Looking for suggestions on power converters

[alan H]

The existing unit (ELX-20) has been discontinued... mine no longer charges my battery when I’m plugged into shore power
I’m looking for recommendations so far I’ve gotten recommendations on Pd4135 and WF-25 or WF8725
I’m getting a lot of comments on how poorly the instructions are for the PD4135..... has anyone on this site got any recommendations... I’m looking for a simple swap
My trailer has a/c... 3 way fridge and furnace... my 12 v circuit only powers ceiling fan and a couple of lights
Thanks in advance

[Kenny Strong]

I have a pd4135. I replace the original. ( not a Pd ) I have a 93 "Lil Bigfoot " 13'. the instructions are not clear. It was not easy for me, There were 2 main lines coming out of the original. spliced to heater, lights , fridge, etc. Because of the higher amp converter, I was told I needed a larger wire to eliminate excess line heat. I ran a new 6 gauge line to the battery. to charge the battery and return power to the converter. there are all the time hot connectors ,I used for usb outlets. there are a dozen new leads available. I used 1 to the water pump. I can run many more items, should I fancy. I put a buzz bar near the converter to connect ground wires to a central point. I hate the way the old trailers are wired; single hot lines with splicing into them. lights and heater on the same line! ??? I could have run individual lines to different objects in the trailer, but I went with what was done by the manufacturer. Everything is LED. I am happy with the converter. I read and reread about the internal lines. It does not come with a aluminum buzz bar for multiple connections on the right wall, as the picture shows. It does not need it. I had one I cut it to fit. I did not need to put it in place.
Later Kenny

[thrifty bill]

PD instructions suck, but lots of good instructions posted by others on the web. I got talked out of the WFCO due to the number of quality complaints I saw on it.

I bought a separate negative 12V DC bus bar. I am glad I did. Made wiring a lot cleaner. I mounted the bus bar outside the PD 4135 box.

I did not find it hard. I did redo shore power inlet, 10G wire, plus 30A surface plug on the outside of my trailer. I detailed it on my Trillium FB page: bills 1977 trillium

I believe the PD and the WFCO are the same size hole for mounting. In my case, I was replacing the old PD-6911, so the hole was taller and narrower.

Given you have an AC, I think you would find 30A an advantage.

Your 3 way refrigerator, one way is 12V. Most furnaces use 12V for the furnace controls and fan. So you have a little more 12V than you have listed (still not a lot). I added a dual 12V outlet, which I would recommend you add as well. I use it for a 12V portable fan and for phone chargers.

Randy at Best Converter did his best to talk me out of a WFCO. He claimed he has had to warranty a lot of them. So I cancelled my WFCO. I then found a better deal elsewhere on my PD4135 (bought it on eBay for $127, seller is now $133 shipped, still the best price I have seen).


https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/...r-installation

[alan H]

Anybody have experience with Waco 8725 converter?

[Radar1]

We replaced a failed converter with a WFCO 8735 a few years ago. The old original unit probably failed due to a combination of heat (no ventilation under the bench seat on our Scamp) and poor design of the circuit boards that stuck horizontally out the sides with no support other than the soldered connections which is not ideal in a bouncing trailer going down the road.
The WFCO 8735 was chosen because it brings in cooling air from the front, and exhausts it out the front, so the hot air can escape the enclosure.

[alan H]

Was the wiring pretty straight forward
Everything if read about on the pd 4135 sounds like the wiring was not clearly explained in documentation that came w/units

[Joe MacDonald]

It depends on your definition of clear instructions, I replaced my 50 year old original converter with a PD 9145, and had no issues. I kept the front section of the original converter with the breakers and dc fuses, and mounted the pd9145 on the back after removing the old dc section, this kept all wiring to a minimum, and took me only about 4 hours to complete
Joe

[Keith2000]

Contact Best Converter. They provide great advice and fantastic service. We got the PD4135 and a surge protector. Neither were hard to install, but it takes some study to understand the pd4135 wiring. If you take your time it works fine. If you have any questions Randy will take care of you.

[Baxter]

I got the PD4135 and like it quite a bit. The instructions were dodgy, especially in regards to how to handle the chassis ground on a FG trailer, but there's a lot of help online. In fact, my thread on it got pretty detailed: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ter-89730.html