Chinook RV

I ordered one of these the other day and just replacedy existing charger.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002OR424 ... 60_TE_dp_1
I had read (and slightly experienced) about over charging issues with the stock charger. I wanted to replace it with a whole house inverter like the magnum hybrid 3k, but $200 vs $1500. I found I can run the ac on an extension cord (heavy gauge..12? Maybe it's 14). I'm just talking about a regular 15amp outlet. I'm sure to run the fridge on propane and flip off the charger's breaker when I do run the A/C though. This is all I really wanted to be able to do with the hybrid inverter and since I can without spending $1500.. I opted for this upgrade instead. I didn't like the constant slow charge though. The new unit was pretty straight forward to install and has multiple charging setting that it does automagically. The big 2 being a "bulk" charge rather than having to wait 4-5 hrs.. And a trickle charge rather than boiling your batteries when they are already full.

One disturbing thing I found was that the DC wires were only partially installed on the old DC block (see pic for "snipped" wires). Since I upgraded to 55 amp's vs 45amps against the recommendations (they are concerned with wire sizes), I wanted the best connections possible. I had to get more slack by removing the drawer above the power center and adjusting some of the cable management. Then strip a little fresh wire and use that. Not a huge deal, but all in all this replacement took me about 3hrs. This includes finding all the right tools and putting everything away. Actual work time is probably only an hour.

That wire size is something I'll be changing when I upgrade my charger. It is not very heavy gauge, and from what I have read it (somewhat inexplicably) goes up in the wall, over the top of the couch window, then back down behind the kitchen sink (in the wall) and then across to the charger. This makes for a pretty long run, and length of run (out and back) is everything in DC wire sizing.

For the new charger I'll be running larger wire and plan to run it along behind the couch by the wall (in a protective conduit). This will make the run a LOT shorter (since every extra foot gets doubled by the out and back nature of it) and make for much less voltage drop, etc.

I would be uncomfortable running a 55 amp charger on the stock wires unless I knew more about the wire size and the length of the run (from what I gleaned it is #8 and it makes around a 52' run).

I had to laugh at the 52' run part. I don't know any better, so we'll see. I'm pretty sure I've read a blog or 2 that had upgraded to this charger without upgrading wire size. I'm sure it's a great idea, but they didn't burn their RV's down.

Manitou wrote:I had to laugh at the 52' run part.

I'm not sure if you mean because that was a ridiculous way to run the wiring or because you think it sounds incorrect? Here is how I figured it (just estimating in my head):

1) From batteries up to floor level in Chinook, allowing a bit of extra because of the way the drawer slides open, jumpers, etc. 3'

2) From floor level to top of window frame, 5'

3) Along top of window to end of window, 8'

4) From top/rear of window down to floor level, 5'

5) From floor level over to charger and with little bit of extra for service loop, 4'

Those add up to 25', which you then double because in DC both "ways" count as part of the run (positive up and negative back), so that makes 50' Okay, so maybe I guesstimated two feet of run extra.

Manitou wrote: I don't know any better, so we'll see. I'm pretty sure I've read a blog or 2 that had upgraded to this charger without upgrading wire size. I'm sure it's a great idea, but they didn't burn their RV's down.

You very likely will not burn down. If you wanted to, you could check your over-current protection. Size it for the ampacity of the wire run and it will protect the wire (purpose of OCP fuses). But you may have extra voltage drop, which is inefficient. In any case, disaster is unlikely, but there are potential reasons you were advised against it, and it is a super easy place to run a new wire (up through floor, along wall under couch, through bottom of cabinet) which could be a shorter run and properly sized. So I'm not sure I see a big reason not to upgrade it, but to each their own.