converter question

[norm's tear drop]

First question is what does the converter do and why do you neeed it
after reading a little article in here called the 12 volt side of life im lost and wonder why i need the converter why dont i just get a good three stage battery tender/charger do you need the converter because it offers fuse protection and has circut breaker in it im ready to buy these things and am on hold as to what i need so please some one tell me why you need a converter

thanks norm

[wlooper89]

If you decide to go the converter route, you might want to check out the WFCO 8725. It is just over $100 and is three stage. It draws about 4 A AC max and puts out 25 A DC. It can power the trailer and charge the battery at the same time. It has built in slots for two circuit breakers and also a DC fuse panel. That saves a few dollars over mounting them separately.

Bill

[wannabefree]

The main reason is that battery chargers are designed to charge batteries, not power a trailer. The charger applies a higher than normal voltage to the battery -- not usually a problem -- but is also current limited. So when charging and running lights, etc. you are actually drawing down the battery. The battery takes longer to charge, or doesn't charge at all. Also, if you run sensitive electronics, like a computer or TV, while charging they may not like the pulsing nature of modern chargers. That said, if your load is low and needs are simple (lights) you may not have a problem at all.

There is an alternative to the somewhat overpriced converters. Get a "battery eliminator," basically a 13.8V power supply. Wire it through a relay so that when the eliminator is plugged into AC the battery is disconnected from the tear and the charger is connected to the battery. This is too techy for a post and I couldn't post the schematic to my album. So if you're interested PM me and I'll email you a simple schematic.