charger7022

it says the converter and charger are together in one it is an magnetek power plus series 6300A model 6345 it says under a lil discription for battery charging that it automatically senses the batteries condition and charges it than drops down to maintaince rate. sounds pretty "SMART" to me lol
output is 45 amps. Does this sound good enough cause if i dont have to change it im cool with that. ill post some pics of the info on the cover here as soon as the wife puts them on the computer. now when you say upgrade the cables you mean from the batteries back right?? and about access to the batterys the front compartment is not high enough for me to build a slide style tray for easy access so ill have to set them in there which will make it harder for maintaince but oh well cant win them all. Thanks again ill get them pics up as soon as i go get milk!!

Don T

what you guys think of 2 of these in a fiver http://www.usbattery.com/usb_us2200xc.html Thanks

charger7022

also foun this one which i can use to upgrade what i allready have what do ya think http://www.campingworld.com/shopping...d-45-amp/42423

Jeff in TD

You will definitely get a big improvement in charging by upgrading that old converter/charger.

If it were mine, I think I'd remove the existing charger/converter and keep the power distribution box. It doesn't look like a big deal to remove the lower unit, and connect the fuse box part of it to the battery. Unhook the 110 power line from the old charger.

Here's a link to how it is wired.

http://www.hayseed.net/~jpk5lad/RV%2...r%20supply.jpg

Then I think I'd go with the 80 amp converter/charger you were looking at.

By upgrading the wires, the wiring you have currently from the charger/converter to the batteries probably isn't heavy enough to carry the 80 amps the charger you are looking at can deliver.

Essentially, you could set up your battery compartment, run the + lead to a 100 or 120 amp fuse right next to the battery. You could use the existing battery cable to run power to the distribution box/fuse box, and a second (larger).

The gauge of wire you need will depend on how long the run will be.

Here's a link to a chart.

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/am...uge-d_730.html

charger7022

yeah but what is really the advantage of the 80amps i think the 45 amp upgrade i found at camping world is plenty. or am i missing something???

Jeff in TD

With a bank of batteries that large, an 80 amp charger would just bring them back up to full charge on a shorter generator run...

Either solution will be way better than what you've got now.

charger7022

will the 80 amp charger i was looking at hook to my existing elec. panel ?? i like the fact that the 45. amp one is a direct upgrade to what i have.

Jeff in TD

It won't fit into that space, but you could the 80 amp converter and retain the power distribution part of the current panel (keep the fuses and circuit breakers).

Once you had the trailer unplugged and the battery cable disconnected, it would be a matter of removing the current converter from the bottom of the unit and disconnecting it's 12v lines, and it's 110v supply, which will come from one of the circuit breakers above.

Then you could reconnect your existing 12v battery cable up to the 12v bus that powers the fuse panel.

From there you'd pick where you want the 80 amp converter, run some 3 conductor house type wiring from the 110 ac circuit breaker over there to install an outlet to power the converter/charger. Then run some appropriate sized cable from the converter/charger over to the battery bank.

Upgrading with the 45 amp job that fits in the lower part of your unit would be quicker, though. It's up to you which way fits best. If I were going to be recharging off a generator, though, I think my choice would be the 80 amp converter/charger (I don't like to disturb the peace and quiet I go camping to find).

charger7022

well i think i am going to go with the 45 amp direct replacement just for the easy install and after next summer we may upgrade to a newer unit. for winter storage do u take your batteries out or leave them in? should i keep it pluged in all the time? or just for a day or 2 here and there?

Jeff in TD

Yeah, that would be an easy install and may meet your needs just fine.

Both the units you were considering are built by progressive dynamics and have their intelligent charging features built in. You could set it to storage mode and leave it plugged in as long as you wish. Just be sure to check the water level periodically.

I also have a progressive dynamics unit in mine, but I only plug it in for a day every month or so, as I don't want an extension cord sitting across my lawn all the time.

I personally keep the batteries well charged (lowers their freezing point) and leave them installed, but if I were somewhere that saw temps far below zero I'd probably bring them in and put them on a battery tender in the winter...

charger7022

great info thanks for all the help. im going to replace it first thing when i weather breaks this spring!

Jeff in TD

That will give you plenty of time to figure out your battery box. If you need to, maybe you can cut the bottom out of the compartment to put in a lower floor, or a roll out track.

Having to heft those things out several times a year to check the electrolyte level and clean cable ends would really be a pain.

Anyway, post back when you get it set up.