Replacement Converter for 2021 T@B 320 with Lithium

Bclarke

Hello wise ones… I have replaced the stock battery with 2 lithiums.   I had the dealer replace the converter as well as a result but they installed an incorrect model that required a manual override to charge the lithiums to 100%.  So … they are going to replace it but I want your thoughts on using this model:  WFCO Model WF-8735LiS.  They said this it is what NuCamp is now using for its installs (for lithium).   Not that I don’t trust the dealer (hmmm) …. Any thoughts are welcome!  

Dutch061

With 2 lithium batteries, you can charge at a much higher rate than 35 amps. You can actually charge up to 50 amps per battery. I bought a PD9260C and installed less than 18" from my power distribution block on our 400. Although Progressive Dynamics makes a converter specifically for lithium (91xx series), I made this upgrade before I ordered 2 Battleborn batteries last week.

My PD9260C will also charge the BB's, I just have to activate the Boost Mode by pressing the pendant. Not a big deal, because we typically boondock and live off the solar and batteries, hence the reason to upgrade to BB. 

My biggest concern would be the location of the converter chosen in regards to the location of the batteries and concentrate on reducing that as much as possible or increasing the wire size in between to lower the resistance to allow for proper charging without spending hours trying to do so. I would also insure that you have sufficient size cables between the batteries and the camper to allow the amount of current flow you are looking for. In my case, I am installing 2/0 gauge cabling that will handle 200 amps all day everyday which is overkill, but that's how I do things. 

I have attached a photo of the converter I installed on our 2020 TAB 400 BDL for reference. It is connected to the junction block with 4 gauge wiring. 

Brad

Bclarke

Thank you… This would go where the current converter is installed underneath the drivers side bench. It is also the panel with the breakers. So we have to have ready access to the front of it. I do appreciate your suggestions however and will explore this further…

dsfdogs

@Bclarke I have one BB lithium and this spring had the same WFCO drop in replacement you received. Both the stock convertor and this one is 35 amp and I did not want to worry about upgrading the wiring in the T@B to handle higher amperage converter. There is a tiny switch on the front to move from lead acid to lithium. One of the two yellow lights will be lit when it's set to lithium. It stays lit. The second yellow light is while converter is in bulk mode, which is always at least one hour after plugging in.  

Denny16

The TaB is wired for a 40amp DC system, so,the new 35amp converter unit is fine, and should not cause any issues.  The main fuse on the Battery system is also 40 amps.
cheers

Dutch061

Keep in mind what I mentioned about distance and gauge of wiring. There is no doubt that the WFCO you are looking to have installed will work or not; however if the resistance in the wiring is too high (caused by length or wire gauge) it will never charge in the "Bulk Mode of 14.4 Volts". This is not an issue unless you are trying to get the batteries to charge quickly using a generator.

Which is why I made the changes to our 400.

Brad

Edit P.S. It would be worth reaching out to WFCO to see if they offer the converter to replace your existing converter without the entire power center. I would think that it would cost much less. 

Bclarke

Thanks @dsfdogs @Denny16 @Dutch061 … appreciate the input!

dsfdogs

@Dutch061 I did ask WFCO if they only sell the "guts" of the converter and the answer was no. The question was asked earlier this year.

Dutch061

If that is the situation, I would lean towards a replacement from Progressive Dynamics https://www.progressivedyn.com/pd9100l/ from this page. They also have a lower amperage unit that is fully enclosed. With this, you could merely remove the converter from the distribution center and put this in the same area and make the connections to the existing wiring way simpler than replacing the entire power distribution assembly. Remove 2 screws and you can remove the converter, disconnect the wiring and BAM. 

I used the 9200 series because I wasn't aware at that time that I was going to dump 2K on lithium and cables. But then again part of the issue with the 400's is the location of the power center VS the location of the batteries. 

Brad

Bclarke

@Dutch061 appreciate this!  I initially asked for the Progressive and they installed an older version so this is round two. In the 320 the unit is where it is (under the bench by the drivers tire) and the batteries are in the front tub. So I can’t move anything. It doesn’t appear that the dealer really understands the options and I certainly don’t either. I will speak to them about this and see what they say. Your suggestion seems less invasive and less expensive.  Thank you