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Azimuth551 · 06-18-2019, 09:04 AM

Need some expert advice on this please. As part of my 4-6volt battery upgrade and distribution board with solar charger, I also bought and installed an 80amp Boondocker charger. I wired this charger into my distribution board with large DC wires and I can power it directly from a plug connected to my portable generator. My question is with the WFCO and the fact that I have not touched it. Can I fully disconnect this OEM unit and tie in a large AC cable to run the Boondocker unit and make it my primary charger? Will it power DC when hooked up to shore power as the OEM WFCO does? Does the dummy battery level still read?
Next question, how exactly do I tie the wires into the WFCO to get power to the Boondocker unit? Do I also disconnect the DC wires from the WFCO or just leave them.
I know the Boondocker charger will be better for the new batteries, so I would like to use the better one.
Thanks in advance for your advice. Brent

R.B · 06-18-2019, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azimuth551

Need some expert advice on this please. As part of my 4-6volt battery upgrade and distribution board with solar charger, I also bought and installed an 80amp Boondocker charger. I wired this charger into my distribution board with large DC wires and I can power it directly from a plug connected to my portable generator. My question is with the WFCO and the fact that I have not touched it. Can I fully disconnect this OEM unit and tie in a large AC cable to run the Boondocker unit and make it my primary charger?

Yes. That's basically what I did with my Victron MultiPlus installation. I disconnected the WFCO converter, left it in place, and routed romex to the MultiPlus in the pass-through to power it up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azimuth551

Will it power DC when hooked up to shore power as the OEM WFCO does?

Yep. As long as it's tied into the DC system somewhere (and it is if it's connected to the batteries), it will power anything turned on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azimuth551

Does the dummy battery level still read?

Yep.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azimuth551

Next question, how exactly do I tie the wires into the WFCO to get power to the Boondocker unit?

What I would do is take the output from the AC breaker that connects to the WFCO converter and connect that to your new unit (assuming the breaker size works, might need to replace it with a larger one for an 80A charger). Getting the wire there may be difficult or easy and will vary based on the model of the trailer and your installation location. I was able to get my romex through the existing hole in the floor behind the WFCO and into the underbelly where I ran it forward and up to the pass-through.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azimuth551

Do I also disconnect the DC wires from the WFCO or just leave them.

Leaving them probably won't hurt anything, but I disconnected them in my installation.

Azimuth551 · 06-18-2019, 11:13 AM

Thanks for that RB. I previously ran my AC wires up through the overhead and I have loops right above the WFCO for this tie in as well as future upgrades with an inverter. There are no markings on the WFCO to state where the charger ties into. Of course I have not pulled the panel yet to look at it. The main breaker is 30, air conditioner is 20, then four 15 amp breakers.
How do I know what breaker I need for my 80amp charger? Guess I just need to get in there nd take a good look.

R.B · 06-18-2019, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azimuth551

Thanks for that RB. I previously ran my AC wires up through the overhead and I have loops right above the WFCO for this tie in as well as future upgrades with an inverter. There are no markings on the WFCO to state where the charger ties into. Of course I have not pulled the panel yet to look at it. The main breaker is 30, air conditioner is 20, then four 15 amp breakers.
How do I know what breaker I need for my 80amp charger? Guess I just need to get in there nd take a good look.

It will be easy to trace the wires to it because they're right there. The black faceplate of the power panel comes off with just a couple screws, and you should be able to see the AC wiring to the converter. Unfortunately, it's been long enough since I did mine that I forgot how it was hooked up.

Azimuth551 · 06-21-2019, 06:42 PM

I finished this job today. Actually pretty easy, I disconnected the one red cable but left the white due to space. I disconnected the AC wires and the black one was going to a 15amp breaker with a jumper for another piece of equipment. I combined this jumper with another black wire that was on the breaker just above and then ran my new heavier gauge AC black wire to a dedicated 15amp breaker.
I plugged in the shore power and everything seems good to go. So thanks for the input, AC is a bit more tricky in my mind than 12v.

Azimuth551 · 06-26-2019, 08:03 AM

For those of you that have this mod with the charger in the front pass through. I have had my trailer hooked up to shore power for three days since I tied this charger in. Nothing was running inside and I assume the batteries were fully charged by this time. I notice the top housing for th charger was very hot. I could touch it, but in my mind, it was a bit too warm. Is this normal? I did hear the fan go on after I ran some fans inside and it started charging again.