What a great video! The converter in my 2015 TAB S Max trailer just stopped working. It is the "WFCO Model WF-8735P". I plan to replace the entire power center as the easiest route. What I am trying to determine is what power center to use as a replacement, as I would like to convert my current lead acid battery to lithium batteries in the near future. In your opinion, what is the current best model power center to replace with (it is now 2024) when planning to convert to lithium batteries in the future? (Would the replacement of choice still allow me to use my lead acid battery until I do convert to lithium. Otherwise, if there is now a clear choice designed specifically for lithium batteries, I could probably switch to lithium now instead of waiting.) Any thoughts would be appreciated so much.
Thank you for you video, it has given me the confidence to upgrade my 2021 320. And you are right all the colour coded cables are different at the connection.
I would recommend folks going with a Progressive Dynamics 4100 instead of a WFCO auto detect converter. My trailer came with an 8735 AD, and it failed to detect the lithium battery I connected. The auto detect process is a hassle. You have to completely drain the lithium battery before connecting and powering up the WFCO converter. Then it's supposed to detect the different response to charging over the course of a complete charge cycle. That process didn't work for me. It's possible that the "drained" state of the battery wasn't low enough, but I haven't had the time to mess with discharging the battery again for another try. I'd seen reports of the auto detect feature switching successfully, but then later forgetting and switching back to lead-acid mode, which is its default. The Progressive Dynamics converter has a simple physical switch to convert it to the appropriate charging mode for your battery.
Sorry you have had trouble with yours. Mine worked perfectly after just one cycle, and has never swapped back . The reports I've seen of trouble are a small percentage of units, and most of those were due to older firmware which WFCO has fixed. Additionally there are a few lithium batteries with built in "smart ligic" that automatically disconnects itself when the battery gets low. But not liw enough for the WFCO converter.
Mine has AD in its model designation and is in a 2023 trailer. The idea that it would need a firmware update is really annoying, especially since that means physically removing it and sending it back to WFCO. I'm using a Victron charger to fully charge my LiFePo instead and just ignore the clueless WFCO. @@deerlakediver5554
Great video thanks for sharing. I have a WFCO WF-8735-P and was thinking this would charge well enough Lithium and then my 480w solar would bulk charge or top off the rest. Think that plan would work?
It will "work" but there are issues with doing it that way. First, a lithium battery is made of several "cells". Those cells need to be kept ballanced in a process called "equalization. Equalization occurs when a lithium battery gets "bulk charged". (Very heavy high current charging.) A lead acid converter and/or a solar panel are not capable of producing the required current to bulk charge a lithium battery, so equalization of the individual cells cannot happen. As a result, the cells will fall out of ballance, and the battery life will be negatively impacted. Second, since the lead acid converter cannot produce high charging currents, your charge times will be long. This can be problematic when camping several days in a row, where the battery does not have enough time to charge between trips. Third, since the lead acid battery cannot produce all the current the lithium battery asks for, other devices within your trailer may be starved for current, while the converter is trying to service the demands of the lithium battery.
Thanks! I’m doing a similar upgrade to my ‘21 TAB 320 Boondock. I always take things to 11/10 so I’m wondering if I should increase the wire gauge from the converter to the battery… And whether I should relocate a charger to the front battery tub in order to make sure the battery gets the full 14.6 V it needs to recharge. Any comments?
I'm thinking of doing the same lithium conversion. Was just wondering, 1 year later, how you like your Enduro lithium battery and auto-detect converter? The main reason for me to convert to the Enduro lithium is that the battery size will fit into my current group 24 battery box. Haven't seen any independent reviews of the Enduro lithium battery though so was wondering about durability, reliability, customer service, etc. So how do you like your setup do far Mark?
