Schematics for B-W Manufacturers Model 6345 120 VAC - 12 VDC Power Converter ca 1989

[Jim_Tech_Vet]

I’ve recently acquired a 1989 27-foot Mobile Traveler Class A MH with a B-W Manufacturers (of Kokomo, Indiana) Model 6345 45 Amp 120 VAC - 12 VDC Power Converter. I’m looking for any schematics, circuit board photos/component placement diagrams, wiring diagrams, and so forth, that show how it’s designed and how it’s wired into any model RV electrical system.

There is a conglomeration of typical gray-painted electrical boxes screwed together on the back side of the AC circuit breaker and DC fuse panels. One of the boxes contains the Power Converter, although I haven’t seen an obvious way to identify and open its box.

There are apparently no wiring diagrams for the Mobile Traveler 27 MH beyond the chassis manual. Only a small number of these MHs were built during that only model year before the company ceased operations and the brand was sold to Horizons (now New Horizons) for later use in travel trailers and Class C MHs, AIUI.

I’m assuming that the 12-volt loads that this power converter supplies include the interior lighting and exterior door/security lights, fresh water pump, water heater, furnace, tri-powered refrigerator, etc., as most of those are written on the 12-volt fuse panel label.

It seems like there should also be an AC power transfer switch between generator and shore power inputs, but that me be in yet-another of the screwed-together electrical boxes.

Thanks for any clues to help unravel this Mysterious Land of the Lost.

[MrMark52]

I’m going to take a SWAG at this and say it is the same convertor as manufactured by MagnaTek.

I wouldn’t waste any more time in that beast except in pulling it out to replace it with a newer 4-stage microcontroller based convertor/charger. Those old liner design MagnaTek’s will cook your batteries.
Progressive Dynamics makes a “drop-in” replacement units. I’ve bought two of them, typically find the best pricing on Amazon.

From what I have been able to determine, 90% of the time the failure in those old units is a 20 watt or so ceramic resister mounted deep inside the unit. Be careful accessing - when they sheared the metal for the cabinet, their shear blades were dull and left razor sharp burr edges.

[Argosy]

IIRC Magnetek bought B-W. A schematic here for the Magnetek

Magnetek Schematic

If you're good with electronics they're pretty basic, a quick look should tell you if they were rebranded. I agree they were garbage, even if you're going for all original I might think about getting a better converter. Lots of space in these, hide it somewhere and leave the B-W like it's functional.

That was about the time transfer switches were coming into use. Before that they used a shore power/generator twist switch. Before that, and what I might look for, is a 120v 30a rv outlet near the generator, the shore power cord plugged into it. That would be easy and cheap for an outfit just beginning manufacturing.

[Jim_Tech_Vet]

Thanks MrMark52 and Argosy,

I’m going to be putting solar panels, new batteries, a charge controller, etc., in, so the B-W Power Controller is going to be replaced anyway. The Magnatek schematic is very much appreciated as it’s helpful to see how things are typically connected. The MH had probably a 3.5 KW generator installed at the factory, but it’s long gone and the solar setup will be providing about the same capability.

That will be upward of 2 KWs of panels and 8 KWhs of batteries, a 3 KW 12-VDC-to-120-VAC inverter, an appropriate charge controller, power monitoring panel, and so forth. I have a newer Schumacher digital battery charger that can take care of keeping house and chassis batteries charged through an existing battery isolator that’s currently powered by the alternator.

I need to decide whether to just charge the chassis battery via the alternator, and charge the house batteries from the solar power system or shore power. A manual crossover switch would allow the power source to the battery isolator to be selected between the alternator, shore power, or the solar power system.

If I do need backup when the sun isn’t shining enough, I have a 3.8 KW genny on a small utility trailer towed behind the MH, which also provides storage to make up for the minimal volume in the 27-foot MH during longer trips.