Converter questions
Printed From: R-pod Owners Forum
Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=10655
Printed Date: 30 Jun 2025 at 8:16am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.64 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Converter questions
Posted By: flat6s
Subject: Converter questions
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2017 at 9:15am
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2017 Rpod 180 I believe my converter failed in the U.P. last week.Second failure this year. Made it thru trip using a battery charger. At home now, I have taken the front off the electrical panel, and I have removed the 2 screws holding the converter in, and I have loosened the small circuit board on the left because the 110 v supply wires are routed behind the circuit board. I am going to connect shore power tomorrow night and use my dvm to make sure 110 v power is coming into converter, pretty sure it is. Converter is WFCO 8955. 55 amp.I have read and searched everything I can on converter. Going to bite the bullet and go with Progressive Dynamics, as suggested on this forum by various members. As far as I can tell the correct number would be PD 4655 v. Can anyone confirm that this is a direct replacement, except for drilling the one hole ? Also, where would you recommend I buy one ? I am not a real talented mechanic, but this looks like an easy swap out to me. thank you, in advance, for any help and suggestions you can throw. my way. Joe
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Replies:
Posted By: Subzilla
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2017 at 12:17pm
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Not warrantied?? ------------- Mark Concord, NC 2017 RP 179 "Podzilla" 2011 Silverado 1500 4X4 |
Posted By: flat6s
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2017 at 1:33pm
| Yes sir...under warranty. However, dealer is 2 hours away, so to drop it off and pick it up amounts to about 8 hours of driving. And that's okay, I suppose, but when they installed the second one in march, they did a lot of damage. For instance, they pulled about 5 wires from the circuit board connection, damaged the flooring, made a huge mess tracking in mud, etc. I would rather pay the money and do it myself than to go through all of that again. I will send the old one in for warranty replacement, and hang on to it for a spare. |
Posted By: Subzilla
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2017 at 1:49pm
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I TOTALLY understand. I'm the same about stuff like that. Just wondering in case that happens to me. I purchased mine from Couch's RV Nation....an 8 hour drive one way from my house! ------------- Mark Concord, NC 2017 RP 179 "Podzilla" 2011 Silverado 1500 4X4 |
Posted By: flat6s
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2017 at 2:05pm
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Mark I think the thing I learned is that if your converter goes out, you can keep camping by using a battery charger as your converter, if you have 110 v hookup. This saved our vacation to the U.P.
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Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2017 at 2:27pm
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http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002OR4242/ref=ox_sc_sfl_title_8?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER - Exact Replacement. Don't consider it a nonwarrantywarrenteedrepair.. consider it it mod or upgrade for ownership peace of mind. I did. ------------- |
Posted By: flat6s
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2017 at 2:57pm
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Furpod I sent you a PM Joe
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Posted By: Richand Cindy
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2017 at 3:12pm
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Yup. Same thing happened to us while on a trip. Went to Sears bought a charger and trip was saved. We found an RV rental place 45 minutes from us that is an authorized Forest River warranty repair agent. And since they do not sell RV's they actually want your repair business. So we dropped off the RV this morning. Now I do not have to drive 2 1/2 hours back to the dealer (keeping my fingers crossed I get good service). If we had not found this repair shop we would have attempted to make the repairs ourselves. ------------- OLD 2017.5 RPOD 180 + 2015 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk NEW: 2018 Passport Elite 23RB + 2017 Ram 1500 Diesel |
Posted By: flat6s
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2017 at 3:23pm
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Rich and Cindy, I sure hope your service center does a good job for you. I am trying to learn to do more on my trailer, preventive maintenance wise and repair wise. It usually goes pretty good for me as long as I do not get in a hurry. Let me know how you come out. I will keep my fingers crossed.
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Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 13 Sep 2017 at 9:09pm
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My converter failed on our last trip. I ordered a WFCO replacement from Amazon and installed it myself. When we got home, I contacted WFCO and got the authorization to send the defective one to them. I received a replacement which is now being kept as a spare. I also had bought a charger to tide us over. The problem is that it wanted to consider the dual 6V batteries as defective since the charger was really not meant for 215 AH batteries. The converter has no problem with them.
