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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Posts: 2630 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Electrical Problems
    Posted: 22 Mar 2018 at 11:56am
+1 to what furpod says. You can usually hook different chargers/controllers to a battery (or pair of batteries) without harm. Batteries act like giant capacitors, and will tend to absorb whatever is dumped into them. We have remote communications sites with both AC and solar, and we just hook the battery outputs of both controllers directly to the batteries. We use one controller or the other (solar or AC) to run the load side of things. When we have sun, the solar provides most of the juice. When we have AC, the AC controller provides most of the juice. When both the sun and AC are AWOL, the batteries get to work.
bp
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Wood River Pod View Drop Down
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Posts: 153 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Mar 2018 at 1:57pm
Got it.  Confirmed my thoughts.  
Thanks
Smith's in Hailey
Early 2017 179 HRE

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furpod View Drop Down
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Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Mar 2018 at 1:55pm
Originally posted by Wood River Pod

I need some clarification. Headed out for a 10 day trip and want to have the answer before I head out.  IF...my WFCO dies on the trip, and I use the jumper cable and/or batter charger method, how do I hook it up to my dual 6 volt batteries?  Do I charge both at the same time with one connection to the +  on one and one to the - on the other?  Or do I charge each battery independently?  My gut says hook it up just like the wires form the WFCO, but this wouldn't be the first time I've learned something new.  

The battery charger seems to be the safer as it would have an auto shut off to make sure I'm not cooking the battery.  We also have solar for when we are off the grid, but want to be sure when we have access to power if this happens.  It's not going to happen...but I want to be prepared.  
Thanks


You make your connections to the battery posts the pod wiring is connected to. you have a cable going to the neg(-) on one battery, and the pos(+) on the other battery, from the pod.

You also have 1 cable running from the pos(+) on one battery to the neg(-) on the other battery. You DON'T use those two posts.

Regardless of which method you use, portable solar, battery charger, jumper cables, you charge both batteries at once, it's a 12v system. BTW, charging with jumper cables won't fry your batteries, and again, it's the fastest method you have available. Your solar panel is probably good for 4A, a portable charger, 6-10A, your trucks alternator, 90 to 240A.. The voltage regulator will keep the alternator from running amok on your batteries, same as it does the battery in your truck.
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Posts: 84 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Mar 2018 at 1:50pm
TeeBrock,
I had the same failure last year in UP Michigan.  I figured out that the onboard converter charges the battery and runs the 12 volt items.   A simple automotive battery charger is the same thing.  It will charge your battery and run your 12 volt items.  No big deal and it works great.  Besides, you should carry a small battery charger with for just such an occasion.  I turned it off at night and ran just off the battery, then turned the charger on every morning.  Used it the way for 2 weeks until I got back home again in Indiana, then replaced the defective WFCO charger with a much better Progressive Dynamics unit.

Lostagain.... Yes the Progressive Dynamics is identical plug and play.  I am not much good at electrical, so I took my time,  studied it,  then about an hour later it was installed.  Everything Matched up perfectly and no modifications were. needed.  There are just a couple of minor things to understand and then it is gravy.  I will gladly give you details when you are ready.   The people at Progressive Dynamics are great.  Service techs readily available... Highly recommended.   Unit appears to be much higher quality.  I said screw the warranty on the second WFCO to go bad and put out the money for the Progressive Dynamics unit...you won't be sorry.....Joe
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Wood River Pod View Drop Down
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Posts: 153 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Mar 2018 at 1:42pm
I need some clarification. Headed out for a 10 day trip and want to have the answer before I head out.  IF...my WFCO dies on the trip, and I use the jumper cable and/or batter charger method, how do I hook it up to my dual 6 volt batteries?  Do I charge both at the same time with one connection to the +  on one and one to the - on the other?  Or do I charge each battery independently?  My gut says hook it up just like the wires form the WFCO, but this wouldn't be the first time I've learned something new.  

