Are you having an issue where you need to find the fuse to your RV converter? A blown fuse can be no fun as it will limit your RV battery power and cause issues with your electrical system, including your lights. In this post, you will discover that a blown converter fuse can easily be replaced in your circuit breaker panel when you know where to look.
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RV Converter
RV converters take AC power from either shore power or your generator and convert it into DC voltage for your batteries. This allows you to keep them charged so that when shore or generator power isn’t available, your DC voltage battery will provide energy for appliances that need 12v electricity, like lights, water pumps, and fans. The converter also regulates the flow of electricity between your battery and other devices for them to operate correctly.
RV Converter Location
Converters can be built into your distribution panel or self-contained separately. We will explore both cases so you can easily find those fuses. Also, this applies to most brands, such as Keystone RV or Jayco.
Built-in Converter
Built-in converters are the most common type of newer travel trailers and RVs. This type of converter will be located at your distribution panel. This is the panel that has all of your breakers and fuses.
How can you tell if the converter is built-in? The easy way is to see if you have a fan (vents) as part of your panel. This vent is usually on the side or just below your breaker panel.
The reason that a built-in converter has vents is that there is heat generated while it is working. As there is a conversion of power from AC power to DC power, some heat needs to get out.
Fuse Box
Inside your distribution panel, you should see one side with breakers and one with fuses. The breaker side is where your 120v ac power is at. This is for things like your receptacles and appliances such as a microwave.
While the fuse side is where you will have DC power components such as lights and your water pump. This fuse side of the panel is where you find your RV converter fuse.
Fuse Location
Now that we know the general area in the panel, you will want to look for the fuse size with the most amp power. Since this is the converter and the DC power flows through it, the fuse should be the highest amperage.
Look for a cluster of fuses very close together. Usually, this is a cluster of two to three fuses close together. Many RV converters range from 40 amps to over 100 amps. That means you could see a couple of 40-amp fuses to get the 80 amps of total converter power.
How to Remove Fuse
These fuses are very close together and difficult to remove by hand. I suggest you get a fuse puller. A fuse puller will allow you to replace the fuse without damage to the fuse or your converter. The puller provides for a straight pull out of the fuse. When you use your hands to pull, a lot of wiggling can damage either the fuse or the connectors.
Stand Alone Converter
What is a stand-alone converter? This converter is not part of your breaker panel that we reviewed above. It is a separate component connected to your panel by a couple of wires; they would look similar to a battery cable.
If you don’t see a vent at your distribution panel, it is likely that your converter is a separate unit and will be located behind the panel. With all the wires connected to the panel, you will not be able to slide out the cover to get access to the converter. You will need to find access within your RV that will allow you to get to the converter.
Once you locate the converter, the fuses will be on the side, next to the battery cable wires that lead to the distribution panel. The fuses will be the same as described above, where they are together, and will be a higher amp fuse.
A fuse puller is also recommended in the stand-alone type converters.
Also, if you have a separate inverter, you may also see that in this area. Not all RVs have an inverter, so you will likely not encounter one next to your converter. The inverter is so your RV can power things like a receptacle or other household items that you can plug into a wall. Your inverter is excellent if you use it for a plug-in fan while boondocking without a generator or shore power.
Final Thoughts
Finding your RV converter can be easy once you know where to look. You’re most likely to have a built-in converter to your electrical panel so I would start there first. Look at the fuse box area and find the largest amp fuses. This cluster of two to three fuses will total anywhere from 40 amps to 100 amps.
Tony is an avid camper and RV traveler. He fell in love with camping on his first RV trip with his wife over 25 years ago. Tony loves sharing lessons learned and tips about RV maintenance and safe traveling.
