Upgrade to a Smart RV Converter Charger. Is It worth it?
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- čas přidán 30. 06. 2024
- Upgrading your RV to a smart Multi stage Converter Charger is one thing you can do to help your RV batteries last longer and charge faster. Here are the Smart Converters that are tops on my list.
PowerMax 55 . amzn.to/2PmihXj
Progressive Dynamics amzn.to/2N6P9ln
Progressive Dynamics Lithium . amzn.to/2Pt08XD
Victron Inverter/Charger . amzn.to/2wdzt8A
GoPower Inverter Charger . amzn.to/2PwH8Yy
Xantrex Inverter Charger . amzn.to/2ORPhWi
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I always like the way you can explain and demonstrate concepts for lay RVer’s like me. Thank you
Your explanation was very good. I'm glad your around for us newbies.
Outstanding video. My OEM controller failed a week ago, now going thru this exact decision process. Greatly appreciated.
Thank you for being the only one who takes the time to explain this
Brilliant video! You are a master at explaining and simplifying complex ideas. So appreciated! ❣️
I waited to watch this video, I thought it’s not really for me. So I finally got some extra time and I just watched this video I am super impressed it completely explained the difference between inverters and converts! Very helpful video thank you!
Glad this was helpful to you!
Great video. Thank you from an RV newbie. Just picked it up today. :)
Thanks again for explaining a technical issue in lay mans terms. I have enjoyed viewing your videos. Just discovered your channel as part of following along KYD!
Fantastic video! Was thinking about upgrading my batteries and thought it might be a good idea to upgrade the converter to help get the most out of new expensive batteries and this was very helpful. Thanks! Subscribed
Good job on the explanation. I am not electrical savvy so I learned. thx
Very well explained and analogie.
A lot of people don't understand what's going on with the solar controller and then the converter.
Which confuses people. Great job.
You don't need to change out your converter with a lithium upgrade, but it's best if you want to recover faster to 100 %
Nicely done and very helpful. There’s so much information out there i needed a simplified approach.
My new favorite RV channel.
Good vlog, you’ve made me smarter, job well done...
I have not purchased an RV yet, but I have been watching numerous CZcams videos regarding the topic including upgrades and just plain travel videos. Your videos offer excellent tips and advice. I think that I would lean towards going with a total lithium install or retrofit. Great information as always.
Thanks!
Great idea. We did almost 2 years of research before buying our RV. We finally have our truck and RV and will be hitting the road full time next year. We can't wait.
Good explanation with examples that make it easy to understand batteries and converters.
I really enjoy your videos. Always useful information. Your explanations are always easy to understand.
Thanks!
Love your explanations, your voice is also great. Keep producing.
Thanks for doing this video. I am upgrading my RV electrical from the original '91 model...yeah 32 years old and I want to add some upgrades to it (electrical slides, addl plugs, etc.) This gives me the need for one and its so confusing otherwise. Appreciate the clarity!
As always, excellent content. Thanks for sharing.
Good info, you do well on al your videos, thank you.
Very impressed by you...as USUAL!
Thank you for the great information!!
Another great video, thanks.
Great video as always.
I replaced my old converter with the 100 Amp power max. It's great really. It will charge a big bank of batteries and run everything much better than the one that came factory on our holiday rambler. We have 1800 watts of solar and a leaf power wall for our 120 but I kept all the 12 volt stuff too. I like victron it's nice but expensive.
Outstanding good video thanks 😊
I know this is an 'old' video, but you used great analogies. Well Done
I would agree mike! Great analogies used to explain the sulphation process
Excellent info. Thanks again!
thanks for the info! i just replaced my converter
Just ordered the power max- thanks
VERY well explained.
Thanks so much easy to understand.
I can swear in my new RV the fans on the converter have never gone on. I had it replaced under warranty by the dealer because we kept getting a high pitch squeal from the converter when two many DC items were running. The new one does not squeal now, but I check it over an over and I have never seen those fans spinning. Perhaps I should swap it with a different one. Also I would love to get your help with installing solar on my rig if that is something you would be interested in. We can talk in more detail if so. Safe travels and another great video.
