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When adding a high-powered battery charger many people throw
the old converter out. Let me suggest that you keep it, and wire it into the system by connection its output to the distribution
hubs you have added. However, you will leave it unplugged. If the converter was previously hardwired, install a pigtail
on it so you can plug it into a standard outlet.
The purpose of doing this is twofold. First, if you have an
inverter failure of some sort, you can fall back on the converter while the inverter is being repaired. Secondly, and most
important, if you are in a situation where the shore power is of low quality, or of low amperage (say a 15 amp outlet at a
friends house, or a rally), then you can not plug into the main shore power, and use your inverter to supply your coach. Then,
you can plug in the converter to the 15 amp external circuit and simultaneously charge your battery bank. (Remember, you can’t
use the inverter function and the battery charge function of your inverter/charger at the same time). This allows you to have
a clean source of power, and recharge the bank at a reasonable rate.
You can’t plug the converter in anywhere
except to an external source of power. If you plugged it into your house outlets then when you inverted you would set up a
feedback loop and drain your battery bank, and potentially damage equipment.
Note: The above applies to a separate converter that plugs
into a receptical - which is fairly typical in larger rigs. If you have an integrated converter/charger/12-volt loadcenter
then you will have to figure out the wiring on it to accomplish the above. They are all a little different. If you choose
not to modify this type of converter, you can just pull the breaker wire that feeds power to it. Everything should then work
as if it was never there.
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