30 amp converter

[bt2626]

Hello, I have a 2001 scamp 13 foot, this week the Magnetek 6700 series 30 amp converter smoked and went dead.Has anyone replaced this unit with something similar? If so please let me know. Im looking for one I can replace my self by matching wire to wire as I take it off so I don't mess stuff up. Thanks

[Larry C Hanson]

Hello, Here is an outfit called Best Converter that I have dealt with.
They seem very knowledgeable, helpful, and have fair prices.
Good Luck, Larry H

Parallax 6730D 30 Amp Power Center W/Door

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by bt2626

Hello, I have a 2001 scamp 13 foot, this week the Magnetek 6700 series 30 amp converter smoked and went dead.Has anyone replaced this unit with something similar? If so please let me know. Im looking for one I can replace my self by matching wire to wire as I take it off so I don't mess stuff up. Thanks

0Some of us have turned off the converter and don't use it. When the egg is in it's home next I connect a Battery Tender to the battery Cost about $50.00. No need to do any wiring. When traveling we're almost never have electricity. I depend on the tow to charge between or solar panel.
If you're only camping on weekends you really don't need a converter. Your tow will charge the battery while on the way, and you typically won't run the battery down in 2 or 3 days if you're a bit careful with lights and furnace.

[Bob Miller]

I have installed Progressive Dynamics PD-4045's power panels in our own Scamp and Hunter Compact-II trailers, as well as in 4 other mini-motorhomes. It has a built in 3 stage smart charger, room for up to 6 ac breakers and 10 pre-wired and fused DC circuits on a 45 amp converter. Easy to install and can be found for about $160 on eBay.

[Robert Johans]

While converters are not strictly necessary, they do provide options to those campers who prefer to "hook up." some folks like to have 110/120VAC appliances along side their 12VDC components. A converter helps keep things consolidated, as well as provides battery charging when parked and separated from the TV.

[Bob Miller]

IMHO: A trailer without a converter is like going dancing commando style in a mini-skirt. It can be done, but ya gotta be very careful and the risks are there to be seen.

That said, many of our campers are very bare in the electrical department. Our 2007 Scamp came with two 12 volt lights, one 120 volt flourscent light, one 120 vac outlet and no 12 volt outlets. It also came with a "sorta" converter/charger that promptly burned up. Today, what with entertainment systems, computers, appliances, chargers for PDA's etc, that's a little sparse. The Scamp was about the same as was found in our 1973 Hunter, but it's almost 40 years old.

I go for the above mentioned PD-4045 because it provides enough options for power to last well into my last days. Overkill? Maybe a little, but it takes care of everything I might want to add later or do in the foreseeable future.

Overdoing it the first time means that you usually don't have to do it again. And no, I usually don't wear mini-skirts.....

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

IMHO: A trailer without a converter is like going dancing commando style in a mini-skirt. It can be done, but ya gotta be very careful and the risks are there to be seen.

That said, many of our campers are very bare in the electrical department. Our 2007 Scamp came with two 12 volt lights, one 120 volt flourscent light, one 120 vac outlet and no 12 volt outlets. It also came with a "sorta" converter/charger that promptly burned up. Today, what with entertainment systems, computers, appliances, chargers for PDA's etc, that's a little sparse. The Scamp was about the same as was found in our 1973 Hunter, but it's almost 40 years old.

I go for the above mentioned PD-4045 because it provides enough options for power to last well into my last days. Overkill? Maybe a little, but it takes care of everything I might want to add later or do in the foreseeable future.

Overdoing it the first time means that you usually don't have to do it again. And no, I usually don't wear mini-skirts.....

If you stay mainly in RV resorts (RV Parks, etc. with electrical hookups) and run lots of electronics a converter might be for you. On the other hand a converter is of very little use for me. Example 100 consecutive days four of which had electricity. A converter was of no use. In fact it actually created some problems. So it went off and never to be turned on again.

My advice.... Think about what you're going to do I'm a cheap skate so I avoid the extra fees of hookups unless I have choice. A solar panel is more cost effective over the long run. Are you a woodsy person or a city person? If woodsy, the converter will get very little use, most National Parks and National Forests don't have hookups. Do what suits your style.