I love your Videos great info
GREAT Ed. thanks.
Just updated ours this year. So quite wasn't sure it was working? Got the 45 amp which is plenty for our RV and the slideout and jack stands
Thank you!
Thanks man! Good info. Think our converter died this weekend so I’m looking to upgrade
Great video Jared!
Thanks
We just bought a smart battery charger at Walmart. We don’t have the money to buy an expensive converter. The old converter was making weird noises so I disconnected the fan and the primary on the transformer and we got a 15 amp charger and it does a good job. With one solar panel and a 700 watt generator we only pay out $30-$40 a month for gas and oil for the generator that has a 2stroke engine. We plan to get more solar panels
Just replaced my single 12v batteries with dual 6v. Saw comments about how the factory convertor tends to kill batteries. Googled and boom of course you have a video. Should have checked your channel first haha
I can attest to GoPower being pretty good quality. They are the higher priced inverters on the market but worth the investment. Their customer support is decent too. Great informative video as usual Jared!
I bought the 24v 2000 watt pure sine inverter. That thing has taken a beating for over a year and it’s still running smoothly. I’m gonna be upgrading to the gp 3000 watt inverter/charger soon though
Our lead acid batteries are much healthier after changing to a 3 stage converter.
Excellent! (as usual) How about a video on how to do the swap between an old single stage and a multistage.
BOY do I wish I had seen this a few months ago! Put an older charger (10 amp) on my brand new wet lead plate battery, and forgot about it, until I saw the battery smoking. Killed that battery, wasted money, put our “home away from home” in a precarious position. AND I had to get a new battery. Lesson learned.
Great video! Keep them coming. I am trying to find a by-pass switch on line to by pass my Magnum m3012 inverter from shore power to my sub panel. If I ever need to work on or repair my inverter. I can't seem to find a "by pass" switch on line. Is it called something else? Would a 60amp manual transfer switch work? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Did KYD have one?
Great video's both in content & production. One thing I keep missing regarding inverters/chargers (or converters?). How are the DC circuits such as awning, slide motors, lights, etc. powered? All I see on the Victron MultiPlus as well as others is DC in, AC in, & AC out. I see where there is an on-board switch to be able to switch from shore or generator to battery power. But can't tell how the on board DC circuits are powered.
Really enjoy your videos, and I learned a lot from the install you did for KYD. I need to replace my battery in my 5th wheel, and I'm thinking about switching to an AGM battery. Will the Powermax PM3-55 work with AGM batteries? Thx Kent
Great job. Could you now explain how to connect battery maintainer to 2 six volt batteries wired in sequence?
Thanks for the details on your posts. You rock! I own a 2020 Forest River Class C. with 2 lead acid batteries. I have a very basic question - How do the house (same thing as coach?) batteries get recharged?
The converter charger that cam with my 5th wheel died due to a power surge, and I replaced it with a Progressive Dynamics Inteli-Power 9200. The batteries I bought after installing that are holding up much better and require less maintenance than the last ones.
Amazing
Thanks.
Thanks for the info. Going to look at this for the RV. On another note did I see you have a way to make a Honeywell T-Stat work in a RV?
I installed the Honeywell Pro 1000 thermostat for my RV furnace. Easy two-wire connection.
Love your channel! How did you add the outlet?? About to go full time and want to add an outlet behind the toilet for an electric bidet. Can not find videos on adding an outlet to the RV.....
Great Vid!! For those of us that may have a single stage, is there something we can put at the battery to turn off the charging power to maybe help it float? I'm aware of the battery minder chargers but that requires 120V.
