Replacing a Schumacher OEM Converter for a Progressive Dynamics 4 stage converter

[twinboat]

You have 3 cables going to the battery's negative post. You should only have one.

You need a short 2-0 or 4-0 cable from the negetive battery post, to the left side of the shunt.

Then all other negative cables go to the right side of the shunt.

[marjoa]

So of course I'm confused and don't exactly understand what your trying to tell me.
I know you know what you're saying but I do not.

1st - there are NOT 3 wires going to that negative post. There are only 2 wires. That little green wire goes to my AMP-L-Start.
(se my close up photo of that area)

2) As you can see in my first pic with my old interstate batteries, I took that neg wire labeled #1 and just moved it around to the new -negative position on the new battery. Now if that is wrong where should that -negative cable go?

3) I do have a short wire going from that same negative battery post to the left side of the shunt

4) Now on the right side of the shunt I have that green wire that goes to bar where all the negative wires are just like the diagram illustrates.

So I'm just not sure what your talking about when you say, "Then all other negative cables go to the right side of the shunt."

If you would please take my photos and then describe to me where I've gone wrong and what steps I need to do?

The reason I'm so confused is, I turned off all shore power, turned on my inverter, turned on 1 TV and the Tri-Metric shows 1.5amps being used. Turn on TV 2, now I'm using 2.7 amps. Now I turn on 4 LED inside lights. Now I'm drawing 3.1amps. My battery voltage shows 12.3 and 100% full.

But...I am seeing my battery go down quickly. In 10 minutes it went down to 12.0v. So I shut off all 12V items, turned off inverter and now I'm back on shore power.

So yeah something is not right. Those batteries should not have gone down that fast with 3, 4 or 5 amp draw in 10 minutes. And yet the Tri-metric says 100%. I put a meter on the batteries and verified that they are in fact down to 12.0

But to me...and according to the diagram I have this wired correctly and the Tri-Metric is seeing all this amperage draw.

Now that I look at this more, that green wire—that we added—that comes off the right side of the shunt goes to the bar down on the left where all the other chassis, inverter wires are. That's the same place that -negative wire labeled #1 goes. So this is redundant. It sounds like what you're saying is, remove that green wire completely, and take that -negative #1 labeled wire on the new battery post—±where you currently see 2 wires—and put it on the right side of the shunt.

In other words, that -negative #1 wire that was on my interstate battery negative post now goes to the right side of the shunt NOT on a negative post on the new battery.

Is that right?

[marjoa]

Hey TB,

Here's what I'm saying again but with a picture.

In other words, that -negative #1 wire that was on my interstate battery negative post now goes to the right side of the shunt NOT on a negative post on the new battery.

Is this right?

[twinboat]

The cable with the green arrow need to go to the other green arrow.

The yellow wire needs to be as big as the green arrow marked wire.

[twinboat]

Now as far as inverter draw, are you plugging the whole RV into the inverter ?

If you do that, your new converter is using the battery power to charge the battery. The converter must be switched off, otherwise your chasing your tail.


Once you re-configure the cables, you will see what your inverter is drawing from your batteries.

Even a 3 amp 120 volt thing, running thru an inverter will draw 30 amps at 12 volts. The amps are 10 times as much going the inverter.

[marjoa]

Originally Posted by twinboat

The cable with the green arrow need to go to the other green arrow.

The yellow wire needs to be as big as the green arrow marked wire.

The cable with the green arrow need to go to the other green arrow
Yeah Ok, I thought that 's what you meant. But what about that green wire that we put on the right side of the shunt. That just goes away right?

That yellow marked wire is smaller so I'll have to get a bigger one. That's easy.

[marjoa]

Originally Posted by twinboat

Now as far as inverter draw, are you plugging the whole RV into the inverter ?
Now this is a little more difficult to answer and confusing to. But the answer is no. I turn on the inverter in my control panel and that activates my designated outlet plugs, TVs, fridge etc. So I don't know exactly what you mean by "plugging the whole RV into the inverter".

We didn't change anything concerning the inverter. All we did was change the converter. With our old OEM converter we never turned off that converter. I mean how do you do that?

If you do that, your new converter is using the battery power to charge the battery. The converter must be switched off, otherwise your chasing your tail.
I do understand what your saying here. But, I thought when you're disconnected from shore power or the generator isn't running, your converter IS off. There is no AC current coming in.

