Inverter on or off

DVR

Hi all. New T@B owner. It's a 2004, so, old. The power converter is an American CS 3000XL. I'm totally new to RVs so this might seem like a silly question, but what do I do so that when plugged into shore power the battery is getting charged? There are two breakers, one for AC and one for DC. Do these need to be toggled on or off? Or does this converter charge the battery regardless of breaker setting when plugged in? I've found now clear answer online. Thanks!

pthomas745

Welcome to the Forums!

Your "converter" (the box with the fuses and circuit breakers) is the battery charger  It also manages the "shore power" with the circuit breakers when the trailer is plugged in to power.  It also handles distribution of power from the battery to the 12V items in the trailer when not connected to shore power.  (This is a simplified answer!)

The "12V items" when on battery power include the lights, any fans that might be connected, etc. 

What gets complicated is: whether or not your DM has what is known as a "battery disconnect switch".  The DM trailers (don't call it old!) did not come with a switch as standard equipment, but a previous owner may have installed one. 

I also don't find anything specific about any of the breakers in the converter affecting the charging of the battery.  This is where having a multimeter or any sort of battery voltage device that would help you to make sure your battery is properly charged. 

If your trailer is not connected to shore power, or a solar panel/charger of some sort, it is important the battery is disconnected from the trailer in some way: pull the negative battery cable, for example.  If not, some ordinary "parasitic" drains from items in the trailer can take power from the battery.  These drains can eventually harm the battery.

So: take some pictures of the battery tub and battery itself.  We can look and see if you have some sort of switch, or other modifications in it. 

And: ask questions.  We love questions and seeing well loved DM's (not old!).

Marceline

Here's some information that I found by searching this forum. Just sharing in case it's useful.

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/1843/help-with-wiring