20 amp power converter rv install#
20 amp power converter rv generator#
20 amp power converter rv upgrade#
20 amp power converter rv full#

So amps x volts = watts, 5 x 110 = 550 watts AC. I’ve learned that an AC device Wattage DIVIDED by 10 gives you the required DC amps to power that device. My furnace draws around 10 amps DC so it can run for 7 hrs then it recharge time. and came with a WF-9855 converter.īatteries I can draw them down 1/3 before they need to be recharged, thereby maxing out their life expectancy.

My trailer has 2 six volt Interstate batteries giving me 206 Ahr.

20 amp power converter rv install#

Hi folks, I’d like to share what i think I know about my RV electrical system and would you kindly tell me where I’ve got it wrong? The learning started when I wanted to install a 1500 watt inverter. We’re sharing from our experience and research, remember these are just our opinions so please do your own research and read our disclaimer.

20 amp power converter rv upgrade#

If you want to upgrade to a Smart Converter Charger here’s the Amazon Link to the one we have (Amazon has some of the best prices and we get a little “love” if you use this link to purchase): Go Power! Smart Converter/Battery Charger Our 75 Amp Smart Converter Charger came with the Solar Extreme Kit and it’s worked great for us over the past 6 months. So…take this new found knowledge to the web and find out what type of Converter Charger you have installed inside your RV and ask yourself the question: Is it Smart or Dumb? In order to keep this post easy to understand we haven’t hit on every point about Converter Chargers, but we feel the video and this article will give you a jump start on deciding what’s right for your needs. I hope this very simple explanation can shed a little light on a topic that’s rarely discussed around the campfire.

20 amp power converter rv generator#

Plus if you’re happy with your current inverter and just want to upgrade the Converter Charger to save on generator use and fuel consumption this is a cheap way to upgrade! If everything was built into one device we’d be without power for who knows how long while the inverter was repaired/replaced.

For our setup, if our Smart Converter Charger fails we can still charge our RV batteries from the solar and invert that power with our 3000 watt Pure Sine Inverter. There is nothing wrong with a built in Converter Charger as long as it’s a Smart one! We like the flexibility of having our Smart Converter Charger separate from our Inverter just in case one of the devices malfunctions. One point of “controversy” is: Should the Converter Charger be built into the inverter or separate? Some inverter manufacturers install a Smart Converter Charger directly into the inverter while others do not.

20 amp power converter rv full#

In contrast a “ Dumb Charger” has one charging stage that will continuously keep the RV batteries around 13.7 Volts (or 70% full) and never give the batteries a full charge. Equalize – Supercharges the Battery Voltage to remove any sulfur build up that can accumulate on the battery plates (having sulfur build up reduces battery life and quality of charge). Float – Keeps the batteries “topped up” at a lower voltage (around 13.7 V) to prevent electrolyte loss by overheating or “boiling out” the water in the battery.Ĥ. Absorption – Tapers the charge amperage down and slowly charges the last 10-20% of the battery before going into float mode.ģ. Bulk uses the max amperage of the charger and this is where a higher Amp charger will give you a faster charge.Ģ. Bulk – The main part of the charging cycle that quickly gets batteries up to a near 90% charge. Here’s the breakdown on the all important charging stagesġ. The takeaway: A high quality, 4 stage Smart Converter Charger is a worthy upgrade no matter what type of RV you are in, new or old. Here is my kindergarten flip chart side-by-side comparison of a Smart vs. The worst part of all is the RV batteries never get a quality charge so they don’t last as long. This causes RV’ers to run their generators more often for longer periods of time or stay plugged into campground shore power. Many new RVs, from towables to class A motorhomes, come standard with a “Dumb” Converter Charger because it’s less expensive. Also our experience, and this post, is limited to the kind of batteries installed on most RVs: Flooded (or “wet cell”). In theory if you have ample solar power and plenty of sun you could ditch your Converter Charger (I would not recommend this as nature doesn’t always cooperate). Just a reminder, a Converter Charger is only necessary while charging the RV batteries when plugged into shore power or while using the generator. What did you think? Did you learn anything new or should we just use the flip chart as fire starter?