Power Converters & Centers

Picking the right RV converter or power center

A converter that's too small will run your 12-volt loads but never quite catch up charging the batteries; one with a smart multi-stage charger will actually get the bank to full and hold it there without cooking it. That charging behavior, more than raw amps, is what separates a basic converter from a good one.

• Amp rating. Match it to your DC load and battery bank. The 45-amp units here (like the AP Products 6345RU and Progressive Dynamics PD9345V) suit smaller rigs; a 55- or 60-amp unit handles bigger banks and more simultaneous 12-volt draw.
• Multi-stage charging. Look for 3- or 4-stage output. The Progressive Dynamics Inteli-Power PD9360V offers selectable 4-stage charging that pushes hard to refill a drained bank, tapers off as it fills, and settles to a safe float, which is easier on the batteries than a fixed single-voltage converter.
• Converter vs. power center. A bare converter/charger like the AP Products RU series mounts near the battery. A power center combines the converter with the 12-volt fuse block and 120-volt breaker panel in one unit, which simplifies a full replacement of an aging distribution panel.
• Battery chemistry. Confirm the charge profile fits your batteries. Some units add a lithium or AGM setting; a plain lead-acid profile will undercharge a lithium bank.
• Replacement fit. If you're swapping a tired factory unit, the Parallax and Progressive Dynamics deck-mounts are common drop-in sizes, so check the physical footprint and amp rating against what's coming out.

Protect the output with the correct fuses and breakers, and size the whole thing around your batteries and charging bank. If you also want outlets working off the battery, that's an inverter's job, not a converter's.