New Converter Wiring

srosa707 · May 17, 2018, 03:52 PM

All, looking for a little help here. I am in the process of removing my old original converter and replacing it with a Boondocker 35 Amp model. This is what the wiring looks like for each converter:

srosa707 · May 17, 2018, 03:58 PM

As of right now, I have both BLUE and RED connected and plugged into the positive terminal (pink) of the new converter. I forgot to add in the illustration that the old converter had a chassis lug and there was a negative wire that went to the frame. When I connected this original chassis wire up to the Boondocker, the boondocker would not work (meaning it would not charge the house battery). When I wired the chassis ground to the negative terminal (green) on the Boondocker, the converter started charging.

1) Is it right to have the blue and red terminals wired together?

2)This is giving constant power to my 12 Volt system. If so, how then does the converter work?

3)Does the converter begin outputting to the house battery AND 12 Volt system as soon as it is plugged in?

4) Also, where do I run this chassis lug wiring too? Do I need it?

srosa707 · May 17, 2018, 04:37 PM

Another issue: Old owner rigged up 110 Volt and 12 Volt lighting in the back so you could tell which was working by just turning on a light. Now that the converter has been swapped I cannot get the 12 Volt light to work which got me thinking how the heck did a 110 light bulb work on 12 Volt Hm?

Disclaimer: I a usually the wiring guy for my projects and other projects and this one has me a bit stumped!

Rickf1985 · May 17, 2018, 07:10 PM

Well, I am not going to touch those light bulbs not knowing where they are tapped in but what I will tell you is that if you bought the converter at Best converter then call Randy there and he will walk you through the hook up. The Boondocker is internally protected so you do not have to go through the breaker in the panel. From what I am seeing you had four outputs from the old converter? The one output of the boondocker will cover everything but there should have been directions with the unit to cover that. The chassis lug gets grounded to the frame and house batteries which should also be grounded to the frame. The negative terminal will get attached to the return negative terminal from all of the 12 volt hookups in the RV, which is basically should be a 6-8 gauge black wire from the fuse/breaker panel. Make sure you actually have all of the circuits hooked up in the breaker panel. I have two separate circuits in mine, One powers the control panel on the wall which has breakers for things like the heater and fridge and the other goes to the vent hood which has all the controls for the water pump, vent fan, indicator lights for the tanks and the hot water heater.

srosa707 · May 17, 2018, 07:14 PM

The "110 AC" bulb is wired directly to the breaker labeled "110 Outlets" in the panel. The "12V" on the left is wired to the DC fuse panel. It has 12.6V across it. I've jumpered across it and gotten a 12V bulb to light, but now I am confused as to HOW the 110 bulb was lighting on a 12V input? Really weird.

Rickf1985 · May 17, 2018, 07:25 PM

Quote from: srosa707 on May 17, 2018, 07:14 PM
The "110 AC" bulb is wired directly to the breaker labeled "110 Outlets" in the panel. The "12V" on the left is wired to the DC fuse panel. It has 12.6V across it. I've jumpered across it and gotten a 12V bulb to light, but now I am confused as to HOW the 110 bulb was lighting on a 12V input? Really weird.

A 110 bulb will not light on 12 volts, not even dim I don't think. You need to carefully trace that stuff out and test it or better yet eliminate it. Bubba wiring is dangerous at best!

Rickf1985 · May 17, 2018, 07:28 PM

Something else to consider is that if you are running the Boondocker through the original breaker in the panel that breaker may be a smaller breaker than the amperage that the boondocker is putting out. Check to see if it is tripped and if it is you will need to assess if the wiring is heavy enough to handle the load and then bypass the breaker. As I said, the converter is internally protected.

srosa707 · May 17, 2018, 07:40 PM

As stated in a different thread I started on the topic (see link), the Boondocker is not hard wired in, it uses a 3 -prong plug in and goes in an electrical outlet. Yes, the outlet is wired to a dedicated 20 Amp, but I cannot find anything, anywehere, that says what the draw is on this unit. I am assuming that since it does not specify, it must not be THAT important? No breakers have been tripped.

http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php/topic,14484.0.html

Rickf1985 · May 17, 2018, 08:14 PM

We are talking about two different things. Forget the 110 side of the Boondocker, it will only draw 10-15 amps max at absolute full load. I am talking about the 12 volt output. Do any of the wires you have coming out of the boondocker go to the fuse panel of the RV? One of the wires you had marked as coming out of the old one was marked to breaker panel or something like that. I would need to open the site again in another page to read both at once and things get flakey with the site if I do that.

Rickf1985 · May 17, 2018, 08:19 PM

If you really want to know the draw then go to Lowes or similar and get a "Kill-a-watt" tester. They are cheap and you plug it into the wall and then plug in whatever you want to know the draw on. It will tell you amps or watts.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Kill-A-Watt-Electricity-Monitor-P4400/202196386

Here is the one I have, It is handy since it is on a cord and you have some flexibility with it.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Reliance-Controls-AmWatt-Appliance-Load-Tester-THP103/202213704

srosa707 · May 17, 2018, 09:09 PM

Rick,

Thanks for all the input. So there are 2 wires coming into the converter: 1) to the house battery 2) to the 12V fuse panel in the back of the rig (by the lightbulbs). The 12V draw in this rig is minimal. A couple lights is all I am really running. THe 110 draw is minimal as well. Max draw is the modified AC unit which I have not run since I added the Boondocker.

I think I am good now.

One weird thing though, I switched out all of my interior 12V bulbs with those LED ones from eBay folks were talking about recently. They all work with the exception of the light above the dinette. I put the filiment bulb back in and it lights right up. Put the LED in, nothing. Really weird. I even tried several different LED's in it (yes, they all work in other units).

M & J · May 17, 2018, 10:04 PM

Plus and minus might be reversed on that fixture. Filament bulbs doesnt matter, LED bulbs are polarity sensitive.