The battery charger seems to be the safer as it would have an auto shut off to make sure I'm not cooking the battery.  We also have solar for when we are off the grid, but want to be sure when we have access to power if this happens.  It's not going to happen...but I want to be prepared.  
Thanks
Smith's in Hailey
Early 2017 179 HRE

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TeeBrock View Drop Down
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Posts: 40 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Mar 2018 at 1:32pm
Well all-
I appreciate all the responses regarding the"converter" issue. I'm at an RV park in Texas and tried to get "my R Pod Dealer"  to send me the converteo, but they don't want to do that. I don't have the time to drive 45 miles for a trouble-shooting party without having the parts in stock. So....wish me luck as I call them back and insist the mail me the converter!
Tee
and Sadie (Chocolate Lab)
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lostagain View Drop Down
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Posts: 2587 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Mar 2018 at 11:44am
Hmmm, I didn't know there was such antipathy to WFCO.  Mine lasted 8 years, which given the service environment (as suggested by Chet's comments on wiggling), it did pretty well.  I think I'll stick a little dampening stuff under the tray just to be sure.  If it conks out again, after the two year warranty, I'll certainly look into other brands and appreciate the suggestion of flat6s that a Progressive Dynamic converter is more reliable.  A question for flat:  it just slides right in like the WFCO, with the screws aligning and everything?  

As for losing your 12 v while camping, this is one reason why I carry a 100 amp solar panel.  We rarely camp where we can plug into AC to run a charger.  When I need to, though, I use the automotive charger I bought many years ago for my Newport 30 30 years ago.  It just takes forever to recharge at 10 amps output.  Yet another left over sailboat thing that I repurposed and it's still going strong.
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Fred & Maria Kearney
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Posts: 43 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Mar 2018 at 11:05am
As you are in a 180, I will repost this...

I had issues with two converters in my 2017 180.  I wrote about my theory and fix here:  
http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=8847&KW=converter&title=theory-on-failed-power-converters-possible-fix 

I have not had a single issue (knock on wood) since this fix, which has now been easily more than 40,000 miles ago.  Davidb experienced the same failure and upon inspection discovered 

"...Placed circuit board under magnifier lamp and noticed one of the legs on one the devices (MOSFET) that is connected to the aluminum heat-sink is sheared in two.
Obviously a vibration issue..."

I feel it's a design flaw with the 180s.

As others have stated above, a cheap battery charger from Walmart will get you through until repairs are made.  I wouldn't hesitate to have it repaired under warranty and then de-wiggle the tray with a piece of foam insulation to keep it from happening again.
Former 2017 rPod 180 owner
Now in a 2019 Little Guy MAX
Full timer who logs more than 35,000 miles per year.
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flat6s View Drop Down
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Joined: 21 Mar 2016
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Posts: 84 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Mar 2018 at 10:25am
Get prepared to buy an automotive battery charger.  When your converter goes bad, which mine has done twice now, a battery charge can save the camping trip.  it will keep your battery charged, all things 12 volt will work and you can continue using your trailer until you return home.  Then plan on replacing your Waco junk converter with a Progressive Dynamic unit.  Direct replacement.
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lostagain View Drop Down
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Posts: 2587 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Mar 2018 at 9:13am
Curious, as I just replaced my WFCO converter due to a charging problem.  They discussion is under warranty, service and recall.  Here are some steps you can take to see if your converter is working;  In the distribution center there are two DC fuses to the left of the distribution fuses.  They are each 40 amp, if I recall correctly.  They protect the converter from inadvertent reversing of polarity.  In the WFCO trouble shooting diagnosis tree, they tell you to remove these fuses and check on the distribution board to see if there is a charge at the VCC lug on the fuse board.  On the top left of the board, you'll see a red and white cable connected to the board.  That's where you should have at least 13.3 volts.  If you don't, you have a bad converter.  You can get one from Amazon over night.  

On both the Amazon site and the WFCO site there is a video on how to replace the converter.  It's really easy and shouldn't take more than a half an hour if you don't mind wallowing around on the floor a bit.

Be sure you have all power turned off while replacing your converter, both AC and DC.  And, it's a good idea to retighten all of the screws that connect wires in the AC part of the panel as well as the DC.  The screws tend to loosen over time and need to be re-torqued.  If they are not tight they can cause a fire.

Here is the url for WFCO:  www.wfcoelectronics.com

Hope this helps.
Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney
Sonoma 167RB
Our Pod 172
2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost
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