------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: flat6s
Date Posted: 20 Sep 2017 at 3:35pm
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Furpod, i sent you another pm Joe
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Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 20 Sep 2017 at 4:12pm
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Replied...
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Posted By: Richand Cindy
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2017 at 3:48pm
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After three weeks at the repair shop, all repairs were made. They had to replace the converter. Good news Forest River did cover the cost so there was no charge. Yippee! Now I can get warranty work done locally and do not have to travel back to dealer. I am going to use them to store the RPOD over the winter so I do not have to take up needed space in my daughters small driveway ------------- OLD 2017.5 RPOD 180 + 2015 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk NEW: 2018 Passport Elite 23RB + 2017 Ram 1500 Diesel |
Posted By: DavMar
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2017 at 6:59pm
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Okay here is my question.... should your converter fail then how do you connect a battery charger to the failed converter to salvage your trip? Explanation? Pictures? It seems I'm missing something in this puzzle so maybe someone can help me and others like me out just in case they experience a converter failure.
------------- Dave & Marlene J with Zoey the wonder dog. 2017 Rpod 180 2016 Toyota Tacoma SR5 4x4 Lexington, NC |
Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2017 at 8:46pm
------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
Posted By: voisj
Date Posted: 04 Oct 2017 at 10:02pm
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I had a converter go out due to a lightning strike at a campground in Arkansas,Devil's den. It was three days into a four week trip. I bought a small charger and was able to charge the batteries while when we had shore power,with my generator and while driving.I just hooked it up to one battery and then the other the next night and never had a real power issue the rest of the trip. I now carry a charger in the tounge box just in case. The only question I have is whether I could just hook it to one battery and does it help if I move it back and forth? ------------- http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=9426&title=slopod-180-mods-johnsue - SLOPODMODS John&Sue,SLO,CA 2016 180 HRE, 2013 F150 Eco Boost 
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Posted By: pgoelz
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2017 at 6:15am
If both batteries are 12V (six cell caps per battery) and wired in parallel, connect the charger to either battery and it will charge both. Paul
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Posted By: DavMar
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2017 at 9:33am
After reading your response GlueGuy I just had to smack my forehead and say dahhhh ..... the answer to my question is so obvious!  ------------- Dave & Marlene J with Zoey the wonder dog. 2017 Rpod 180 2016 Toyota Tacoma SR5 4x4 Lexington, NC |
Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2017 at 3:38pm
------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
Posted By: sailor323
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2017 at 4:15pm
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When using 2 12v batteries wired in parallel, I like to hook the charger up to the positive on one battery and the negative on the other |
Posted By: Richand Cindy
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2017 at 4:57pm
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We had shore power and just plugged the battery charger into the outdoor outlet and charged the battery. Since there was no chance for rain we just kept the charger attached and it kept it trickle charged. Did not have to disconnect anything. But I connected the negative to a bolt holding the WDH on the frame rather than directly to the battery (I used to always just ground the negative whenever charging a car rather than attaching directly to battery - so just habit) ------------- OLD 2017.5 RPOD 180 + 2015 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk NEW: 2018 Passport Elite 23RB + 2017 Ram 1500 Diesel |
Posted By: voisj
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2017 at 7:28pm
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Off topic, my Costco has golf cart interstate batteries for $89 apiece,are these any good? I've been doing fine with the 2 group 24 12 volts but thinking of an upgrade before our trip next week.
------------- http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=9426&title=slopod-180-mods-johnsue - SLOPODMODS John&Sue,SLO,CA 2016 180 HRE, 2013 F150 Eco Boost
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Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2017 at 9:00pm
It depends. Interstate is a good name, but I tried searching and could not get to anything that had specifications for the battery. For comparison, I got two GC-2 batteries of 215Ah at Batteries Plus Bulbs for about the same price. They are labeled as Duracell. ------------- StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
Posted By: voisj
Date Posted: 05 Oct 2017 at 9:32pm
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Stephan,
They did say 215 ah on the interstate batteries at costco. Our batteries plus just changed their sign to batteries plus bulbs last week,this gives me a reason to check them out. Thanks John ------------- http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=9426&title=slopod-180-mods-johnsue - SLOPODMODS John&Sue,SLO,CA 2016 180 HRE, 2013 F150 Eco Boost
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