I found the battery completely dead in my Safari. I plugged in the trailer to shore power and tried to charge the battery, but it would not take a charge. The battery was not dry this time, but I have had to add distilled water occasionally. I checked the converter's output voltage across the battery cables with the positive cable disconnected from the battery, to see if the converter was gone. When I checked it with the multi-meter it starts at just below 13.6 v and varies up to 13.9 and in between. The only load on the converter at the time I was checking it was the CO detector. All other
12v loads were turned off. I have been told my converter is probably the original Parallax 7455, though I have not removed the gaucho and plywood cover to enable me to see the converter.
I bought a new battery, but am concerned that the converter may be the problem, that the 18 month old battery might have been damaged by the converter.
- Is this voltage range on my converter high than normal? Shouldn't the voltage stay steady when there is only this small load on the converter? Is my coverter the problem?
- I'm thinking about a new Progressive Dynamics 9260 or a PowerMax Boondocker PM3B-60 Converter. I like the de-sulfation featrue on the PD, but I like the 3 year warranty on the PM. What are your thoughts on which unit is better?