Converter fan running any time I'm plugged in?

dfrank

Observer
The converter/ charger has a small fan that runs anytime my Fleetwood caribou is plugged into shore power.

Is this normal? It makes me not want to leave it plugged in for long, so I use a genius charger instead of the stock unit.

If I need to replace this unit, what should I be looking for?

Also, what are people's thoughts about adding a third battery that isn't a perfect mate to the original pair?

It came with two matching, half decent batteries. One in the camper box, and the second wired to sit int the wheel well.

I have a third battery that is newer and maybe a little bigger. Will there be any downside to just wiring that one right in to the mix?

Thanks,
 

dfrank

Observer
Thanks Verk. That makes sense on how the new one might drain its power to the older ones, when the charge goes away.

Can you suggest a simple off the shelf switch for this purpose?

I also would like to implement a kill switch as I seem to have some small draw that I cant track down.

The Charger is a MagneTek Power Plus, if that rings a bell for anyone. So it is maybe OK that the fan would just always be on, if I leave it plugged in?

Is there a way to tell if this charger is smart enough not to overcook the batteries if I leave it plugged in?

This is a Rig that typically sits all week, then gets used most weekends, so I'd love to just leave it plugged in to shore power all week, if that is reasonable.
 

dwh

Tail-End Charlie
It's not about smarts, it's about voltages. RV converters typically float at a voltage low enough to be left plugged in all the time, like 13.2v.

What voltage does yours float at?
 

jkam

nomadic man
I don't know how old you RV is, but there are upgrades available for older ones.
This place has a good selection and description of what is available now.
http://www.bestconverter.com/MagnetekParallax-630073008300-Upgrade-Kits_c_64.html

On my 96, I upgraded to a 3 stage charger and a newer control board and also added
a newer fuse box panel. My fan does not run all the time when plugged in, it runs for a while until the
charger has been on for a bit and then it might recycle every so often, but not run all the time.
Could be your batteries are not holding a charge well enough and this makes the charger work more and the fan stays one.
 

Martinjmpr

Wiffleball Batter
On our T@B Clamshell, I can hear the fan for the inverter running whenever we are plugged into shore power. Pretty sure it's designed to be like this. We just finished our 2nd year with the T@B and no issues at all WRT electrical. BTW we leave it plugged in all the time at home and it stays plugged in all winter. Battery is still in good shape, too.
 

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