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Old 06-07-2014, 10:27 AM   #1
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Centurian 3000 30AMP Converter replacement

I need to replace my 30AMP power converter (Centurian 3000) . I am having difficulty finding a replacement that is the same amperage and amount of DC circuits and not more than 6 inches deep.

If I replace the existing 30 AMP converter with a 60 AMP converter do I need to replace the battery power wire?

I have been told yes and no by different sources.

My question is will a 60AMP converter try to push more amps across what I think is an 8 gauge battery wire compared to a 30AMP converter?
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Old 06-07-2014, 06:18 PM   #2
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No, but do you really need 60 amps? The amperage is on demand if the battery is very flat yeah then it may produce 60 amps (the easy way around that is to replace the fuses with 30 amp ones) or if you are running every thing you own that needed 12 volts 60 amps my be some thing you might need. A #8 wire is good for 40 amps.
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Old 06-07-2014, 07:28 PM   #3
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If it is just the power board you need here is one I have been looking at to replace the board in my Centurion 3000 CS4500. The Centurion box only has about 5 1/2 inches depth inside so most replacement boards are too big to fit. This is a new series 9800 by WFCO. WFCO has somewhat of a bad reputation but the new one looks promising. It is a 3 stage switching mode converter that should fit inside the Centurion box.

WF-9845 [WF-9845] - $129.95 : RV Power Parts Plus, Discount store for all your RV & Marine Electrical needs. Featuring the most trusted Manufacturers in the industry: Iota DLS Converters, Transfer Switches, Magnum Energy Inverters, Parallax Power Com

Amazon has it for $131.86 and free shipping:
Amazon.com: WFCO WF9845 Deck Mount 45 Amps Converter Charger: Automotive

Here is a link to a PDF file that shows dimensions:
http://americanrvcompany.com/assets/images/wf9800.pdf

That may be an easier option than replacing the whole converter box.

Edit: To answer the question. A 60 amp converter with the potential to try to push 60 amps through wiring intended for 30 amps could cause the wiring to overheat at a weak spot.
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Old 06-07-2014, 08:08 PM   #4
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I don't need 60 AMPS and don't want 60 AMPS but there are no 30 AMP converter replacements of the correct dimensions and the correct number of AC / DC circuits. Can't find one that fits that will replace the converter and can't find one that will replace both the panel and the convert that will fit either.
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Old 06-07-2014, 08:13 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gene View Post
If it is just the power board you need here is one I have been looking at to replace the board in my Centurion 3000 CS4500. The Centurion box only has about 5 1/2 inches depth inside so most replacement boards are too big to fit. This is a new series 9800 by WFCO. WFCO has somewhat of a bad reputation but the new one looks promising. It is a 3 stage switching mode converter that should fit inside the Centurion box.

WF-9845 [WF-9845] - $129.95 : RV Power Parts Plus, Discount store for all your RV & Marine Electrical needs. Featuring the most trusted Manufacturers in the industry: Iota DLS Converters, Transfer Switches, Magnum Energy Inverters, Parallax Power Com

Amazon has it for $131.86 and free shipping:
Amazon.com: WFCO WF9845 Deck Mount 45 Amps Converter Charger: Automotive

Here is a link to a PDF file that shows dimensions:
http://americanrvcompany.com/assets/images/wf9800.pdf

That may be an easier option than replacing the whole converter box.

Edit: To answer the question. A 60 amp converter with the potential to try to push 60 amps through wiring intended for 30 amps could cause the wiring to overheat at a weak spot.
I thought about using some units like this but my question about these is how it gets its power. The power is through a 110 plug and the only 110 plugs in the camper are 15 r 20 amp circuits so you would not be feeding the converter with full power... unless the thing is supposed to be a second plug that goes to the campground power plug.
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Old 06-08-2014, 05:09 AM   #6
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I have done a couple that I have just removed the old charger parts and left the panel in place. If you are going to use a 45 amp charger the power draw from the mains is less than 800 watts a 15 amp circuit can supply 1800 watts so there would be no issue just plugging it in. You have a factor of 10 here (120 volts vers. 12 volts) so in theory you could run a 150 amp 12 volt charger on a 15 amp 120 volt circuit.
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Old 06-08-2014, 09:31 AM   #7
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You can wire the replacement board to get AC power from the converter circuit breaker and the DC out of the board goes to the same lugs as the current board. This thing just replaces the existing power board so you wire in the AC hot, neutral, and ground then the DC + and - , 5 wires. The advantage to this one, linked above, is that it seems to be the only one I have seen that fits in the Centurion box.

Since the WF9800 series has an AC plug you could put a small AC outlet box in the lower unit space. The outlet box would be fed from the circuit breaker now used for the converter or cut off the plug and wire it directly to the breaker observing the correct wiring for hot, neutral, and ground.
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Old 06-09-2014, 08:51 PM   #8
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WFCO is Chinese junk. Nothing is going to change that.

When our Centurion converter went bad, we cast around to find an American-made replacement. We had thought that the Progressive Dynamics unit would work for us, but the dimensions were just that much too large to work in our configuration. Thankfully, we found Iota Engineering. All products made in Tucson, AZ. The DLS-30 was the specified replacement for our 30A unit.

Like you, we had a similar issue with space. In the end our local RV guy cut away the rear of the Centurion housing, and installed the Iota sideways, so that the extra length simply stuck out the back of the compartment. We ended up with about 1" of space between the converter and the rear wall of the bathtub (the converter in the 2363 being mounted between the hallway wall and the shower enclosure). RV guy then simply mounted a 120V outlet also in the shower compartment access, and wired it to the main breaker.

Our Iota has been outstanding in every respect. Most of all, it's QUIET!! Even at full load you can barely hear the fans.

Here's a link to Iota's specifications guide: http://www.iotaengineering.com/pplib/spec2.pdf

Hope some of this helps you.
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Old 06-16-2014, 04:54 AM   #9
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I ended up purchasing a Progressive Dynamics PD4045 unit and replace the entire distribution panel and the converter. Comments on the entire process are below.

1. Instructions are a little vague and do not include getting power to the converter... in the old one I had noticed it was powered from a direct connection to one of the 15 AMP A/C breakers so I copied that on the new install.

2. Had to build out a frame around the smaller width unit and still need to find some paneling to cover the open space and make it look pretty.

3. the unit although advertised for a specific depth is actually deeper that they list on the Progressive Dynamics website. I will be watching it to make sure it does not heat up too much because of restricted air flow. That said I think it should be fine otherwise I would have pulled it back out. The converter portion of the plastic case actually extends at least an inch past the converter internal board/parts. If there are problems I may shorten the case.

Thanks everyone for the assistance and suggestions. This board makes me want to keep my Sunline even more!
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