has that opened again since you've spent enough time driving you should be seeing 90+% state-of-charge?

I don't know enough about new Airstreams to point in any one direction but checking the primary frame ground for corrosion or high-capacitance connection (voltage but no current flow) would be a worthy thing to accomplish - having a semi floating ground would allow switching noise and spikes etc. to romp in all the electronics...

HowieE · 12-24-2007, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wabbiteer

I think I remember you had an open fuse that prevented the TV from maintaining your AS's battery so am wondering has that opened again since you've spent enough time driving you should be seeing 90+% state-of-charge?

Yes, and with that in mind disconnect the TV from the trailer and read the charging voltage on the truck batteries while you are testing things. Lets make sure things are good at that end. Just after a cold start the alternator is up to snuff.

thecatsandi · 12-24-2007, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wabbiteer

I think I remember you had an open fuse that prevented the TV from maintaining your AS's battery so am wondering has that opened again since you've spent enough time driving you should be seeing 90+% state-of-charge?

THat is a possiblity I bought a plug checker thingy. I do run with the lights on especially on Saturday when it was overcast and raining off and on. There may not have been much left to charge the trailer. I seem to remember the truck buss voltage running around 13.5

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wabbiteer

I don't know enough about new Airstreams to point in any one direction but checking the primary frame ground for corrosion or high-capacitance connection (voltage but no current flow) would be a worthy thing to accomplish - having a semi floating ground would allow switching noise and spikes etc. to romp in all the electronics...

I should not be having grounding problems yet! The trailer is less than 2 years old. THe converter is defiantely bonkers. I have an appointment at Sanders to have them replace the converter just prior to the Can opener.

thecatsandi · 12-24-2007, 05:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HowieE

Yes, and with that in mind disconnect the TV from the trailer and read the charging voltage on the truck batteries while you are testing things. Lets make sure things are good at that end. Just after a cold start the alternator is up to snuff.

Strangely enough the buss voltage creeps up to 14.1 in about 30 seconds. It takes a little time to bulk charge the batteries after a start.

HowieE · 12-24-2007, 07:27 PM

Sounds like the truck is OK. How about plugging the trailer back into the truck and do the test on the truck again. With the amount of towing you have been doing the trailer batteries should have a near full charge when you first park for the night. If after this second test you don't see 14 volts there is something in the trailer that is drawing things down.