Power Converter Repaired!

Message Share Topic Printable Version Google Delicious Digg StumbleUpon Windows Live Yahoo Bookmarks reddit Facebook MySpace Newsvine Furl Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic

   Hello fellow podders! Quite happy this morning after a successful repair of my failed power converter. First notice I had that it went bad was a dead battery that was only a few months old. Converter was not charging the battery while on shore power. Eventually, nothing worked except outlets that were directly connected to shore power.
I was able to pull the converter from under the power center and saw that the bottom of the enclosure was partially broken, the converter was not screwed into the enclosure, and the 15amp breaker to the converter was quite loose.

One, or all, of the following restored functionality:
Pull the breaker and pinch together the copper connectors of the breaker which hold onto the tab in the socket. This tightened up and improved the contact.
Supported the floor of the enclosure to eliminate what must have been drastic shaking that damaged the converter. I used wine corks cut to proper lengths and wood glued to the frame under the bottom of the enclosure. I was not able to repair the plastic enclosure since I didn’t want to remove the whole thing. I think it’s abs plastic, which can be welded or solvent-welded.
Repaired the solder on the backside of the circuit board that had broken loose from the excessive shaking. These solder points are relatively large pins and heavy solder, so this was not a difficult operation. Below is a photo of a new converter which I’ll be returning after this successful repair.  I circled the 4 connections where I reinforced the solder on the back side of the circuit board.
Secured the circuit board to the base of the converter unit with all screws to posts on the base (2 of 5 were missing) and secured the the converter base to the enclosure (0 of 2 screws were in place previously)
Reconnected all wires in the power center and plugged into shore power, fan came on and multimeter verified charging output! Yay!

Sorry for lack of progress photos on this write up, but I wasn’t sure it would work.

Author	Message Share Topic Printable Version Google Delicious Digg StumbleUpon Windows Live Yahoo Bookmarks reddit Facebook MySpace Newsvine Furl Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic
kickhead70 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 19 Jul 2020 Location: Livermore Online Status: Offline Posts: 16	Topic: Power Converter Repaired! Posted: 14 Nov 2020 at 2:24pm
	Hello fellow podders! Quite happy this morning after a successful repair of my failed power converter. First notice I had that it went bad was a dead battery that was only a few months old. Converter was not charging the battery while on shore power. Eventually, nothing worked except outlets that were directly connected to shore power. I was able to pull the converter from under the power center and saw that the bottom of the enclosure was partially broken, the converter was not screwed into the enclosure, and the 15amp breaker to the converter was quite loose. One, or all, of the following restored functionality: Pull the breaker and pinch together the copper connectors of the breaker which hold onto the tab in the socket. This tightened up and improved the contact. Supported the floor of the enclosure to eliminate what must have been drastic shaking that damaged the converter. I used wine corks cut to proper lengths and wood glued to the frame under the bottom of the enclosure. I was not able to repair the plastic enclosure since I didn’t want to remove the whole thing. I think it’s abs plastic, which can be welded or solvent-welded. Repaired the solder on the backside of the circuit board that had broken loose from the excessive shaking. These solder points are relatively large pins and heavy solder, so this was not a difficult operation. Below is a photo of a new converter which I’ll be returning after this successful repair. I circled the 4 connections where I reinforced the solder on the back side of the circuit board. Secured the circuit board to the base of the converter unit with all screws to posts on the base (2 of 5 were missing) and secured the the converter base to the enclosure (0 of 2 screws were in place previously) Reconnected all wires in the power center and plugged into shore power, fan came on and multimeter verified charging output! Yay! Sorry for lack of progress photos on this write up, but I wasn’t sure it would work.
	Wrangler Unlimitied 75th Anniv. Ed. 2017 R-Pod RP180

mcarter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 07 Apr 2016 Location: Greenbrier, TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 3419	Posted: 14 Nov 2020 at 4:26pm
	THANKS for post, good job and write up.
	Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 14 Nov 2020 at 6:13pm
	Great fix, nice to see someone unafraid to tackle circuit board repair, kinda a lost art these days. thanks for the post!
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

jato Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3255	Posted: 14 Nov 2020 at 8:57pm
	I now know where to go if I have a similar problem. Never been to Livermore (yet). Great job and repair!
	God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."

Gebaldwin1 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 14 May 2017 Location: CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 23	Posted: 15 Nov 2020 at 7:37am
	That "daughter" board that sticks up from the main board is most often the problem. It's terrible design to have that unsupported board in a device that sees significant bouncing & vibration in small travel trailers. The support of the enclosure is a good start - recommend also that you take a piece of popsicle stick and use a small dab of RTV silicone adhesive to brace the top edge of the daughter board to the enclosure to prevent if from wiggling loose again.
	GMan Lil' Bumpy - RPod 180

kickhead70 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 19 Jul 2020 Location: Livermore Online Status: Offline Posts: 16	Posted: 15 Nov 2020 at 11:17am
	By daughter board, I think you’re referring to is the smaller circuit board the is perpendicular to the main board. That board is quite light, and even with road vibrations, wouldn’t really create much stress at the connection, IMO. My main problem is with the heat sink (aluminum with fins that’s vertical from the circuit board), that part needs a little more solid of a connection. In my case, that part had enough mass that during road travel, it created lots of deflection at its connection to the main board, and worked on the soldered connections. I’d contemplated trying to attach a brace of some kind, but hoping that re-securing the other connections will be good enough. If I have to get in there again, I’ll take a look for what you’re suggesting, thanks!
	Wrangler Unlimitied 75th Anniv. Ed. 2017 R-Pod RP180