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Old 03-31-2013, 01:26 AM   #1
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Name: Ryan
Trailer: 1976 Boler
Manitoba
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Rewire boler 1300... Possibly.

Hi there,

Getting ready for year 2 in our boler. Last year we learned what we wanted to change and noticed some things.

The original fridge doesn't work, so I'm swapping for a regular bar fridge we already have. As I started pulling things apart I took a closer look at all the wiring that had been done. It's the original converter and there are wires going all over the place, I'm not sure how safe it is but a fan is wired to the lights (the lights got really dim when the fan went on last year). There are also wires just ending, switching colors, wrapping around every which way, its confusing!

Anyways my question is... Since my wife and I plan to camp ONLY where we can plug in, should/could I rewire to household wiring... Add a receptacle? Is that even possible? I remember last year seeing someone wrote that they put a breaker box in but couldn't find it while looking again.

If I do, I see that the outside trailer lights connect to the converter. Can that bypass directly tothe trailer harness then? Also all the interior lights re 12 v and the fans. The fantastic fan I would like to keep . What can I do about that? Do I need to keep a converter? Can I trust that old thing?

Thanks for your help, opinion and patience in advance as I feel really stupid writing this, I swear I'm not... Just learning trailer electrical!
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Old 03-31-2013, 05:30 AM   #2
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Hi Ryan, anything is possible with the right amount of cash. Being a 1976 I would say it is probably a good time to rewire the entire trailer, both the 12V and you can add the 115V wiring as you do it.

When your all done you should bring it out to our Rally in St Malo the 3rd weekend of August.
Dates: August 16 to 18, 2013
Location: St Malo Provincial Park; located 45 minutes South of Winnipeg and 45 minutes North of the Canada/USA border on Highway 59. This park has a nice beach area along with hiking and biking trails. There are modern washrooms and showers and the small town of St Malo is within one mile.
We will be using Bay 11 for electrical and Section A for Non-electrical again this year for the Rally. This is a popular park in Southern Manitoba so please make your reservations as early as possible so that some people will not be in other areas of the park like last year.
Reservations at the Parks Website will start on Monday April 1st, 2013 at 7am the link to the reservation site is http://prs.gov.mb.ca/
If you plan to attend the event please see the RALLY CALENDAR on the http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/ website and RSVP to me as this site has changed a few things and not allowing it to be set up the way we did last year.
Thank you from your hosts
Rick Mooyman rick.mooyman@shaw.ca
Roland Hoffman
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Old 03-31-2013, 06:09 AM   #3
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Ryan: I replaced the original converter in our Uhaul with a Progressive Dynamics PD4045. It has a couple 110 circuit breakers and a dozen fused wires for 12 volt. We have 110 and 12 volt interior lights, one 12 volt outside light, and 4 110 outlets. We have the Fantastic Fan, stove hood light & fan, a dorm fridge and an electric heater. I rewired the whole trailer, including the tail and marker lights. The insulation on the original wiring was cracked exposing bare wire.
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Old 03-31-2013, 07:57 AM   #4
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If you never dry camp, you don't need a battery. If you have no battery, you don't need a sophisticated converter, but you do need a DC power supply for things like the fans, etc.

So, you could just buy an inexpensive converter off eBay, or even use a 10+ amp battery charger. You'd need to install a separate 110 volt breaker and DC fuse panel, though, so it may be less expensive to install a converter with these included.
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Old 03-31-2013, 08:39 AM   #5
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If you never dry camp, you don't need a battery. If you have no battery, you don't need a sophisticated converter, but you do need a DC power supply for things like the fans, etc.
I thought if you have brakes and have a breakaway cable for the brakes you needed a house battery too?
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Old 03-31-2013, 08:44 AM   #6
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I thought if you have brakes and have a breakaway cable for the brakes you needed a house battery too?
You are right. OP has a 1976 13' Boler, so I assumed no brakes.
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Old 03-31-2013, 08:58 AM   #7
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Name: Ryan
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That's right, no brakes. So basically I should just replace the original converter with a newer one?
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Old 03-31-2013, 09:00 AM   #8
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Name: Ryan
Trailer: 1976 Boler
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Also there is no battery or even hook ups for one attached right now. The guy I bought it from said it was all new wiring, but its pretty rough looking. Oh well I paid the big bucks for my bolers orange beauty , not the wiring.
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Old 03-31-2013, 09:10 AM   #9
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And Rick, thanks for the info. Unfortunately I'm unable to attend that weekend but wanted to since I first heard about it last year. Maybe next year!
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Old 03-31-2013, 09:12 AM   #10
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......... So basically I should just replace the original converter with a newer one?
Yes. I was just pointing out that you don't need an expensive or sophisticated converter, with no battery. It is a lot easier to leave the fan and lights at 12 volts and just use a 12 volt power supply, like a converter.
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Old 03-31-2013, 10:03 AM   #11
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Name: Ryan
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Oh ok right on. Thanks for that tip, that is very helpful! Do you suggest any particular make or model for which converter I could use? That may be another stupid question. I looked and there are so many... It's almost as hard as picking what brand of beer to buy, except I know stuff about beer.
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Old 03-31-2013, 12:05 PM   #12
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I thought if you have brakes and have a breakaway cable for the brakes you needed a house battery too?
Now we know that this trailer doesn't have brakes... but if they are added in the future, it is still possible to have breakaway functionality without a house battery - breakaway kits with small batteries are sold for this purpose, for use on non-RV (cargo, boat, motorcycle, car...) trailers with electric brakes. Since something has to charge the battery, this means either charging between each run down the road, or wiring in a charger from 12V tug power... and if you're going to to that, you might as well put in a small house battery and get a lot more value from it.
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Old 03-31-2013, 12:12 PM   #13
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If you never dry camp, you don't need a battery. If you have no battery, you don't need a sophisticated converter, but you do need a DC power supply for things like the fans, etc.
I agree - RV equipment assumes the presence of DC power, so it is easier to equip a trailer if you don't need to absolutely avoid 12 V DC stuff.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Thomas G. View Post
So, you could just buy an inexpensive converter off eBay, or even use a 10+ amp battery charger.
Battery chargers are not intended for use as DC supplies without a battery; the voltage they put out will depend on the load, but what you want is just a constant voltage around 12V or a bit higher. If going this no-battery route but needing 12VDC, I would use a simple converter.