Thanks for the explanations in the video. But I have a doubt: how to calculate the power of the battery charger when the campervan is connected to an external source, in a camping. what the specifications of this charger are. thanks
I've looked into these multi stage converters and the reviews are mixed which one is the all in one big daddy?running lithium batteries living full time with solar running all electronics
Thanks god bless
I’m currently replacing the converter in our 5th wheel. Trying to choose between the Iota DLS-75/IQ4 and the Progressive Dynamics PD9270 converter. I hear both are excellent converters. Any recommendation on which one to choose. I’m looking at a $20 difference with the Iota costing more.
Great video! Question: Right now we have a 1200W Xantrax Inverter that only appears to be powering the lights, slides, awnings, that sort of thing. None of our outlets (except the microwave) are hot when on inverter only. Would upgrading the inverter to a higher wattage power some outlets or is the camper hard-wired to only run certain loads regardless? I assume the latter. We have a residential frig that's electric only so we can't even have that powered when traveling or dry camping. Of course the TVs are not powered either. Just curious.
Well Done
Thank you so much for this episode! So this is the new one you put in? PowerMax PM3-55. I have a lead acid battery. Would this one be suitable for my battery type?
Our new one is progressive dynamics for our lithium but that PowerMax should be great for your batteries.
Hey Jared, thanks so much for this information. Do you know if the PowerMax 55 that you've recommended on this video will work with a 30 Amp system? If not, can you direct me to a converter that will please? Also, I have a 2018 (year) Lance 2375 (model) that does not currently have solar, but I plan on adding at some point. Do you know if I will have to do an additional upgrade to my converter when I decide to add solar? Thanks in advance for your input! BTW, I really appreciate your videos and and explanations of how things work and your advice on what works best for various RV applications. Keep up the great work!
Let me tell this, l just change mine, and works perfect!!!!
I used a 4 stage boondocker model 60 amp in my last rv and it worked great. Had dual 6v batteries and kept them in tip top shape and after several years still going. In my new trailer I will do the same. Maybe this time a 100amp boondock with dual 6v.
VERY good vd keep up the good work.. I HAVE 2PANEL OF MAXIMUM VOLTAGE 52.8V MAXIMUM 3.32 AMP EACH. WHAT SISE OF REGULATER CHARGER WILL I NEED FOR A 12VOLTS AND 30AMP SERVICES PANEL
I like my Iota... set it for my lead acid batteries...I would like to use a feature with a switch to charge my batteries at 14.4.v when ruining a generator but the location is difficult to access. The location of the converter is important, I'm thinking it should be closer to the batteries with thicker wire?
Hello Jared, thank you so much for your detailed videos. My question pertains to leaving my RV plugged in at home while not in use. Primarily, I am worried about leaving the RV plugged in for long periods of time while not in use and damaging the house batteries; mainly by overcharging. I would like to keep the fridge running and allow the A/C to keep the RV cool. I reside in Miami and I don't have to tell the kind of weather we have here. I will be purchasing a 2021 Coachmen Mirada 35OS. It is 50amp RV and I will be installing a 50amp plug at my home. I am not sure if the RV has a single stage or multi-stage converter. In summary, I would like to confirm that if I install a quality multi-stage converter (like one of the ones you recommend) in the RV, will it safely allow me to leave the RV plugged in to the 50amp plug at my home for long periods of time without damaging my house batteries? Thank you so much for your assistance.
How does it work if there are numerous chargers in the system? 1. Trailer factory single stage converter charger, 2. Solar charger, 3. and I was thinking of connecting a smart charger like NOCO genius G7200. Will they fight each other? Will the smart charger try to maintenance charge when full while the trailer's converter keeps pumping? I'm confused how this all works and how the batteries are actually charged with multiple chargers on the system. Thanks for any help!
Great videos! A had purchased and Power Max PM3-100K 100 AMP converter and then wondered how I was supposed to hook it up with my existing Magnatek model 6332 32AMP distribution panel and I t looks like you have a similar Distribution panel to mine. I was wondering how I was supposed to hook it up with the plug that it comes with. I never have taken off the lower part of the distribution panel to see what's in there. I think the reason for my confusion is that the power comes in and as far as I can tell, the 30AMP cord goes right into the panel.
