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Old 07-29-2018, 11:13 AM   #21
jeffba
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Old 07-29-2018, 12:22 PM   #22
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Originally Posted by dieselguy View Post
Before I went and changed out all this … I'd find out what's going on with the current setup. The issue may carry over into all the new stuff. Were the reverse polarity fuses blown in either of your WFCO's?
Concur with Phil and Dieselguy. Sort out what is wrong before throwing new parts at it. Get professional help if needed. You could ruin new batteries quickly if the underlying issue is not corrected.
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Old 07-29-2018, 02:02 PM   #23
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Concur with Phil and Dieselguy. Sort out what is wrong before throwing new parts at it. Get professional help if needed. You could ruin new batteries quickly if the underlying issue is not corrected.
I agree with y’all. That’s why I bought the new diagnostic tools and going thru the process this time. I attended votech for industrial electronics and welding so I am a little more knowledgeable than most and certainly more than the 20 somethings that Camping World calls technicians!!

But I’m also not afraid to ask for help and this is about the best place to find folks who do know what they are talking about.

I researched this topic fairly well and did a lot of wire tracing on the unit. Based on what I have read and experienced I am currently leaning toward WFCO being a bad brand that was taxed to hard by a combination of high heat and humidity this summer and the heavy workload of keeping up with a 42’ camper with residential fridge that runs off inverter when not on shore power. I don’t think the WFCO has resetting thermal and high/low supply voltage-protection like the Progressive brand. The WFCO basically dies of heat stroke and can’t be recovered. At least not without a schematic of the unit and taking it apart (which voids warranty)!

I am just locking down the batteries are in fact good before installing a larger Progressive
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Old 07-29-2018, 04:50 PM   #24
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Well this seals it. I talked to an RV repair shop and they said they would not honor their warranty on work IF I had them install the WFCO brand converter. They were made no bones that the brand was absolute junk!


New one I just bought is going back and I'm getting the Progressive which nearly everyone has recommended!!!!
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Old 07-30-2018, 10:04 AM   #25
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Just so I am clear that I follow this. You are thinking your converter (battery charger / 110 vac to 12 volt dc converter unit) is a bad make and too small. You are not saying your inverter that makes 110 vac (from 12 volt DC-batteries) to run the resid. frig is bad - correct?

I will say my experience with the inverter to run the frig is that they are hard on batteries.
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Old 07-30-2018, 10:13 AM   #26
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Originally Posted by Twopetes View Post
Just so I am clear that I follow this. You are thinking your converter (battery charger / 110 vac to 12 volt dc converter unit) is a bad make and too small. You are not saying your inverter that makes 110 vac (from 12 volt DC-batteries) to run the resid. frig is bad - correct?

I will say my experience with the inverter to run the frig is that they are hard on batteries.
Exactly
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Old 07-30-2018, 11:02 AM   #27
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the "Prep" is the same with either.

and isn't the reward for each project a new tool?
Ditto
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Old 08-01-2018, 01:31 PM   #28
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The charging systems (Shore/Tow vehicle/Inverter) take a lot of tracking down to find the true trouble with the system. My wife and I recently had issues with our batteries not charging on Shore power; however, when hooked to the tow vehicle, it would charge. After a day of trouble shooting, my wife posted on the forum our problem. Within 5 minutes, I had an answer. The switch with the red key in the convenience panel was in the off position. With all of this being said, more times than not, it is the simple things that give us the most problems.
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Old 08-01-2018, 04:24 PM   #29
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Update. Confirmed batteries are NOT the issue using proper testing procedures. The batteries charge no problem when hooked to truck and also with standard battery charger. The red "key" switch is on (confirmed as some things will switch off when the switch is off. We have a Progressive brand converter on the way.
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Old 08-01-2018, 08:03 PM   #30
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Great,
My OEM Progressive Converter lasted 13 years, albeit not as stressed with a Residential Fridge. When it died last year and I contacted them, they thought anything over 8 years was somewhat unusual.
How many electronic devices last very long any more?
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Old 08-02-2018, 05:20 AM   #31
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James - will you ne changing out the converter? Does it seem to work now? Curious as I had a situation a couple days ago. My wife was vacuuming (120VAC Hoover sick vac)) and I was trying to use the Flojetmacerator (12VDC). The macerator ran as though a battery was on its last legs. The DW shut off the vacuum and the macerator ran just fine. I've replaced the OEM inverter already with the next WFCO output step up, not due to failure but due to the cooling fan howl - and have since replaced the fan.



Do I have a weak battery - tesed OK in May, but is that battery not being charged and the macerator needed 12VDC from the converter. Or has the battery died of old age (3+ years)
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Old 08-02-2018, 06:06 AM   #32
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I just diagnosed a bad WFCO converter in a SOB for a customer.
told himI would change it out, but got it on the bench and looked it over with a volt meter found a cold solder joint. Soldered it up and converter works fine.
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Old 08-02-2018, 06:28 AM   #33
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Originally Posted by powerhaulic View Post
I just diagnosed a bad WFCO converter in a SOB for a customer.
told himI would change it out, but got it on the bench and looked it over with a volt meter found a cold solder joint. Soldered it up and converter works fine.
I could have torn into the WFCO as I am trained and worked in Industrial Electronics but it would void warranty so I didn’t bother. Heard a lot of negative comments about them so just went with a different brand (Progressive) with better rep. And got larger amp.

Did I mention an RV repair shop here they would not warranty their work if a customer insisted on WFCO?
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Old 08-02-2018, 04:55 PM   #34
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Originally Posted by mtlakejim View Post
I could have torn into the WFCO as I am trained and worked in Industrial Electronics but it would void warranty so I didn’t bother. Heard a lot of negative comments about them so just went with a different brand (Progressive) with better rep. And got larger amp.

Did I mention an RV repair shop here they would not warranty their work if a customer insisted on WFCO?
Why not tear into it,especially if you have already gotten another brand to replace the WFCO. Its not like the WFCO warranty will mean anything to you anyways since you are doing away with it!!
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Old 08-05-2018, 06:08 PM   #35
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Update

We went camping this weekend and I alternated between batteries with no issues. I used conventional charger to recharge. Can go about a day and only lose about 10% of the charge while running on one battery. That confirms they are good to me. The new converter should deliver Monday hopefully that will take care of the issue for good.

Oh I noticed (with help of a friend) that the area where inverter is gets interior AC air (good for cooling) from the heater inlet ducts on stairs.
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