Folks,
Our 1988 19" Scamp has a dead converter, it is a Progressive 30A converter / charger. I know next to nothing about converters, aside from charging the battery, what does it do. Are the other 12 volt leads closer to 12 volt output since they are not charging the battery?
If I install just a battery charger, would the higher output voltage of the charger while in use damage electronic devices plugged the 12 volt system?
About 1/2 of our camping will be without shore power. The power water pump has been replaced with a hand pump at the sink. We will adapt a hand pump to the shower. The camper has no grey water pump at the shower. The three way refrigerator has died . So we are down to lights, stove hood fan, furnace and in the future a Fantastic Fan. Do any of these appliances function better with a converter while hooked to shore power? I think it would be a rarity to have a current draw larger that 12 amps.
I look forward to rading your experiences and comments.
Bob H
A Converter simply converts 110 volt "shore" power to 12 volt power. Whenever your RV is plugged into shore power the Converter charges the battery and provides 12 volt power for your 12v systems (lights, water pump, fans, 12v outlets).
Older Converters simply charged your battery at a constant voltage and had a tendency to kill your battery prematurely. Today's Converters can be bought with "Smart Charge" technology (a.k.a. Charge Wizard) that senses the charge state of your battery and adjusts the output voltage based on what voltage is best to quickly charge your battery while also maximizing the life of your battery.
Are you sure your Converter is Bad? Have you verified that you have 110 volts coming into the Converter? Have you checked and/or replaced the fuses on the converter itself? Are you getting any voltage out of the Converter on the 12 volt side (measured at the output terminals)?
Most 12v products are designed to operate in a wide range of voltages because 12 volt charging systems usually fluctuate voltage within a range of 11.5v to 14.7v.
As Always,
Happy Scamping !!!
It causes a pain in the back, neck and knees when you have to crawl around on the floor of your Scamp like I did because the converter's just above the floor under a bench seat. The reason I was doing that was because my converter stopped charging the battery. Everything else, including the 110 refrigerator, worked fine. I have a 2001 Scamp 16' that had an Elixir 20 converter. I replaced it this weekend with an WFCO 8735 converter, which I saw on line as a recommended replacement. Everything works fine now, including the battery charging.
If you're not using 110v for anything you could probably charge your battery with a battery charger and head out. Take the battery charger with you if you're going to be in a camp ground with shore power. That's essentially how we camp. We go out for 2 or 3 days and just live off the battery and propane for the fridge.
But, I would consider Googling for a replacement converter and change it out. The WFCO 8735 only cost $115 plus freight. Changing it out was not difficult technically, only physically for an old guy with arthritis. You may not have that problem. Good luck.
Gene Spinner
Grand Junction, CO
2001 Scamp 16'
The WFCO 8735 we had installed in our Scamp is fantastic. Almost over kill for the Scamp, however, the original power converter was exactly the type put in pop ups! Its a fantastic power converter, fan, and lights that illuminate in the event of a blown fuse!
<p>Doug Allen 2016 Ford F-150 2018 Lance 1575</p>