So my question is: Where do you put the plug you installed? Is it before the panel or somewhere after the panel?
I really appreciate any help you may be able to provide for me. Thank You
Good Day,
I just subscribed to your channel. I have watched may of your videos, thank you for your expertise. I have a question, I have a dual battery setup wired in parallel (2 Duracell AGM's) 12 Volts.
I purchased a Victron BMV-712 battery monitor. I am upgrading the OEM converter to a multi stage unit. Can you please clarify where my grounds go in the setup when installing the Victron Shunt?
If all grounds terminate at the far end of the shunt what about the items in the coach that are grounded to the chassis? I understand that the negatives attach at the end of the shunt to be measured but is there a chassis ground and where is that taking place. I noticed blocks on the chassis with negatives attaching to it. I also thought of installing a bus bar and connecting all grounds to that bar and then to the shunt. Please provide some insight, sorry to be so long winded.
Best
Frank
So do batteries charge through the converter on Shore power and also through the converter when running the generator?
Converter chargers can operate quite differently depending on which brand/model you choose. List out what you specifically need and start researching everything available today. Most converter chargers do not care if shore power is from a generator or the power company yet some do. Switching from one to the other is usually done manually. You might speak to Progressive Dynamics as they are customer oriented and always happy to help you find the right unit for your rig.
I always wondered if I could jump my lead acid batteries from my truck battery and watch the voltage rise from my digital meter in my rv. My meter plugs into the 12 volt lighter plug then disconnect when battery reaches 90%. I have solar pannels with controller that would top them off or my generator that has 12 volt charger?
Love your videos was wondering do you use a tire pressure monitor and if so which one do you recommend thanks
We currently don’t use one but we probably should
Nice video -- My dual 6V Golf Cart Interstate Extreme Cycle (GC2-ECL-UTL) batteries recommend:
Bulk 14.8
Absorb 14.8
Float 13.5
Equalize 15.6 @ 2 hrs
which is a bit higher than most 12V systems -- any recommendations?
Hey Jarrad, On a new 2021 Rockwood Travel Trailer with the solar package can I replace the AGM battery with a new Lithium Ion battery just plug and play. It has the charge controller in the bedroom. Thanks for your help Jarrad!
I understand that AGM batteries need a different charger as they operate on different cycles. Will these converters charge AGM batteries?
Jared....which IOTA converter specifically is the one you mentioned that will charge all types of batteries? (Lead Acid, AGM and Lithum)
Jarred, how far ahead do you schedule solar installations? I plan on purchasing the same setup as Keep Your Daydream next year.
They have an intense setup!
At your recommendation I just purchased a victron Multiplex 3000/120. I need some clarification. Does the multiplex replace the existing converter? If so do you have a video on how to do that. I dont see in any of your drawings of how to route around it. Look forward to your reply
Great video. 👍 and subbed.
iotta send you a unit to try yet?? I have lots of experience with the inteliwizard. A company we use that has ove 800 rental trailers for stars uses them exclusively. They last long time and rarley have problems. Looking forward to new batter tech.
Great subject. You can you tell if you have a 3 stage converter? I have 2016 Northwood Arctic Fox trailer.
Best way is to find the model number on it if you can and look up on line to see what kind kind it is. You could also drain your battery and watch the battery monitor to see if it goes through stages or just a constant voltage.
In general, what voltage would you expect the converter to put out, in terms of sending out DC power to the DC control module (where the wires from the battery terminate)? And what amperage would be expected for this interconnect? Are there any upgrades that could/would be recommended for the DC control module? Thanks for the info!
Jared, I have a 15 year old converter charging 4 -12volt deep cycle acid batteries. I noticed after plugging into a park site for 3 hours one battery was really warm so I checked with my multimeter. Incoming charge voltage was still 14.5 volts. I unplugged the converter and all the batteries read 12.5 volts (fully charged). Could my Converter be bad because it's not lowering the charging voltage?
