converter/charger

[bbrobert]

How can I disable the charging circuit of the WFCO 8955 converter without disabling the whole converter? I'd like to install a dedicated charger that comes on line when the RV is plugged into shore power. It probably wouldn't be good to have both the converter charger and the dedicated charger competing with each other.

Barry

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by bbrobert

1. How can I disable the charging circuit of the WFCO 8955 converter without disabling the whole converter?


2. I'd like to install a dedicated charger that comes on line when the RV is plugged into shore power.


3. It probably wouldn't be good to have both the converter charger and the dedicated charger competing with each other.

Barry

Hi Barry,

I hear what you want to do, but not following "why" you are ♠wanting to do this. Is there a problem with your WFCO charging the battery?

Now to your quest,

I do not 100% know your converter but, see if your set up has this feature



That is my older American converter and power box. There are 2 ways in this system to allow the converter to run and provide 12 volts to run the inside camper but not charge the battery.

The big red cable up top is the battery charge wire. This goes out to the battery as there is also a 30 amp auto reset circuit breaker out by the battery. The heavy yellow wire is the main converter supply wire going direct to the fuse blocks.

If I ever wanted to not have the converter charge the battery but run the inside of the camper I could.

1. Pull the 2 green 30 amp fuses on the top of this fuse black that feeds the big heavy red wire to the battery. In this case no power is going to the battery and no battery power is coming into the camper.

2. The other way on my camper is to go out to the front of the camper and turn the battery disconnected switch off.

A 3rd way, doable but a royal pain

3. I could unhook the big heavy red wire from the 30 amp self resetting circuit breaker out by the battery.

For you on your quest, if No 1, pulling the 2 fuses feeding the heavy red wire may be the easier way to undo and redo this unless you have a battery disconnected switch.

Then to tie your stand alone battery charger in, just hook it direct to the battery OR if the charger is inside the camper, tap onto the heavy read wire like the converter did with the 2 fuses pulled. The commons (-) of the charger and the converter can co-exist both being hooked up to the same battery feed.

Again what you are asking is doable, just cannot figure out why you want to do this.

Hope this helps

John

[mainah]

Yeah me too it is a switching supply not an old battery killer and it does come on when it's plugged in to charge the battery.

[bbrobert]

Thanks John,
My reason for wanting to do this is because the converter does a good job of converting but a poor job of charging. It puts out minimal charging amps and takes forever to charge the batteries, especially when boondocking. I'd like to install a dedicated 40A xantrex truecharge2. Your converter is different from the WFCO, but you do give me some ideas. Thank you

Barry

[MACK C-85]

I replaced my WFCO 8955 charger with this upgrade. Might be an option to consider. Fairly easy swap out, fits in original charger space, and mine has been working very well for about a year.

WFCO-Powermax Main Board Replacement

Mack

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by bbrobert

Thanks John,
My reason for wanting to do this is because the converter does a good job of converting but a poor job of charging. It puts out minimal charging amps and takes forever to charge the batteries, especially when boondocking. I'd like to install a dedicated 40A xantrex truecharge2. Your converter is different from the WFCO, but you do give me some ideas. Thank you

Barry

Ah, the WFCO saga... I see Frank responded to your other post. Others have had issues getting some of the WFCO's to kick into boost unless the battery was drained down a long ways.

I went with the Progressive Dynamics PD9260C 60 amp 4 stage with the charge wizard

PD9260C - 60 Amp RV Converter/Charger

When boondocking I can fire up the genny after a day of use and the PD will kick into boost no problem. The 1 converter is big enough to charge both Group 27 batteries back to 90% and run anything I need in the camper from the genny. Most of the parks we boondock at we are only allowed get 5 hours of run time.

If I do daily charges and have never run out of power.

An option, upgrade the entire converter and solve the problem.

Good luck

John

[bbrobert]

Hi John,

Thanks for your comments. The simplest is probably to go with an upgrade as you mentioned.

Barry