First, what is an RV power converter? Your RV converter is an important piece of equipment for your vehicle because it changes the voltage of electric power so that your RV battery doesn’t completely drain. There are two types of currents involved here: Alternating current (AC) and Direct current (DC). A converter changes AC to DC so that your lights, refrigerator, and outlets can run on battery power.
So whenever you use electricity while running the generator in your unit, the converter is working as a mediator to allow you to maintain power. The RV power converter also charges your battery while you are plugged into power at a camp spot.
Best RV Power Converter Hacks
Upgrade your RV power converter
You can choose to upgrade your “dumb” converter to a “smart” converter, which will give your battery a much longer life (5-10 years, as opposed to 2-3 years). This will also help your battery to charge faster.
It doesn’t matter if your RV is new or old, this upgrade will improve your battery life because it has four charging stages instead of just one. Overall, it will have a faster charge and will keep the battery close to 100% charge level at all times. The single stage converter is more often found in smaller RVs, campers, or trailers, but can easily be upgraded.
Diagnosing Problems
If you find that you still have some electrical power in your RV, but your battery is not charging, your RV power converter is “fried” and no longer working to charge your battery. Maybe the lights are going dim in your coach — the converter is probably going out. You can also check your volt meter in your RV, which shows whether the battery is being charged or not, as well as the amount of voltage. A new Rv power converter will cost you about $100-$250. Some of the best brands-rated brands can be found on Amazon.
My experience with RV power converter
Our family never had issues with our RV converter, but we always had to make sure that when we used a hair dryer we used nothing else at the same time because it would drain the battery due to electrical draw. Occasionally the breakers would trip, and we had to figure out which one to flip to get power back! A friend of ours always had to start his RV before his wife dried her hair, who demanded to wash and blow dry her hair each day. He was always afraid the battery would drain and the truck would never start!
Some older RVs may not have the capability of maintaining a good charge; either their batteries are damaged by over-charging, or you don’t have enough power because they are not charged enough. In either instance, a smart converter would solve a multitude of problems. The removal and installation of a converter is pretty simple, and a multitude of tutorials can be found on the internet. Simply detach and reattach the correct wires, and it’s good to go. Keep your power source protected and never run out of electricity!