Can you recommend someone in Arizona to install a Solar RV System, as we are not handy.
Good video as usual which is why I’m a subscriber lol. I have a question for you. I’m wanting to upgrade the electrical system in my RV and I’m getting lost in all the choices and options as well as all the technical jargon. I’m probably over complicating it so I thought I’d ask for some advice. Can you tell me where I should begin lol. Also, other than your fantastic channel where should I go to get the info I need to keep this a DIY project? Even basics like which battery should I get, do I need a converter or inverter and which should I consider and so on and so forth. I hope that makes sense lol
Thank you for any advice/help
Cheers mate and happy trails
I like RV with Tito he has a lot of really good information about solar. When it comes to batteries it depends on your budget. Lithium is the best with a large upfront cost, if I couldn’t afford lithium but could get an AGM then that would be my next choice. My last choice if cost was the concern I would do sets of 6 volt golf cart batteries. The place to start is figure out how much power you want in your battery bank how much you plan to use at any given point of time will tell you how big of an inverter you want and then pick how many watts of solar you want to replace what you use out of your batteries or how big of a generator. This might be easier if I just plan to do a video on designing your Rv electrical system.
Yes! Please do a video on designing an RV electrical system. It would be really helpful. I have done a ton of research and am about to go full time (with a wife and two kids), but still feel like I have no clue as to the best system for me and am stumbling in the dark with all the choices. I know I want lithium. I think I am going to start with 400Ah, but I am pretty lost from that point forward. I'd gladly pay for a couple hours of coaching, too, if that is an option.
Would you go with the progressive for the lithium battery? Has a 60 amp or 100 amp
If we have the Aims 3000W Inverter / Charger would we still need to have a Converter Charger plugged in? My camper had one plugged in and we unplugged it with our solar install. I was thinking that it would not be necessary to have it with the other. Thank you and your videos are so informative.
You don’t need an additional one, your aims unit will do a great job.
Great info.
Can this product power up an inverter for like a solar panel system for a house
Can I use this to Power my 40amps dc to dc charger ? I want to use this in the context of charging my Lithium batteries (via the dc-dc charger powered by the converter)
VERY informative, however, even with the mountain of internet "info", I am unable to determine whether an upgrade from our AGM is as simple as a multistage converter, or if there are any concerns within the trailer circuitry when drawing from a lithium. We're not hooked up to shore power very often, and would use our standalone generator and external lithium charger (direct to the posts) when needed. Shouldn't be this confusing.
Normally Does the negative battery travel uninterrupted from the negative battery terminal directly to the converter charger in an Rv? Thank You.
Is the powermax 55 ok to install in my 30 amp Travel Trailer?
Thanks for the video, Jared. We never camp without an electric service so is a converter upgrade of any value for us? We have a WFCO8955. The only time our trailer is without shore power is when on the road or if campground power is out. For when its in storage, I have a simple Blue Sea Systems ON-OFF battery shutoff switch. Our battery is a basic Interstate Group 24 lead acid model that the dealer installed.
I wouldn’t be to worried about it if your almost always plugged in. Just keep an eye on your water level in the battery.
Late to the party but I’m adding dual lithium batteries so naturally I’m looking at compatible converter charger .
Question is when choosing amperage the original is 55A . Is 100 amp better or will it be too much and cause problems some reviews of converter getting too hot or burning up. Am I safer going with a quality 65A unit ? Thanks.
So i have a wfco distribution panel and was going to upgrade to their lithium converter and i already bought an inverter before i knew i was going to have to change my converter cause the 2 in 1 sound great as i am going to try and hook my inverter to my distribution panel. So do you think o should go with wfco's converter or 1 from a different company or sell my inverter as its brand new and get the 2 in 1?
How did u do that out my converter just went out and I have to replace it 30 amp service any recommendations