Which model of wfco do I have?

[doughpat]

Looking to figure out what I’ve got so that I can determine what needs upgrading. It’s a 2019 Sport 22FB.

Took the cover off the wfco panel but didn’t see any model numbers that made much sense. Took as many photos as I could.

[uraljohn]

In your packet of manuals you received at the time of purchase there should be a manual for your convertor. Take a look at it and see if the model # is in there.

FWIW, why do you want to replace your brand new convertor? It is a multi stage unit. AS started installing better WFCO convertors in 2017/2018. We had a 2017 Int. Serenity with the factory solar and had no problems with battery charging or battery life in the 2 years we owned it. This trailer was built in April of 2017 and had the better WFCO multi stage convertor in it. We had 17K miles on it when we sold it. We left it plugged in to shore power all the time when it was at our home and never experienced over/under charging. The folks we sold it to are still using it and are on the original batterys.

Our 2019 FC 25 RBT has a multi stage WFCO convertor and so far no issues. No solar on this trailer.

For normal use the factory installed convertor should be fine. Yes, I am aware some folks immediately replace there WFCO with a Power Dynamics convertor. I am of the thinking that if it is not broke, why fix it.

[pcskier]

Wf 8955pec-J. While this is supposedly a true 3-stage Charger, some have been posting here that theirs doesn’t get above 13.6v. It’s supposed to be 14.4 Bulk, 13.6 absorption and 13.2 float. If you mostly are plugged in at campgrounds, which is really ‘normal use’ for the majority of people, it doesn’t matter much, as the converter will provide all the power you need. But if you dry camp/boondock, that 14.4V bulk phase is a big deal to get the batts charging faster and more fully in shorter time frames—no small issue when charging with a generator. Test yours by hitting the batteries with a multimeter when you first plug on to shore power and the batteries are not fully charged. You should see 14.4 v fairly quickly. If not, the WFCO is not as ‘smart’ as advertised. That is why I switched to a PD unit which does in fact charge at 14.4V in bulk mode, and also I can push a button to force it in to 14.4 rather than wait for the charger to figure it out—again, helpful when trying to recharge with a generator. 13.6 will take longer to recharge, by many hours.

[doughpat]

This is very helpful. Thank you.

I have checked mine while plugged in (both shore power and generator) with a multi meter multiple times and have never seen it above 13.6. Certainly not 14.4! Which is exactly the reason I am considering upgrading it. I was running the generator for hours and hours and even then the battery would only be at about 12.5 V after it had settled down.

It does remain at 13.2 after things are fully charged, so at least the float mode seems to be working properly.

I will probably upgrade the this component last (first battery, then add solar), as it is “ok” as is.

[caboob]

I have this model and the instructions say that it can hit 14.4v for short durations when needed though I have yet to see this in practice.

[AirMiles]

My new WFCO will not charge at 14.4V as the specs suggest. I ran the batteries down to 12.11V then turned on the WFCO. It appeared to bulk charge only for 10 straight hours. Voltage climbed slowly and steadily to 13.52V. Never got an absorption or float mode even though the batteries appeared fully charged holding 13.00V after resting and above 12.7V under load. I was doing this charging test with no load.

On a different occasion, I did see 13.2V float mode with Airstream unused and plugged into 120V for two days. I’ve never seen voltage above 13.6V. The new WFCO appears to work the same as the pre-2017 model with the one advantage that it will go into 13.2V float mode after a couple of days of no load. The new WFCO converter will work well for those who do not dry camp and therefore do not need a 14.4V quick charge with a generator. It’s a great converter to be left plugged in at all times because it charges slowly and will drop to 13.2V float after he batteries are fully charged.

[doughpat]

I wish I had the ability to graph voltage over time. Would be nice to see if it hits 14.4 when nobody is looking

Back in my science teaching days, I had lots of Vernier LabQuests that would be perfect for this application...probably are even better (Bluetooth!) options nowadays.

[djbar]

Now you’ve got me intrigued. Will be checking my (2019 FC 25FB) WFCO output this week.

Model#WF-8955PEC-J; manual says “...three modes/stages of operation...Absorption 13.6V, Bulk 14.4V, Float 13.2.”

Hmmmm...

[doughpat]

I wonder if anybody could find a way to manually kick it into 14.4...

[AirMiles]

Originally Posted by doughpat

I wish I had the ability to graph voltage over time. Would be nice to see if it hits 14.4 when nobody is looking

Back in my science teaching days, I had lots of Vernier LabQuests that would be perfect for this application...probably are even better (Bluetooth!) options nowadays.

The Victron 100/50 or 30 can graph battery voltage over time under the “Trends” tab. If I get a chance tonight, I’ll try to test this out. I’ll run the batteries down again and turn on the trend graph with battery voltage and let it run for a while. I’ll post the results if I can get some good data.