What a great video! The converter in my 2015 TAB S Max trailer just stopped working. It is the "WFCO Model WF-8735P". I plan to replace the entire power center as the easiest route. What I am trying to determine is what power center to use as a replacement, as I would like to convert my current lead acid battery to lithium batteries in the near future. In your opinion, what is the current best model power center to replace with (it is now 2024) when planning to convert to lithium batteries in the future? (Would the replacement of choice still allow me to use my lead acid battery until I do convert to lithium. Otherwise, if there is now a clear choice designed specifically for lithium batteries, I could probably switch to lithium now instead of waiting.) Any thoughts would be appreciated so much.
Thank you for such well done and helpful path to improve the 320 ! Enjoy ...
Glad you enjoyed it!
You love this thing, but have you spent the night in there with the fanny and what do you think of that please give us an update
Thank you for you video, it has given me the confidence to upgrade my 2021 320. And you are right all the colour coded cables are different at the connection.
Great to hear!
I would recommend folks going with a Progressive Dynamics 4100 instead of a WFCO auto detect converter. My trailer came with an 8735 AD, and it failed to detect the lithium battery I connected. The auto detect process is a hassle. You have to completely drain the lithium battery before connecting and powering up the WFCO converter. Then it's supposed to detect the different response to charging over the course of a complete charge cycle. That process didn't work for me. It's possible that the "drained" state of the battery wasn't low enough, but I haven't had the time to mess with discharging the battery again for another try. I'd seen reports of the auto detect feature switching successfully, but then later forgetting and switching back to lead-acid mode, which is its default. The Progressive Dynamics converter has a simple physical switch to convert it to the appropriate charging mode for your battery.
Sorry you have had trouble with yours. Mine worked perfectly after just one cycle, and has never swapped back .
The reports I've seen of trouble are a small percentage of units, and most of those were due to older firmware which WFCO has fixed.
Additionally there are a few lithium batteries with built in "smart ligic" that automatically disconnects itself when the battery gets low. But not liw enough for the WFCO converter.
Mine has AD in its model designation and is in a 2023 trailer. The idea that it would need a firmware update is really annoying, especially since that means physically removing it and sending it back to WFCO. I'm using a Victron charger to fully charge my LiFePo instead and just ignore the clueless WFCO. @@deerlakediver5554
Great video thanks for sharing. I have a WFCO WF-8735-P and was thinking this would charge well enough Lithium and then my 480w solar would bulk charge or top off the rest. Think that plan would work?
It will "work" but there are issues with doing it that way.
First, a lithium battery is made of several "cells". Those cells need to be kept ballanced in a process called "equalization.
Equalization occurs when a lithium battery gets "bulk charged". (Very heavy high current charging.)
A lead acid converter and/or a solar panel are not capable of producing the required current to bulk charge a lithium battery, so equalization of the individual cells cannot happen.
As a result, the cells will fall out of ballance, and the battery life will be negatively impacted.
Second, since the lead acid converter cannot produce high charging currents, your charge times will be long. This can be problematic when camping several days in a row, where the battery does not have enough time to charge between trips.
Third, since the lead acid battery cannot produce all the current the lithium battery asks for, other devices within your trailer may be starved for current, while the converter is trying to service the demands of the lithium battery.
Thanks! I’m doing a similar upgrade to my ‘21 TAB 320 Boondock. I always take things to 11/10 so I’m wondering if I should increase the wire gauge from the converter to the battery… And whether I should relocate a charger to the front battery tub in order to make sure the battery gets the full 14.6 V it needs to recharge. Any comments?
I'm thinking of doing the same lithium conversion. Was just wondering, 1 year later, how you like your Enduro lithium battery and auto-detect converter? The main reason for me to convert to the Enduro lithium is that the battery size will fit into my current group 24 battery box. Haven't seen any independent reviews of the Enduro lithium battery though so was wondering about durability, reliability, customer service, etc. So how do you like your setup do far Mark?
A year later, it's working just like new. I'm very happy with it.
Do you think it's possible to just swap the boards from the -p to the -ad, or are there other differences between the two?
I don't know if one circuit board would fit in the other.