Bought a Lemon, But Not Giving Up - Page 2

TracyCess · 01-10-2015, 06:13 AM

The PowerMax converter that was recomended is equal in price to the stock one that may have crapped out in only two years. I have had so many problems with this TT that I am leery of putting the same parts into it. I will do as you mentioned to check for sure.

TracyCess · 01-10-2015, 11:31 PM

Thank You all for your assistance, but the converter is dead. This trailer/lemon will be brand new again by the time I am finished with it.

Chapmon · 01-14-2015, 11:03 AM

I had the same problem with my 08 Dutchmen Denali.
If the battery is not charging via converter or truck, odds are it is not the converter.
On the tongue of my trailer, almost under the battery box are several "slow blow" or "self-resetting" circuit breakers. These are located in different places in different models. They do not look like what you would typically think of as a circuit breaker. (See photo) One of these had burned out and would no longer reset itself. Power could not get to the battery via truck or converter. Power could get from the batteries to the rig, but not from the rig to the batteries. It took me forever to find. Prior to chasing down wiring until I ran into these, I did not know that they existed. Cheap to replace. I think it was less than $10. All the RV parts places carry them.

ewarnerusa · 01-14-2015, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chapmon

Power could not get to the battery via truck or converter. Power could get from the batteries to the rig, but not from the rig to the batteries. It took me forever to find. Prior to chasing down wiring until I ran into these, I did not know that they existed. Cheap to replace. I think it was less than $10. All the RV parts places carry them.

I don't think those circuit breakers can allow current one way and not the other. Were you plugged into shore power when the rig had 12v power?

MartyG · 01-14-2015, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ewarnerusa

I don't think those circuit breakers can allow current one way and not the other. Were you plugged into shore power when the rig had 12v power?

These are circuit breakers. Judging by the photo, there is a common bus feeding all three breakers. Consider that bus the battery. Now, through the three breakers come 1. towing vehicle 12V, 2. Converter 12V, and 3. Connection to rig's 12V lights and operating system.
The poster is saying that depending on the shape of these things, current flow could get interrupted in one or more directions.

MartyG · 01-14-2015, 04:51 PM

I magnified the picture, and saw more. There are 4 CBs, the first has it's cover removed. I REALLY DONT LIKE the way the terminals are so close to each other. On the first CB (uncovered) the two are almost touching, which would circumvent the CB altogether. All those little screw heads on the right side are awfully close as well.

ewarnerusa · 01-14-2015, 07:22 PM

My TT has one of these circuit breakers on the main 12V line between the battery and converter and it is mounted on the frame at the tongue, as is typical. It is either opened or closed, right? Current either can or cannot flow in either direction, right? It isn't a diode that can allow one way flow only.

MartyG · 01-14-2015, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ewarnerusa

My TT has one of these circuit breakers on the main 12V line between the battery and converter and it is mounted on the frame at the tongue, as is typical. It is either opened or closed, right? Current either can or cannot flow in either direction, right? It isn't a diode that can allow one way flow only.

These things are circuit breakers, and could allow flow either way. They are not one-way diodes. That being said, where they are placed in the line would indicated which way the flow is going. For instance, you mentioned it being in a line between the battery and the converter. In that line, current only flows from converter to battery. Now if you add other loads, many current paths are possible. Looking again at the picture above, it seem like two batteries and something else (12V TV power?) are connected to the "bus." From there, each load, or converter, is separately protected by a circuit breaker.
The poster of the picture is trying to make the point that it is unlikely that both a converter AND a link to TV power would not be available to a good (or bad) battery, without some problems in this area. He asserts, and I agree, that these things, especially wired as pictured by numbnuts installers at the dealer, are prone to failure and problems.

Chapmon · 01-14-2015, 08:46 PM

Hooked to shore power or running on DC, no DC power in rig. Bypassed the Circuit Breaker and everything worked properly. Put the circuit breaker back in place and no DC power from hot battery to rig. Replaced the circuit breaker and everything works properly, no more problems. Much cheaper than the converter that the dealership tried to convince me was defective.

ewarnerusa · 01-14-2015, 09:28 PM

Chapmon, that makes sense and it is a great point to check. I mentioned the same logic as you've pointed out in my first post in this thread, but then OP stated that it was the converter at fault so I went with that and got all excited about them upgrading it!

MartyG, I was questioning the statement made about power going from batteries to camper but not from camper (converter) to batteries. As I was explaining about my TT, which I assume is typical, there was a single red wire hooked to the positive battery terminal which led to this circuit breaker. I believe the elec tongue jack and trailer brakes were wired into the other end of this circuit breaker, but I'm going off of memory here... When converter is on, current is flowing from the converter to the batteries. When the converter is off, current can flow from the batteries along this same path back through to the 12V distribution panel. So current can flow either way through this circuit breaker and it doesn't care. But if it trips and opens, current cannot flow in either direction. So I didn't see how "Power could get from the batteries to the rig, but not from the rig to the batteries" (assuming the rig meant the trailer since he used "truck" to define that charge source) based on this circuit breaker being faulty.

TracyCess · 01-15-2015, 07:37 PM

Thank you again. Something else to check. Would be nice if I could fix it for under$20.

MartyG · 01-15-2015, 09:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ewarnerusa

MartyG, I was questioning the statement made about power going from batteries to camper but not from camper (converter) to batteries. When the converter is off, current can flow from the batteries along this same path back through to the 12V distribution panel. So current can flow either way through this circuit breaker and it doesn't care. But if it trips and opens, current cannot flow in either direction. So I didn't see how "Power could get from the batteries to the rig, but not from the rig to the batteries" (assuming the rig meant the trailer since he used "truck" to define that charge source) based on this circuit breaker being faulty.

Yes, as you describe it, you are correct. In a one-lead-to-battery scenario, with a breaker in the line, current can and does go both ways. I was answering as if possibly, like the picture, the battery(ies) were on a bus, and all the taps to the battery, both loads coming off, and converter going in, and also 12V TV going in (and possibly out, depending on TV wiring), EACH had it's own CB, like the pictured one. In that case it would be possible for the TV to charge the battery, and the loads (lights) work, but if the converter were isolated because of an open or bad CB, then the converter could never charge the battery. My camper, like yours, is all grouped together at the converter. The one lead to the battery goes through a single CB, and yes, like yours, the trailer brakes pick off their 12V power for the breakaway switch right there. Bottom line is that by placing multiple CBs in the system at various points, then various combinations of failure are possible.

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