[doughpat]

Originally Posted by AirMiles

The Victron 100/50 or 30 can graph battery voltage over time under the “Trends” tab. If I get a chance tonight, I’ll try to test this out. I’ll run the batteries down again and turn on the trend graph with battery voltage and let it run for a while. I’ll post the results if I can get some good data.

Please do!

[guskmg]

What is your converter input AC reading on a digital voltmeter? I'm suspicious that low line voltage produces a proportionally lower output voltage in all the different stages of charging. Now you would think our modern electronics would regulate that problem away, but I still wonder. I do know that 240 volts across the converter will fry all the 12 volt Items connected to the computer. I've seen that.
guskmg

[AirMiles]

Originally Posted by AirMiles

The Victron 100/50 or 30 can graph battery voltage over time under the “Trends” tab. If I get a chance tonight, I’ll try to test this out. I’ll run the batteries down again and turn on the trend graph with battery voltage and let it run for a while. I’ll post the results if I can get some good data.

Here you go. It worked just as I described earlier. The new WFCO converter starts in bulk mode and SLOWLY charges the batteries staying under 13.5V for ten hours or more. I did a graph test for two hours from turning on the WFCO to turning it off (spikes in graph represent turn on and turn off). Then I graphed 22 minutes of the battery cool down after the two hours of charging. A couple of days ago I watched it stay in bulk mode, the same as this test, for ten hours and it still only made it to 13.52V (documented above in text and in the Solar Show and Tell thread).

[doughpat]

Originally Posted by AirMiles

Here you go. It worked just as I described earlier. The new WFCO converter starts in bulk mode and SLOWLY charges the batteries staying under 13.5V for ten hours or more. I did a graph test for two hours from turning on the WFCO to turning it off (spikes in graph represent turn on and turn off). Then I graphed 22 minutes of the battery cool down after the two hours of charging. A couple of days ago I watched it stay in bulk mode, the same as this test, for ten hours and it still only made it to 13.52V (documented above in text and in the Solar Show and Tell thread).

Well that is just supremely helpful and great to know. No wonder I was running the generator for hours and hours and the dang battery was not taking much current (I never saw more than 1.55 amps, even when the battery was below 12.0).

The bad news is that means I need to devote a couple hundred dollars to a better converter/charger.

I wonder if relying more on solar would help with this issue, as there is no issue with a slow steady charging rate (in fact that’s all they can do!).

[pcskier]

Originally Posted by doughpat

I wonder if relying more on solar would help with this issue, as there is no issue with a slow steady charging rate (in fact that’s all they can do!).

Those results as well as other anecdotes about the ‘upgraded’ WFCO have convinced me it’s an anemic solution. My PD4655 regularly gets into to 14.4 boost mode within few minutes, but when on generator I would manually put it there to speed things up.
Since adding 400 watts of solar, the genny sits in the truck unused and the Victron 100/30 controller regularly shifts in to 14.x volts when needed.

[AirMiles]

Rely on solar? Yes, that is what I do. I haven’t used my generator to charge my batteries for over a year. BUT, occasionally I need to boost charge my batteries with a generator. Actually, five times in 240 days of solar camping. Problem is that on those 2.5% of days, you really need a charger that can be used efficiently with a generator.

You already have the generator. You could buy solar and struggle charging your batteries with the generator on those 2.5% of days. You also can choose to not park in locations where the solar will struggle and maybe never need to charge with the generator. I have both so sometimes I choose to park in bad solar locations because I can charge with the generator.

[lsbrodsky]

If you camp here in the East, you are going to find that there are a lot of places that are not good for solar. If you want to boondock there, you need a genny and it is nice to have the batts charge quickly.
Larry

[pcskier]

Originally Posted by doughpat

I wonder if relying more on solar would help with this issue, as there is no issue with a slow steady charging rate (in fact that’s all they can do!).

If you were referring to solar being a ‘slow steady charging rate’, it can be, like the cloudy day I had yesterday. I picked up 550 wh on a rainy day.But look what my Victon solar charge controller is pumping in right now. 14.8V and 18 amps—this is why I’ve not needed my generator the whole 9 days so far, even on fully socked in days. The solar got me by with 13.x numbers on those days (which is the most the WFCO seems to be able to muster on shore power) and really gets cranking when the sun appears like it just did and I need a bit of catch up. The solar gets things going even better than the PD4655 on shore or genny power. This is with 6v Trojans which call for 14.8 absorption and 13.5 float. The WFCO would never get to those numbers, and even the PD4655 won’t float at 13.5, it floats at 13.2v. I don’t even bother hooking up to shore power when it’s available for the most part. If there’s sun, the Victron does a better job..

[doughpat]

A bit of a newbie question here: if you have solar (and a good controller such as the victron 100/30), does that bypass the wfco and go straight to the battery? In other words, if I keep the wfco converter (for now) will I be able to reap the quick-charging (I.e. 14.X v) benefits of solar?

[lsbrodsky]

Yes, but it takes good sun to really fully charge a lead acid battery.
Larry