BrandonR
Oregon
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Joined: 04/12/2006
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Grizzly Man wrote:BrandonR wrote:Looks like a retrofit to me. You should have a door there for accessing the area in front of the wheel well so you're missing the door and have that hulking monstrosity in it's place.
I think you are correct. After looking into this, the "retorfit" unit is wired into the factory power converter. I'm not sure why someone wired in the retro unit because all of the brakers and fuses work on the factory unit. I will build a vented box for the "retrofit" and relocate it out of sight.
The magnetek in my angler died a couple years ago, I called up BestConverter and got a drop-in replacement WFCO unit that was slightly smaller, lighter and 3-stage instead of 1-stage like the magnetek. It's worth the small $$ outlay for the upgrade to a modern 3-stage unit and the time it takes to install it.
Brandon Reed
Albany, OR
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AnEv942
CA
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Joined: 10/10/2003
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Yes looking at your pic and comparing to 5alives looks like that were it'd go?. In your pic it looks like you can just see a bottom edge of the water tank above the power distribution panel. Possibly the converter isnt stock and to big to go back where its supposed to?
Other than that Id get some black spray paint and mask and spray
that air panle  appearantly some wires were moved. Least the last fellow that did this could have removed the panel door-odd makes you wonder.
Sounds like you have some fun in store
It doesnt look to me like there be room for and 1 piece converter/panle for updating as mentioned with newer style.
Mark
01 Ford 250 4X4 DRW Diesel, 01 Elkhorn 9U
Our camper projects page
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Grizzly Man
Candler
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AnEv942 wrote:Yes looking at your pic and comparing to 5alives looks like that were it'd go?. In your pic it looks like you can just see a bottom edge of the water tank above the power distribution panel. Possibly the converter isnt stock and to big to go back where its supposed to?
Other than that Id get some black spray paint and mask and spray
that air panle appearantly some wires were moved. Least the last fellow that did this could have removed the panel door-odd makes you wonder.
Sounds like you have some fun in store
It doesnt look to me like there be room for and 1 piece converter/panle for updating as mentioned with newer style.
Mark
All electrical circuits are working correctly. It appears the retrofit converter is tied into the original converter. Fleetwood installed the Magnatec unit in the location shown in the photo. It was installed from the factory under the fresh water tank. I can relocate the retrofit unit to another location and get it out of the floor. It's not a big deal to extend the wire leads. The retrofit unit does not have any circuit breakers or fuses.
2006 Fleetwood Scorpion S1 Toy Hauler (for sale)
1992 Fleetwood Caribou 8CS TC
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AnEv942
CA
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Joined: 10/10/2003
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Grizzly Man wrote:
All electrical circuits are working correctly. It appears the retrofit converter is tied into the original converter. Fleetwood installed the Magnatec unit in the location shown in the photo. It was installed from the factory under the fresh water tank. I can relocate the retrofit unit to another location and get it out of the floor. It's not a big deal to extend the wire leads. The retrofit unit does not have any circuit breakers or fuses.
Good deal. Wow you mean the orignal is still back there or its an extension of the fuse panel, I was thinking stock it was 2 units. Possbly swap inards so converter can go back in stock location? Ya the panel looked like location stock..
Enjoy
Mark
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5Alive
Salt Lake City
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Joined: 09/20/2007
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Ok, here's a picture of my converter with the cover off. I had already mounted the new fuse panel and converter upgrade at this point, but the layout didn't change. The Converter is the bottom half, while the AC circuit breakers are upper left and DC fuse panel upper right.
Some of you may be interested in what I found underneath the old converter. A little bit scary.
1995 Weekender 1010 Ext
2005 Dodge Ram 3500 DRW 4X4 CTD Regular cab
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Grizzly Man
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5Alive wrote:Ok, here's a picture of my converter with the cover off. I had already mounted the new fuse panel and converter upgrade at this point, but the layout didn't change. The Converter is the bottom half, while the AC circuit breakers are upper left and DC fuse panel upper right.
Some of you may be interested in what I found underneath the old converter. A little bit scary.
That looks nice and clean!
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AnEv942
CA
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Common 5Alive- Every pic Ive seen where old converter was removed the floor was discolored-one was even charred. I was expecting to see the same when I removed our old converter but floor was ok, I guess cause ours is mounted bout an 1" off floor?
 Theres the problem-Its that big honking transformer in old converter, generates a lot of heat. Ours replaced unit still works, was thinkin of making a power supply out it for the shop. Id remove the transformer and reinstall with alum spacers under it for air, be good idea for units in use.
I wonder looking at 5Alives and yours Grizzly if you could mount like his(or a new converter/panle), since the space is there versus finding another place,Campers appear simular. I noted on 5Alives the air grill is considerably smaller to allow the one piece converter/distribution panle box. Though your added converter looks possibly too large. But sounds like you have a plan,
Grizzly Man wrote:.. After looking into this, the "retrofit" unit is wired into the factory power converter. I'm not sure why someone wired in the retro unit because all of the brakers and fuses work on the factory unit. I will build a vented box for the "retrofit" and relocate it out of sight.
What threw me on this is the 1st pic you show isnt a converter-its just a factory installed power distribution/fuse panel. Unless it had a remotely mounted converter section because obviously its not a stacked unit like 5Alives the camper didnt come with a coverter. Thats why I was thinking org converter might be 'behind' the panel instead of below. But many campers didnt come with converter-only panle.
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5Alive
Salt Lake City
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AnEv942 wrote:
What threw me on this is the 1st pic you show isnt a converter-its just a factory installed power distribution/fuse panel. Unless it had a remotely mounted converter section because obviously its not a stacked unit like 5Alives the camper didnt come with a coverter. Thats why I was thinking org converter might be 'behind' the panel instead of below. But many campers didnt come with converter-only panle.
That's what I didn't say so well in my first reply. Every picture of a magnetek I've seen has them stacked like mine. Even the the very generic instruction manual shows them just like that. I'd assume the camper didn't have a factory converter and someone added one. An basic 8' camper doesn't absolutely NEED one. Back in the day of no onboard batteries and iceboxes everything ran off the truck's battery. The shore power only ran AC items in the camper, outlets and sometimes a few 110 lights.
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Grizzly Man
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5Alive wrote:AnEv942 wrote:
What threw me on this is the 1st pic you show isnt a converter-its just a factory installed power distribution/fuse panel. Unless it had a remotely mounted converter section because obviously its not a stacked unit like 5Alives the camper didnt come with a coverter. Thats why I was thinking org converter might be 'behind' the panel instead of below. But many campers didnt come with converter-only panle.
That's what I didn't say so well in my first reply. Every picture of a magnetek I've seen has them stacked like mine. Even the the very generic instruction manual shows them just like that. I'd assume the camper didn't have a factory converter and someone added one. An basic 8' camper doesn't absolutely NEED one. Back in the day of no onboard batteries and iceboxes everything ran off the truck's battery. The shore power only ran AC items in the camper, outlets and sometimes a few 110 lights.
My camper is a Fleetwood Caribou 8CS which was the top of the line model TC. I was hoping someone with this model would reply. It has a battery box with original wiring. The camper is heavily optioned and I would think it would have came with a converter but I can't find a place for one. I don't have the original owners manual. I heard they are very basic and don't offer a lot of information.
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