Converter only using 12 volt battery when plugged in

[JeffGalan]

I'm guessing the lower unit is bad here but....

When plugged in in getting 110v ok and 12 volt ok but the battery monitor dropped this AM to fair from the charged so I'm thinking it's using the coach battery to power all the 12 volts and the lower converter is bad?

Thanks in advance.

[SteveJ]

Do you still have 120v AC?

[JeffGalan]

Originally Posted by SteveJ

Do you still have 120v AC?

Yes that's fine.

I don't think the converter is converting the shore power to 12v at all so I'm just running that part by the couch battery so that's why it's showing low.

Today I just bought a 12v battery charger and connected it and now it's staying at the G indicator.

I guess I can just keep that without replacing the converter lower part which is 350.00

The battery charger was 25.00

[jjrbus]

If you have an older RV and I cannot define older, with a single stage charger it will destroy batteries. The new converters have a four stage charger and baby batteries. If you do not use your RV much doesn't matter.

[JeffGalan]

Originally Posted by jjrbus

If you have an older RV and I cannot define older, with a single stage charger it will destroy batteries. The new converters have a four stage charger and baby batteries. If you do not use your RV much doesn't matter.

Probably is single stage, it's a 99 RT.

What is a baby battery.

All I see is a gel maintenance free one in the rear driver side.

[Urlauber]

Originally Posted by JeffGalan

Probably is single stage, it's a 99 RT.

What is a baby battery.

All I see is a gel maintenance free one in the rear driver side.

I think jjr means "baby" as a verb, as in, treat batteries with extreme tenderness.

[JeffGalan]

Originally Posted by Urlauber

I think jjr means "baby" as a verb, as in, treat batteries with extreme tenderness.

Oh lol. Got it.
I thought I missed out on a baby battery brand 🙂

Thank you.

[SQUASHMIRE]

do i understand you to say you are plugged into shore power, your 12v lights in the camper work, but your "house" battery is not being charged? If so, I would bet you did not first toggle on the so-called battery switch (located by the status panel). If you do that you will see the light illuminate "on". AFTER that, go plug into shore power and your battery will charge as designed.

Follow these steps exactly, if you have plugged into shore power before toggling the switch, the "on" light will still be illuminated, but your battery will not necessarily be charging.

[KurtFranz]

Originally Posted by SQUASHMIRE

do i understand you to say you are plugged into shore power, your 12v lights in the camper work, but your "house" battery is not being charged? If so, I would bet you did not first toggle on the so-called battery switch (located by the status panel). If you do that you will see the light illuminate "on". AFTER that, go plug into shore power and your battery will charge as designed.

Follow these steps exactly, if you have plugged into shore power before toggling the switch, the "on" light will still be illuminated, but your battery will not necessarily be charging.

Good point - i suffered from this same issue until I read the big white warning label that states verbatim:

BATTERY DISCONNECT SWITCH

The battery disconnect switch on
the monitor panel must be in the
"ON" position prior to connection
to an outside electrical power
source. Refer to the Roadtrek
Owner's Manual for complete details
on the auxiliary battery and
charging systems.

[JeffGalan]

Originally Posted by SQUASHMIRE

do i understand you to say you are plugged into shore power, your 12v lights in the camper work, but your "house" battery is not being charged? If so, I would bet you did not first toggle on the so-called battery switch (located by the status panel). If you do that you will see the light illuminate "on". AFTER that, go plug into shore power and your battery will charge as designed.

Follow these steps exactly, if you have plugged into shore power before toggling the switch, the "on" light will still be illuminated, but your battery will not necessarily be charging.

The switch is on and the 12v things work ok.

The battery isn't charging so I got a battery charger to charge it because I don't want to deal with a new converter right now. Have to spend money on brakes first so for now the battery charger is keeping the 12v battery on the G light on the panel. Thx for the reply.

[JeffGalan]

Originally Posted by KurtFranz

Good point - i suffered from this same issue until I read the big white warning label that states verbatim:

BATTERY DISCONNECT SWITCH

The battery disconnect switch on
the monitor panel must be in the
"ON" position prior to connection
to an outside electrical power
source. Refer to the Roadtrek
Owner's Manual for complete details
on the auxiliary battery and
charging systems.