[Bob Miller]

Don't know how/why a converter would cause any problems, but that may depand on the make and age of the unit.
I seldom stay where there are hook-ups either, but I always have that option and, should we want to stay somewhere for more than 2-3 days, and there is power, we can charge up our battery at the same time without having to run the TV.
BTW: I did stay as an RV "Resort" once, but that was by accident. If places like KOA depended on me they would be out of buisiness tomorrow.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

Don't know how/why a converter would cause any problems, but that may depand on the make and age of the unit.
I seldom stay where there are hook-ups either, but I always have that option and, should we want to stay somewhere for more than 2-3 days, and there is power, we can charge up our battery at the same time without having to run the TV.
BTW: I did stay as an RV "Resort" once, but that was by accident. If places like KOA depended on me they would be out of buisiness tomorrow.

The problem caused by my 2006 trailer converter.
We had driven close to 500 miles, so the battery was well charged. The charge level was slightly above the converter cut off point. It was cold so turned on the furnace. The voltage drop was enough to cause the converter to start charging. Less than a second the converter saw that the battery was at or above the cut off point and stopped charging, only to have the voltage drop to below the cut off point and it started charging again. This continued at about 1 second intervals causing light to blink and fan motor to change speeds (increase and slow down) at the same rate. Very annoying. Turned off the converter at the breaker, problem gone.

I don't know why "maintaining the option" is often quoted. When you camp without electricity, camping with electricity is not much different, at least for us. When camped where electricity is available I use it to run the fridge rather than us my propane. That's the only difference beside cost of the site.

An expensive battery charger will do the same thing. I carry a very nice 10 amp charger that cost me around $50. I also have a nice compact 65 Watt solar panel. We've stayed as long as 3 weeks in one spot without electricity. I can't think of any reason to replace a defective converter.

[Dan Meyer]

After my replacement converter died (Original Magnetek 6720 replaced with a Parallax Power 6730) I gave up and installed a 10 amp battery charger from Napa auto parts. See more about this on my web site Dan and Dawn's Scamp Travel Trailer and click on modifications and repairs.

-- Dan Meyer

[BCDave]

Everyone has different styles and different needs.
Everyone uses their trailer differently.
Everyone has different wants
Everyone has a different expectations
Everyone has different reasons to go camping
Everyone has different reasons or having and using a trailer
Some people stay for an extended period at one site, while others virtually never spend two nights in the same campground.

There is NO right or wrong and there is NO "you should..."

In my case, if 30A service is not available, I will not voluntarily stay at that campground. Other folks want to "get away from it all" and go boondocking. That is why we have "freedom of choice".

If you prefer to have power available and "all mod cons" then you will need a converter/power center. Most of those come with a battery charger as part of it. My Boler had a converter and power center, but had no charger, so I had to carry a separate charger along. The trailer was NOT initially wired to charge the battery from the tug. I remedied that later.

[floyd]

We have an American converter which was factory supplied. It is a compact unit which contains both the 110V breakers and 12V fuses and supplies both 110V and 12V power to the trailer and also charges the battery. More than once I have used it to maintain my battery through the winter while in storage. No problems so far in eight years of service.
It has proven reliable, but I think that any fan cooled converter should be kept clean and supplied with adequate ventilation.
I have both used a converter and a fuse panel with a battery charger in refitting older trailers and either approach works well. Done right, I see no effective difference. On a complete rewire, I find the converter to be more convenient and often less expensive. If I were to decide for some reason to switch to a separate charger I would likely keep the converter case to serve as both a breaker box and fuse panel.

Look here....
http://www.bestconverter.com/Paralla...oor_p_325.html

And here...
https://bestconverter.3dcartstores.c...olts_p_60.html

[Raz]

Since batteries have a finite number of charging cycles, I would expect more frequent battery replacement for those not using a converter. Raz

[Michael Pupeza]

Lot's written about replacing the old 6300 series units. Do a search, use my name, or the Magnetek name. This, dangerous in my opinion, converter should have been replaced long ago as my floor was scorched under it and could have resulted in a fire.
Also, the technology for charging was primitive even in the early 90s when mine was installed.
A Progressive Dynamics Intellipower (sp?) PD9260 is what I used as it fit nicely into the space and is totally silent under normal low power conditions. The fan(s) only come on if it's putting out a fair bit of power for a while.
The charging algorithm is fine and I've had it running for 3 years or more feeding 2 size 27 AGM batteries with a capacity of 170 AHr with no problems.
Pull out all the existing lower unit charger and use the battery wires there - there's not much complications in the install. You 'may' have to cut or drill a few of the old fittings to the chassis, just to clean up the chassis.
Good luck.
Mike .....>

[dylanear]

I'd kill for a "smart" converter, ideally one that would talk to a similarly "smart" solar controller and inverter, perhaps all three integrated into one unit. One that will let me monitor and log all energy inputs and overall output/use.

I have seen no evidence of such a beast or any likelihood one will ever be made. But a guy can hope.