I wouldn't actually go this route - a small battery (and a proper RV converter/charger instead of a basic substitute) adds very little to complexity and adds flexibility of use. I can't imagine wanting a trailer which can't even run a light or the water pump for a couple of minutes if I stop along the road to get something, use the bathroom, or grab lunch.
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Old 03-31-2013, 12:25 PM   #14
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Oh ok right on. Thanks for that tip, that is very helpful! Do you suggest any particular make or model for which converter I could use? That may be another stupid question. I looked and there are so many... It's almost as hard as picking what brand of beer to buy, except I know stuff about beer.
Basically you want something with integral AC breakers and DC fuses, plus a 12 volt output. Beyond that it may depend on your packaging constraints.

Here is one for $92+ WFCO 8700 Series 25 Amp RV Power Center Converter - $91.95
http://www.wfcoelectronics.com/Image...erDocs/3-2.pdf

A higher quality one for $144: Progressive Dynamics 45 Amp RV Power Converter Charger with AC DC Panel PD4045 | eBay

http://www.progressivedyn.com/pdfs/1...ish%20Only.pdf
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Old 03-31-2013, 12:25 PM   #15
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...I see that the outside trailer lights connect to the converter. Can that bypass directly to the trailer harness then?
There is no connection between the operation of the vehicle lighting (tail, marker, stop, turn lamps) and the operation of coach/house systems (interior lights, fans, etc), other than sharing a "ground" (negative" connection. The wires may be intertwined, and that negative connection may be at the converter, but they can (and I think should for the sanity of anyone fixing anything) be kept as separate as possible.

When I replaced the trailer harness, I ended it at a termination box mounted on the tongue. Beyond that point, there is no connection between vehicle and coach/house wiring.
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Old 03-31-2013, 12:33 PM   #16
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..........

Battery chargers are not intended for use as DC supplies without a battery; the voltage they put out will depend on the load, but what you want is just a constant voltage around 12V or a bit higher. If going this no-battery route but needing 12VDC, I would use a simple converter.

I wouldn't actually go this route - a small battery (and a proper RV converter/charger instead of a basic substitute) adds very little to complexity and adds flexibility of use. I can't imagine wanting a trailer which can't even run a light or the water pump for a couple of minutes if I stop along the road to get something, use the bathroom, or grab lunch.
I agree. With a battery charger you'd need to add a simple voltage regulator. Battery is up to OP.
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Old 03-31-2013, 12:44 PM   #17
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Name: Ryan
Trailer: 1976 Boler
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Thanks you guys.

So if I go the progressive dynamics converter route do I need an additional breaker box or anything? Or is that all one package. I was just researching a different model, 9200 I believe, but it looks like a completely different setup. Also if I do this, would this allow to ONE DAY hook up a battery as you suggest, just in case? My wife does change her mind a lot. Anyways thanks again and I think I will place my order soon.
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Old 03-31-2013, 12:46 PM   #18
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On closer inspection I see the words "integral"
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Old 03-31-2013, 12:47 PM   #19
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*word. Night shift has clearly gotten to me today.
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Old 03-31-2013, 01:06 PM   #20
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Thanks you guys.

So if I go the progressive dynamics converter route do I need an additional breaker box or anything? Or is that all one package. I was just researching a different model, 9200 I believe, but it looks like a completely different setup. Also if I do this, would this allow to ONE DAY hook up a battery as you suggest, just in case? My wife does change her mind a lot. Anyways thanks again and I think I will place my order soon.

No additional box needed, this has the AC breakers, the DC fuses and provides 12 volts to all your 12 volt accessories. You can easily add a battery later. The PD9200 is the converter only without the AC breakers and DC fuses included.
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