How then does the inverter power the converter? I just don't see how that's possible.


Once you re-configure the cables, you will see what your inverter is drawing from your batteries.

Even a 3 amp 120 volt thing, running thru an inverter will draw 30 amps at 12 volts. The amps are 10 times as much going the inverter.

See my comments above.

[twinboat]

Are you saying the small green wire goes to the same bus as the large black wire with the green arrow ?

[marjoa]

Originally Posted by twinboat

Are you saying the small green wire goes to the same bus as the large black wire with the green arrow ?

Yes. The small green wire that's currently on the right side of the shunt goes to the same bus as the large black wire with the green arrow.

I should just remove that green wire completely right?

[twinboat]

Yes you can remove the small green wire, but you will need to up-size the wire I marked with the yellow arrow, otherwise it may overheat.

The little Amp L Start wire can stay.

[marjoa]

Originally Posted by twinboat

Yes you can remove the small green wire, but you will need to up-size the wire I marked with the yellow arrow, otherwise it may overheat.

The little Amp L Start wire can stay.

Yep, got that.

Good that's done.

NOW...

What say you with my answers on post #35

As a test, I just unplugged from shore power. Generator is not running. I turned on the inverter AND THE CONVERTER DOES NOT COME ON.

So the scenario you explained in Post# 35 with the inverter powering the converter etc, etc doesn't exist the way I see it. When I turn on the inverter, it powers about 4 outlets, both TV's, the fridge, the furnace blower, 3 ceiling exhaust fans, interior LED lights and I think that's about it.

So once I get this cabling thing fixed in the battery bay, I should be good to go...don't you think?

Are there any further tests that you can think of I could run after I make these cable changes that would confirm that everything is A OK?

[twinboat]

If your not running the converter from the inverter, thats good. Some just plug the shore cord plug into the inverter outlet, your not.

If you have a gas/electric fridge, you don't want to run that on inverter. They draw to much power on 120 volts. It adds up to 35 to 40 amps @12 volts DC.

Once you get all of the current going thru the shunt, you will have a better picture of what your doing with the batteries. If both the small and large cable go to the same bus, I don't know how it read any amps going thru it.

Before you remove the smaller green wire, confirm that they both go to the neg bus. The larger cable may just go to the inverter neg. post.

[marjoa]

Originally Posted by twinboat

If your not running the converter from the inverter, thats good. Some just plug the shore cord plug into the inverter outlet, your not.

If you have a gas/electric fridge, you don't want to run that on inverter. They draw to much power on 120 volts. It adds up to 35 to 40 amps @12 volts DC.

Once you get all of the current going thru the shunt, you will have a better picture of what your doing with the batteries. If both the small and large cable go to the same bus, I don't know how it read any amps going thru it.

Before you remove the smaller green wire, confirm that they both go to the neg bus. The larger cable may just go to the inverter neg. post.

Originally Posted by twinboat

If your not running the converter from the inverter, thats good. Some just plug the shore cord plug into the inverter outlet, your not.

If you have a gas/electric fridge, you don't want to run that on inverter. They draw to much power on 120 volts. It adds up to 35 to 40 amps @12 volts DC.
I'm not sure you're right about that on our rig but we'll see....
Once I get this cabling thing fixed tomorrow I'll get a much better picture of this output.
Take a look at my attached fridge label that specifies the output

Once you get all of the current going thru the shunt, you will have a better picture of what your doing with the batteries. If both the small and large cable go to the same bus, I don't know how it read any amps going thru it.

Before you remove the smaller green wire, confirm that they both go to the neg bus. The larger cable may just go to the inverter neg. post.

Yes they both do—for sure—go to the same neg bus. So I am going to remove that smaller green wire

I really do appreciate your input TB and I'm going to make these cable changes tomorrow and then run some more tests and then post my findings with additional pic's.

Please come back and check in and give me your final thoughts.

thx again so much for staying with me.

[twinboat]

OK, your fridge will draw 2.5 amps, ( 300 watts ) at 120 volts, per the label. 300÷120=2.5.

That is going to be 25 amps ( 300 watts ) at 12 volts. 300÷12=25.

25 amps for 8 hours is 200 AH from your batteries. Gas is a better choice with dual fuel fridges.