By the chance, do you know where that switch is at? I hear a noise which sounds like it's coming from the converter area.

Is there a way to get the battery to work without that switch? Or, how to bypass it?

It stuck today so I had zero 12v usage.

Probably need a solenoid which will have to wait while I work on other priorities first.

Thx for the input.

[SQUASHMIRE]

i am not sure what is going on in your case, you said 12v is working, but in the very next post you said you had "zero 12v usage."

The solenoid actuated by the toggle switch is behind the fuse/breaker box on my Dodge 1999 190V, or at least in that general vicinity. Others have reported when the house battery gets too low, the solenoid can stop switching position. Sounds like you have a manual charger and can access your house batteryt. Do you have handheld a volt meter? If so, what is your house battery voltage with shore power disconnected? Does it go up when you apply your portable charger to some normal charging voltage of 13 or above?

When it is fully charged (perhaps overnight), and with the shore power still disconnected, try actuating the switch on your panel to "on" and see if you get 12v lights in the rv. Then connect your volt meter to the house battery and see if it is staying up over 12v and record that reading. Then plug into shore power and go back and get a second voltage reading on the house battery while you are plugged into shore power....if it goes up to 13 or so volts, you are back in business.

[JeffGalan]

Originally Posted by SQUASHMIRE

i am not sure what is going on in your case, you said 12v is working, but in the very next post you said you had "zero 12v usage."

The solenoid actuated by the toggle switch is behind the fuse/breaker box on my Dodge 1999 190V, or at least in that general vicinity. Others have reported when the house battery gets too low, the solenoid can stop switching position. Sounds like you have a manual charger and can access your house batteryt. Do you have handheld a volt meter? If so, what is your house battery voltage with shore power disconnected? Does it go up when you apply your portable charger to some normal charging voltage of 13 or above?

When it is fully charged (perhaps overnight), and with the shore power still disconnected, try actuating the switch on your panel to "on" and see if you get 12v lights in the rv. Then connect your volt meter to the house battery and see if it is staying up over 12v and record that reading. Then plug into shore power and go back and get a second voltage reading on the house battery while you are plugged into shore power....if it goes up to 13 or so volts, you are back in business.

Thank you for the location.

I don't think I hit the switch hard enough to turn it on but it's ok now.

The thing that's concerning is if it breaks and can't fix it fast, is there a way just to bypass it to get 12 volts to work. I never ever had an RV with any of these switches in them. I understand why they did it for no drainage during storage but I think this is overkill cause one could just disconnect the negative of the battery so things didn't drain.

My converter is not putting out 12v as well but I'm using a trickle charger in place and it's keeping the Coach battery at the C now.

The last days were only on G but I figured out the co2 thing was draining it and the propane thing as well so I pulled out those fuses now have fully C battery off my 1 amp battery charger.

I don't use propane or cook so I'll not worried about those alarms.

Should I ever use them I'll just put the fuse in

Thx for the input. Appreciate it

[ClassBLiving]

I yeeted the converter for mine out the door lol. Everything is custom now. Its usually a good idea to replace converters in old RVs even if they work because they are only single stage charging. THis gives you the option to go with LifePo4 if you wanted to.

[JeffGalan]

Originally Posted by ClassBLiving

I yeeted the converter for mine out the door lol. Everything is custom now. Its usually a good idea to replace converters in old RVs even if they work because they are only single stage charging. THis gives you the option to go with LifePo4 if you wanted to.

Eventually I'm going to replace it but honestly right now the 18.00 battery charger is doing fine keeping the original battery fully charged.

Nice to do those modifications I bet!!

[ClassBLiving]

Originally Posted by JeffGalan

Eventually I'm going to replace it but honestly right now the 18.00 battery charger is doing fine keeping the original battery fully charged.

Nice to do those modifications I bet!!

Nice but expensive lol.
Having full power without plugging in is nice.

[JeffGalan]

Originally Posted by ClassBLiving

Nice but expensive lol.
Having full power without plugging in is nice.

Yes that's definitely true. This RT I have has no gen so I'll have to get some batteries, solar etc eventually