No charge from shore or generator.

[Iceman II]

I have a 2004 bounder that isn't charging the batteries on shore power or generator. It will charge from the engine alternator though. Any links or info would be much appriciated. Thank You!!

[Iceman II]

I have a 2004 bounder that isn't charging the batteries on shore power or generator. It will charge from the engine alternator though. Any links or info would be much appriciated. Thank You!!

[Bob (WA0MQE)]

Check the voltage output of your converter. Make sure the circuit breaker isn't tripped that powers the converter. Make sure the converter is plugged into it's AC outlet (hasn't come loose.) Also check the DC fuses. There's usually one heavy 30 amp or larger size fuse for the output of the converter. When plugged into AC or if your generator is running you should see over 13 volts DC going into your batteries. If none of the above is the problem then you have a problem with the inards of the converter.

[Iceman II]

Thanks! Any idea where it is located? It's a 2004 32w. I will take a look at that tomorrow.

[Bob (WA0MQE)]

Not sure where the converter is located on your 32W. A friend of mine has a 2004 Bounder 35B and the converter is located under the cabinetry in the bedroom. The fuse panel is located in the same general area. Usually the converter is not too far away from the fuse panel.

[Rick Long]

You need to check the AUX Start Relay.. it is also the relay that charges the coach battery from shore or gen. The house battteries must be charged first to I believe 13.2 or 13.4v before it will pull the solinoid down and charge the coach battery. That relay is in or near the BCC (Baterry Control Center) in front of the engine on drivers side on most Fleetwood products.

[Iceman II]

I think I found the converter under the frig. It is pluged into a 110v outlet and has two 4gauge wires coming off the back side. It seems to be putting out 12volts and has 2 30amp fuse that are in good shape.???? Should I hear the relay click when I plug it into 110v or start the gen?

[Bob (WA0MQE)]

Yes, you should hear a relay click when plugged into shore power.

You said it's putting out 12 volts. When actually charging batteries the converter should be putting out something over 13 volts when read with a digital voltmeter. If your only reading 12 volts you may just be seeing the voltage coming from the batteries. This is a condition you might see if the converter is not actually charging.

If you can get to it, look for where the converter is plugged into an AC outlet, or it may be hardwired to AC. In any case see if your getting AC into the converter when plugged in or when the generator is running. If not it could be the main relay. The one you should hear when plugged in.

[aj30909]

Just went through something very similar. The ice maker line broke, was in process of taking it to the dealer to fix when I noticed the A/C would not work. The converter voltage was within spec. 13.6 volts +_ 0.3 volts. Its registerd 13.36 on my voltmeter. The Mfgr of the converter said to unplug the converter and see if the A/C would run. If it did then the converter was not operating correctly even though the voltage was within spec. Ended up replacing the icemaker line, A/C controler and converter. Everthing works fine now.

[Iceman II]

Thanks everyone!! I'll keep digging deeper and let you know.

[Iceman II]

Oh yea, I forgot to mention the last time I was out that my 12v system was draining down when plugged into shore power or using generator power. The only way that it seemed the 12v system was charging was when the engine was fired up and the alternator was doing it's job. Then I heard a relay click in the BCC and all of my lights came up to full intensity. The convertor is putting out 13+v but it still only shows 12v at the batteries. I cleaned and noloxed the battery terminals so I know there's a good conection there. Anyone have anymore ideas that would be great!

[Gary RVRoamer]

I suspect your converter/charger has failed - you should be seeing at least 13.1v from it (13.6 is typical). The Chinese import converter/charger that Fleetwood has been using for the last several years is fast becoming notorious for a short life span, so a failure is not unusual. Replace it with a Progressive Dynamics or Iota unit with the Charge Wizard feature that makes it a 3 stage charger. Well worth the price.

[Iceman II]

The brand name on the converter is World Friendship Co. I can't seem to pull up anthing about the company on the net about it, which probably means it's junk. Should I beable to disconnect the coach batteries and run the 12v system solely off the converter?

[K6TBC]

When you checked the Converter did you disconnect the output to the Batteries. You were reading the voltage back from the Batteries. You should read about 13.8 volts from the converter. The reading should change when you plug in the RV to 110.