Updating MagneTek 6345 power converter

[curry]

So I broke my hip last winter and my RV sat all winter plugged in. I have a 1998 Safari 24 foot Class C. It ended up frying my batteries, and the power converter a MagneTek 6345 got so hot that the fan ran until it died. Now the unit won't charge my new batteries and I have no 12v power unless I'm hooked up to a land line. So reading upon this I found out that MagneTek is now Parallax and they still make replacement parts for this unit as they were put in many if not most Rvs in the 90s. So after more than two weeks with FedEx it finally has arrived. Has anyone here replaced the lower unit of one of these MagneTek power converters?
My major issue is the existing unit. I know that Safari got rather haphazard in the time period when ours was made. That has led to a lot of repairs. Has anyone had to pull one of these out? Can I assume that there is enough wire behind it that I can pull it all of the way out? Right now I can only move it about four inches. I can't figure out how to get to the back of the unit. There is a cabinet above it. The furnace is to the left, and drawers are to the right.
If you have any answers please let me know. There ought to be some access, but so far I haven't found it. Any help will be appreciated.

[TDJohn]

Maybe remove the drawer and see if you have visual or physical access to see what is keeping the converter from being removed.

BTW, maybe consider an upgrade, either installing a modern smart converter, or better yet, an inverter charger, to charge your batteries. The latter would allow you to charge your batteries in a more effective way, and to have 120v while boondocking, without needing to run your generator.

Your statement is a bit confusing, where you state that the converter is not charging the batteries, but that it is providing 12v while plugged in. The converter is only able to supply 12v when you are plugged into shore or generator power, and if it is providing 12v, it should theoretically be able to charge the batteries, unless it is stuck in float mode.

[curry]

I guess I didn't make myself more clear. The unit is completely surrounded by cabinets which are solid and provide no access. The cabinet above has permanently attached shelves. It appears that the only way to remove the unit is to pull it straight out. It comes out about five inches and then stops. I was hoping that someone may know if Safari would have used long enough cables to pull it all of the way out.

As for the charging unit itself I have purchased an upgraded unit with modern electronics was well as three way charging to change and maintain batteries that has fast charge, slow charge, and trickle charging which is supposed to be able to maintain the batteries in winter and is supposed to create a situation where you only have to check the batteries every three months. I have excellent instructions on how to install the new charging part of the unit. They just start out with pull out the unit. They don't explain how. I just don't want to do any damage to the wiring in the process of removing the charging part. There is evidence of a lot of shoddy work in the manufacture of this RV. I'm just trying to be careful

The inverter part of the unit still works. I'm not replacing all of that. The system will work on 110 and on the generator however it will no longer charge the house batteries or run on the batteries.

[TDJohn]

To be honest, the odds are high that you are the only one on this forum that has a class C RV, and they are set up differently than most of the class A units, so I'm not familiar with them. If you can, please take some pictures of the converter you are trying to remove, and the surrounding area around it, as we have no idea what your setup is. As far as shelves and cabinets go, usually on they can be carefully disassembled the same way as they were put together.
The class C Safaris are pretty rare, I wish I could be of more help...

[curry]

So I'm attaching some pics from the Safari. They show the location of the converter as well as how narrow the area is. It's at the entrance to the bathroom. The part I need to replace is the bottom part, but I need to get to the wires in the back. When these pictures were taken the unit is pulled out about 4 to 5 inches. Does anyone have any idea how to get to the wiring without pulling it out further.
Should I just pull as hard as I can? It may be a very old RV but overall it's in pretty good shape with only 38,000 miles on it.

[Robert K]

Why not disconnect the wires. Make sure 110 power is disconnected,tape up the 12 volts and slide it out.

[1Lotosrggp]

Put on some gloves and try rocking the top out and lifting up, could be a screw or flange blocking removal.

Or, cut an access hole from a side cabinet, then make a new cover panel for the hole.

Reminds me of a house I bought that had a none functioning 30 inch washing machine in a half bath. The room was small with two 24 inch doors, a 28 inch window and plaster walls. Some disassembly was required.

[TDJohn]

Bob has a good point, but if you still need to pull that panel out, try to remove the floor of the closet above the panel. It is likely nailed down or screwed down with very small nails/screws. Also, you should be able to remove the board to the right of the panel, that has a duct going through it. It is likely anchored down in a similar fashion as the wood board just bellow/in front of your sink. You should be able to firmly slide it up and it should release once the wooden tabs clear. Look under the sink to get an idea of how it is anchored in there.

BTW, I don't see an inverter in that panel, that you mentioned, just a converter, circuit breakers and 12v fuses.

[stuplich@ymail.com]

I have a 1998 Safari 24 foot Class C, with a MagneTek 6345 power converter
I found out that MagneTek is now Parallax and they still make replacement parts for this unit as they were put in many if not most Rvs in the 90s.
Has anyone here replaced the lower unit of one of these MagneTek power converters?
The furnace is to the left, and drawers are to the right.
If you have any answers please let me know. There ought to be some access, but so far I haven't found it. Any help will be appreciated.

curry
As John suggested "remove the floor of the closet above the panel".

If you only have to remove the "lower unit" this video might be helpful:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74s8DFxaPLU... (Note the "2 damn screws" mentioned at 00:56 through 1:12 minutes).

[curry]

I finally got the converter out. I had to unhook all the wires from the 12v fuse section. Some wires tied into the back side that were hanging it up. The new fuse section that came with the converter has all its connections in the front so that can't become an issue again. I'm now reading 13.5v on the converter, before the new one it was 12v. I still haven't found the inverter location. It's got to be in line somewhere. I'm back to it running on shore power and still cannot access power from the batteries. I've checked the power turn off with a multi-meter and it appears to a circuit when on and no circuit when off.
At least now I have a new converter that is electronic and should protect the batteries much better. I replaced the Klixon relay which was 22 years old. I've also ordered a isolator solenoid to see if that does anything. Upgrades are good, but I still haven't solved my initial problem. Nothing still work inside unless I'm plugged in.