Hillbilly (electrical) Engineering

noway2

noway2

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Ok, long story short. We’ve begun renovating our house. Three days in and about 80% of the interior has been smashed down to the stud walls. We’re staying in our 15 yo travel trailer as a last hurrah. Things seem to be failing in this trailer as fast as they were in the 53 yo house that needed updating. Anyway, at the trailer it looks like the DC power converter died. Had a battery on it, but lights kept getting dimmer. T-stat for the AC started acting funny. Today I put a volt meter across the battery 8.6v. No wonder. Disconnected one lead, battery 8.6v, 0 voltage across the lines that should have charged the battery from the converter. AC cut off (t-stat used the 12v). Put a battery charger on it and it’s holding at just under 12v (last I checked), but battery isn’t showing increased charge. Could be limited by the charger powering the little circuitry in the trailer, could be a shot battery too.

My intermediate solution is to get some decent gauge wire, use a 30A 13.8v ham radio power supply and wire it in. Put the supply inside, and weather not an issue, hence decent gauge (figure #8 or #10) wire.

I know it’s a WFCO converter, but not sure of the model. The challenge is they’re also the AC load center.

Bought the trailer 15 years ago and lived in it during a relocation to VA. 15 years later, I spent $4k on it (built a vestibule for the door) and fixed some things and it’s going to be its last hurrah for us. Roof leaked, weakening the floors in spots, so I put some plywood down and a rug over it. Fridge died, got a replacement AC one, not an absorber. Interestingly Magic Chef makes a Home Depot model that just fits. Hopefully, everything else holds out another 4 months till our house is back together. Will update with pictures.
 
Kitchen partial demolition. Several layers of wall paper under paint. GC says they will likely just smash the sheetrock and replace it instead of the labor to try to refinish it.

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Bathroom, partially demolished. They used a mortar and lath prior to tile backer. Not sealed. No wonder mold was an issue.

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Corner bedroom and entry way where me bathroom will go.
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Family room, panelling removed

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Guessing
mostly22lately said:
how long a heavy gauge wire do you need?
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15-20 feet, maybe a bit less, two runs. Plan to put the power supply in the building just on the other side of the flower bed and run it out a window.
 
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If you figure out the amp draw and what voltage its supplying just get a power supply like you have or goes in a industrial panel and wire it in to be powered directly from 120v
 
ok, I have to see what I have ... "noway2" run an AC cord to someplace closer and then a plastic box?
like you'd use for an autotuner? I have a 23A Samlex switcher with 45A PowerPoles on it you could try

just trying to minimize the I^2R losses

if you used some 14GA Romex and tied together the black, white, and ground, that is equal to a 9AWG
a 20 amp load would drop ~650mV @20 feet one-way
 
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Matt, I have some 12/3 here somewhere and I have some #10 (I think 10/3)in the building at moms house if either of those would help
 
@mostly22lately and @Burt Gummer thank you to both. Very kind offers, I appreciate it. The original converter was rated at 30a, but I doubt I need that much. Biggest draw will likely be furnace blower fan when it gets cold.

Yes, I could reduce the wire size, and keep a supply closer if I have a weather tight enclosure for it.

@Jp8819 interesting idea might be able to rig in a power supply instead of replacing converter. Thinking, however, when we’re done the trailer is going to get sold “as is“. hopefully it serves our needs for the next few months. It’s had a good long life for a trailer.
 
Plastic storage box or foam cooler at walmart or home depot with lid will be weather tight for your power supply.
 
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Well, I know I have the Samlex since it's in plain view. You could borrow that straight away, if you need one.
I have PowerPoles and the crimper, so that part is easy.

I think any spare wire is in the shed.

In general I'd not try to 'move' low voltage DC if I had any option to use an extension cord or similar type informal AC wiring.
Too much voltage drop after 12 feet, usually, but some 10AWG (Romex is probably least costly) might change my mind.
 
Button Pusher said:
Plastic storage box or foam cooler at walmart or home depot with lid will be weather tight for your power supply.
Click to expand...
Yup, this is a good idea, I have a foam cooler to donate to the cause, or a correctly size shallow bucket and a couple of pieces of wood will work.
Simply fashion the wood into a base, sit the power supply on it, and invert the bucket over it.
Makes wire ingress/egress easy.
Just keep the wires from getting pulled out or the bucket from getting knocked over easily (a couple bricks do wonders).
 
mostly22lately said:
Well, I know I have the Samlex since it's in plain view. You could borrow that straight away, if you need one.
I have PowerPoles and the crimper, so that part is easy.
Click to expand...
That would be an elegant solution, as is the above post. Thank you. Been meaning to get some power pole connectors, they do make things easier. If we can keep rain off the equipment, I think we’re good to go. We can run an extension cord (what I did with the charger) and come up with something, even if it is just wood, to keep it off the ground.
 
OK, I have the Samlex and the foam box, all set to go.

It uses a regular IEC type AC plug, so, that's easy, I have plenty and then the AC side is conventional.

Measure from where it might sit to the place where the DC has to attach to whatever-it-is on the trailer and I can try to fabricate a DC pigtail that long, if I can arrange enough suitable wire ... or I can make a short one (2' or so) and keep it in the box and you can tie back to that and we can splice.
 
I’ll take a look. It might be possible to pu it under the trailer for extra weather protection, and then we are talking a few feet to the battery. Worst case, it’s as was said above, on blocks with the box over it to keep weather out.
 
hp468 said:
Matt, I’m pretty sure I have an old 40a GE rack mount supply floating around here if it would help. If interested I can dig it out and confirm operation.
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Thank you for the offer. I appreciate it. That would be more than adequate, but the question would be weather protection.
 
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