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Bowser · 10-30-2012, 12:21 AM

I have an electrical gizmo mounted on the floor behind a metal cover which I assume supplies 12VDC to charge the house battery and distributes 110VAC throughout the RV.

I'm wondering what that is called, and if it would be possible to replace it with one with a larger capacity. But I don't even know what it is.

I would like the house batteries to charge faster, and will be adding a few more 110VAC appliances.

Any and all thoughts will be appreciated.

Mr_D · 10-30-2012, 12:40 AM

If it changes 120 to 12 volts then it's a converter.
If it takes batteries (12 volts) and runs 120 volt appliances than it's an inverter.
Some converters charge the batteries and do some inverters depending on the design and cost.

wa8yxm · 10-30-2012, 11:01 AM

What is it called: CONVERTER

Can it be replaced with a larger one: Perhaps.. They come in up to about 100 amp sizes But there are other considerations.

HOW much battery does it charge?

Group 24, about 75 amp hours at the 20 hour rate
Group 27 about 95, Group 29 about 105, Group 31 130 and GC-2 pairs 230

Add your batteries (Remember with GC-2 Golf car batteries you treat the pair as one 12 volt battery) and multiply by 0.3

Your converter should be no larger than that number, IE: for a 100 amp hour battery (Group 27 or 29) a 30 amp is the right size, you can go to 35 if you must. But do not go to 60.

For a pair of GC-2's, 70 amps is good. 60 or 80 will do nicely.

LandKinaMoho · 10-30-2012, 05:23 PM

Sounds like you have consumtion limits and wish to upgrade. Look at what you want as an end result and work backwards. Draw a diagram. What do want the outlets to do? More batteries ( 6v) give more amphrs of use, but that in turn requires an ability to charge them somewhat expeditiously. Run the genny! Drive down the road... or add solar panels.....Just some key thinking to set a plan of action in play. Good luck.

Bowser · 10-30-2012, 11:33 PM

Wow. You guys came through. This is a 1987 Intervec Falcon 190 I recently got. Right now it has an older, tired Trojan 8D AGM from a friends solar system. He bought it and never installed it, but it sat too long. I'm planning on replacing it with two parallel Group 29s from Wal-Mart.

So, I figure out what I'm going to use it for. TV, computer, monitor, occasional heater, CPAP, refer and lighting. Microwave. AC needs the generator, so that doesn't count. Fan.

I dry camp 90% of the time, carry 5 gallons of propane, the generator and 6 gallons of gas on a receiver hitch carrier. And would like to charge the batteries faster than they do.

Would I insert a battery charger in place of the converter that's there? One which auto-regulates down to float? And could I simply add several fused circuits to the 110VAC board that's in there? It has room for 2 more circuits. One dedicated to the electric heater, and one dedicated to the new computer, TV and monitor?

I'm a little afraid to mess with it, and a little more afraid to not add more capacity.

Bowser · 10-30-2012, 11:39 PM

And by the way. Just thought of this. There MUST be someplace where I file plans, buy a permit, call for inspections, modify the permit, pay for that, call for another inspection, wait 3 days, hire the inspector's brother-in-law, wait 3 more days for him, pay the bro-in-law, call for an inspection and get an OK to cover.

Where do I get that done? No one's pestered me yet. If it were my house, they'd be like cockroaches in an Arizona penitentiary.

wa8yxm · 10-31-2012, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bowser

Wow. You guys came through. This is a 1987 Intervec Falcon 190 I recently got. Right now it has an older, tired Trojan 8D AGM from a friends solar system. He bought it and never installed it, but it sat too long. I'm planning on replacing it with two parallel Group 29s from Wal-Mart.

A beter option would be a pair of GC-2's from Sam's club in series.

I say that for one simple reason.. A pair of GC-2's in series is an exact (Electrical) replacement for the 8-D, The pair of 29's would be smaller (not as much capacity) and what's worse they are not deep cycle, The 8-D is deep cycle.

Frankly I'd give it a chance, At least 5 or 10 cycles to half full, before I gave up on it Deep Cycle sometimes recover so long as they have not sat dry too long. (That's dry after initial charge).

paz · 11-02-2012, 06:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bowser

...Would I insert a battery charger in place of the converter that's there? One which auto-regulates down to float?...

If you're going to get a new converter, get a converter/charger. Just make sure the charger is 3-stage. That will not only charge faster than the standard single-stage charger, but it will also keep from overcharging the batteries.

I'm with wa8yxm on the golf cart batteries (GC-2). They are around $90 each at Sam's Club. They will have more capacity than the Group 29s, and they will last longer because they are deep cycle. Wire them in series and treat them as one 12V battery.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bowser

...And could I simply add several fused circuits to the 110VAC board that's in there? It has room for 2 more circuits. One dedicated to the electric heater, and one dedicated to the new computer, TV and monitor?..

A converter will not help you with your 120V circuits. A converter takes 120V AC and converts it to 12V DC. If you want to run 120V appliances from your battery bank, you need an inverter. An inverter takes 12V DC and inverts it to 120V AC. Both converters and inverters are available with 3-stage battery chargers.

Ed-Sommers · 11-02-2012, 09:45 AM

I would say, Don't touch anything until you can identify everything in, on, or around the RV, and their relationships to each other.

IMHO, your errors cannot be explained in just a few paragraphs.

Ed

Bowser · 11-02-2012, 12:44 PM

Thanks all. Everyone here is correct. Converters - chargers are sold, made expressly for this purpose. The 110VAC circuitry seems straightforward enough, the 12VDC will take a purpose-made piece of equipment. The wires to the battery(s) will have to be replaced, too, to tolerate the higher amperage.

There is no Sam's Club within range of me, and I don't know what it costs to join. I think I'll get the three-stage converter - charger, replace 25 y/o wiring, and then figure out how to get the batteries.

Thanks a lot. I didn't know about the converters, at all. Ask and you shall receive, it says someplace.

And the message re my errors was kind. It would take several large books, not a few short paragraphs.