I have seen scattered discussion regarding the factory issued converter and power cord.
What is the quality of these two very important items?
Thanks for any imput,
Mike
Tue, 11/21/2017 - 07:12
#1
Scamp supplied converter and power cord
The newer Scamps use Progressive Dynamics PD 9130 converters. The stock converter is not a smart converter and can boil the water out your battery. The good news is you can buy and install a PD Charge Wizard which makes it a Smart converter for about $25 which makes it a nice converter. As with any piece of equipment there are a few reported failures but the PD 9130 seems to be a great improvement over the older American converters that Scamp used to use. I have dealt with Progressive Dynamics and have had good luck with their products and service.
The power cord is a pretty much standard power cord used by all RV mfg. The complaint is the cord pull out hatch. Most people want to add a detachable cord connection to keep the small critters out.
In both cases Scamp uses products found on most RV in it's price range.
Eddie
https://www.progressivedyn.com/rv/charge-wizard/pd9105-tcms-charge-wizard/
From the post below it seems Scamp had upgraded their converter in the newest trailers. The PD 9245 is a very nice upgrade.
Can a working/functional stock PD9130 "...boil the water out your battery" or are they known to do that after some kind of failure? If the result of a failure, will the Charge Wizard fix the problem? (The reason I ask is, the previous owner of my Scamp had the converter disconnected and I thought that was just because they were happy just using the solar they had installed to keep the battery charged - maybe not?) Also, do you know if its OK to have the converter and solar charging the battery at the same time?
Our 2017 came with a Progressive Dynamics PD9245C converter which includes the built in "Charge Wizard" to charge and maintain the battery. Having only had the trailer one season I can only contribute that it works properly and having read the owners manual will be utilizing it to maintain the onboard battery over the winter months.
The power cord (shoreline) is of good quality and secured properly in our unit where it is wired. (Scamp did a good install based on their design.) However as many others have pointed out (or modified their trailers) it would be better to have a plug-in and separate power cord. The current mouse hole arrangement and plastic door cover make a weak design point. Not to mention the power cord being pushed or pulled, getting stuck on itself. Others point to ants or bugs being able to climb the cable and come inside for a visit. (Although we have yet to enjoy that feature.)
As an aside, I did opt to purchase an EMS-PT30X Progressive Industries electrical management system (EMS) to help protect the trailers systems. I won't go into further detail here about this product but suggest this as a good add-on when looking at the electrics on your trailer.
What does the EMS do for you? I had not seen reference to such an animal until now.
Randy in Paonia
A surge suppressor is an appliance or device designed to protect electrical devices from voltage spikes. A surge protector attempts to limit the voltage supplied to an electric device by either blocking or shorting to ground any unwanted voltages above a safe threshold. The surge suppressor is the device of choice if it fits the budget. I hope to own something like this next season.
I have only had one electrical hookup problem so far. When I first moved to where I now live, I pushed a window open with my fore head, on my Bounder RV and got a shock. The neutral and ground were reversed on several outlets here. The place was 20 years old and I was the first to notice it.
I did confirm with Scamp today that they are using the PD9245C-45AMPS just as JTST noted. I too plan to ge an EMS for ours as well as do an early fix on the mouse hole.
mdm52
Suggestion for a new trailer.....
After we picked up our new trailer and brought it home I photographed all onboard electric and systems that I could easily access. (including warning labels, serial and model #) Scamp provided us all the installation/owner manuals and it makes it easy to read a sticker or compare an appliance with a digital photo on hand as some owner manuals cover more than one model. (Taking a good photo of the Axle sticker means I should never have to crawl underneath for those numbers ever again.)
Additionally, extra photos are really nice if someone posts a suggestion or issue and you wonder if your trailer has or suffers the same fate. Having a dated photo to compare is really handy and could prove a point if a repair were ever needed or you were considering a modification.
Thanks for the information and ideas here.
Mike
mdm52
Related to the converter and EMS, does anyone use a battery system monitor or is that getting into overkill?
Thanks to all.
Mike
mdm52
I added a waterproof voltmeter onto the battery box lid. Found one I liked on Amazon among many they have available. I really wanted something simple. It allows me on a snowy day to to check the trailer battery while in storage and make sure the convert is charging the battery. I added a momentary contact switch so its' off unless you push the button.