1. What is a converter?
Remote camping in a modern recreational vehicle requires an electric power source (i.e. a 12-volt battery system). The power converter recharges the battery and supplies 12-volt power for the lights and appliances when 120–volt AC power is available.
2. What is the maximum rate my Converter/Charger will re-charge my battery?
The 9200 Series and 9100 Series electronic Converter/Chargers used by Winnebago can charge the battery at their maximum current output rating, provided there are no other 12-volt systems operating and if the battery is discharged enough to accept this charge rate. Progressive Dynamics presently manufacturers six different models of the 9100 series and four models of the 9200 series power converters as shown in the chart below. The last two digits of the part number indicate its maxim current charging capability in amps.
3. Does my Converter/Charger completely shut-off when the battery reaches full charge?
When the battery reaches full charge, the charging current of the converter drops down to between 20 and 25 milliamps. Batteries will self-discharge themselves at this low rate even when no other 12-volt current loads are present. The converter senses this current loss and automatically replaces this lost current to maintain full battery charge.
| Maximum Output & Charging Rate | 9200 Series Model | 9100 Series Model |
| 30-amps | PD9130 | |
| 40-amps | PD9140A | |
| 45-amps | PD9245C | PD9145A |
| 60-amps | PD9260C | PD9160A |
| 70-amps | PD9270 | PD9170 |
| 80-amps | PD9280 | PD9180 |
4. Why doesn’t the fan on my converter run all of the time?
The fan provided on Progressive Dynamics 9200 and 9100 series converters is an intelligent fan and uses an electronic temperature sensing system that operates the fan only as much as required usually under high current drain applications. This means that the fan typically will not operate at night when the RV owner has turned off most 12- volt lights and appliances and is trying to sleep.
So… what then is an inverter?
The RV’s inverter does just the opposite. It converts 12 VDC from your battery into 120 VAC, standard household type electricity. Size is dictated on what you want to run, and how far you want to wire:
| DEVICE | POWER (WATTS) | 12 VDC CURRENT (AMPS) |
| Microwave Oven | 1200 -1500 | 100 – 125 |
| Queen electric blanket | 250 | 21 |
| Coffee pot | 1200 | 100 |
| TV | 180 | 15 |
| DVD | 60 | 5 |
| Computer | 100 | 8 |
| Hair Dryer | 1200 – 1600 | 100 – 133 |
| Cell phone charger | 20 | 2 |
Common Inverters and Common Wireplace Locations:
Winnebago Class Cs
110 – 1,000 watt Entertainment Areas and Possibly the Bedroom
Winnebago Class As
300-2,800 Entertainment Areas, Possibly the Bedroom, or Whole Coach
Pure Sine Wave inverters used in 2,800 watt series provide cleaner, smoother power, with less risk to bouncy wavy lines on TVs and/or damage to high end appliances. A power inverter device which produces a smooth sinusoidal AC waveform is referred to as a pure sine wave inverter.
Many 2,000 and 2,800 watt inverters also have surge guard protection built into them…