USMC717
huntley Ill
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Joined: 03/16/2006
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thanks for all your help finding the converter. found it and it had a blowen fuse. now I am trying to figure on how it should work. some people said that my tv should work off my batteries. it never did, you had to have the generator working for the tv to work. also trying to figuie out on how the converter works so I can test it, to make sure it works, 2007 forest river georgetown
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RogerNCindy
umop episdn
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Joined: 03/29/2004
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A converter only supplies 12 volts DC. An inverter supplies the 120 AC necessary for TV operation.
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Tooner
Ontario
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Joined: 10/30/2003
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Scott
You need an inverter to run your TV from your house batteries. An inverter changes DC to AC. A converter changes AC to DC which allows you run your 12 volt lights etc. when you have shore power. I am far from an expert and maybe someone else can explain it better but that's the way I understand it. Hope this helps.
2008 HR Endeavor 36PDQ 400 hp Cummins ISL (4 slide-outs)
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YC 1
Yuba City Calif.
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There can be two devices in an RV. The first that you will find is the Converter. It converts 110 volts to 12 volts DC. This is used to charge your batteries,primarily your coach batteries and in some cases the engine battery as well though that seems to be rare versus the norm.
The second device which is not in the majority of RV's is an Inverter. It takes the 12 volts DC and turns it into 110 volts AC so you can run things like a television, but not your air conditioner or generally your microwave or anything that takes a lot of power. An Inverter can be just about any size from small enough to plug into a lighter plug to large enough that you need welding cables coming from the battery to run it.
When hooked to shore power or running a generator you would not need the Inverter because the 110 would be coming from those sources. Some Inverters have an automatic sense mode and will switch from shoreline power to battery.
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brobox
Sunny SW. Florida
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Joined: 11/18/2003
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Since you MH is a 2007 do you have the Spec sheet of what your MH is equipped with? That should tell you if an inverter was installed on your unit and what size it is. The larger it is, the more electrical items will be connected to it. On my inverter panel there is a push pad to turn the inverter on. If that pad is not pushed on, no 110V power to the coach. If you have an inverter, is it turned on? Do you have the owners manuals that came with the coach? What does it list for the inverter/converter?
Chuck
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LVJ58
Las Vegas, Nevada
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Joined: 02/26/2001
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To determine if your converter (converts 110vac to 12vdc) is working, plug the power cord from your coach into a 110v outlet. Then using a voltmeter check the voltage on your coach batteries if you get a reading of 13+ volts then your converter is working.
As others mentioned, unless your TV is dual voltage i.e., runs off 12vdc or 110vac, you need an inverter (changes 12vdc to 110vac) in order to run your TV. Your coach may or may not have an inverter. Some coaches come with a combination inverter/converter, you might want to check with the manufacturer to see if your model came with one. If an owners manual came with your coach, it may tell you.
Best of Luck, Jim
Jim & Sherry Seward, FMCA #F342207
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goodcruisin
Greenwood, IN
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Additionally, your coach may have a safety feature that cuts power to the TV when the ignition key on turned on. Mine does.
John (USN Ret) and Debbie
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smkettner
Southern California
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Since you have now found it how about posting the make and model of the converter itself?
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jhilley
Buxton, ND
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I saw your original post and the replies. There was confusion about whether you were asking about a Converter or Inverter. That is why one poster asked about the TV, to verify whether or not an inverter was working.
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wwest
Redmond WA
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Danger...!!
There are two converter types out there in the marketplace.
The inexpensive ones that simply supply full-wave rectified non-filtered 12 volt "pulsating" power. These are the most favored, obviously, by the OEM. These generally have two 12 volt outputs, a regulated one for charging the battery along with the one above. Supposedly "sensitive" loads can be connected to the battery charging circuit, "filtered" by the battery itself. In reality if too much additional "sensitive" device loading is added to this circuit nothing will be left for keeping the battery "float" charged let alone recharging it from a fairly low discharge level.
There is an additional "flaw" involving the modern day use of these less expensive converters. Add too many loads with their own internal capacitive internal filtering and the "unfiltered" 12 volt power source might end up "growing" to as much as 17-18 volts of "filered" DC power.
If you happen to have one of the new highly efficient PWM converters, fully filtered and tightly regulated 12 volt DC power, none of the above problems will apply.
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