Help! 2010 Recon power converter/charger

[Irishguy]

Hi, my family fulltime in a 2010 Recon 39C. I noticed the interior lights where dimming on shore power and fan was slowing on increased load. I changed out one of the batteries. Everything worked fine until the next day, again lights dimming etc. i think I have a bad battery charger and want to replace it. Can anyone recommend a good, reasonably priced replacement? All advice appreciated, thanks

[craigav]

From what I know from many others here and elsewhere, it is most common to replace a failing converter with the same or updated version that already exists. This is likely what I would do.

However, prior to replacing the converter, I would verify that the incoming voltage is appropriate and check for other issues. Perhaps you have something using a lot of power that you are unaware of and\or otherwise shouldn't be pulling such a heavy load as it is pulling, causing the batteries to discharge quickly and the converter to be unable to keep up. ~CA

[JimD]

The only way to know what is going on is to use a simple voltmeter. Without measuring anything you are just taking shots in the dark.

Measure across the battery while unplugged to see the current condition of the battery. A good charged battery will be around 12.6 volts. Now plug in and see how much it goes up. Converters typically have different charge rates according to battery status.

I have attached a picture showing the different charge rates of the converter in my rig. Typically a converter will charge in the mid 14s for a period of time and then drop to the mid 13s. You should find out what converter you have and go to the manufacturer's web site and download the manual for it if available. That should tell you what to look for.

You may have also damaged your battery if it has dropped below 12.1 volts a few times. Light dimming usually means the battery is getting pretty low. It could also mean there is resistance in the circuit which can be caused by poor connections. Check your battery cable connections for cleanliness and tightness. Don't forget to check both cable ends. The battery negative connection to the frame often can get loose or corrode.