MY HOUSE LIGHTS ARE DIMMING AFTER 1 hr - Why? I?m on sure power!

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Cedricshelby

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Joined
Apr 8, 2019
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10
HELLO,

I?M NEW TO RVing AND I LOVE IT!
I HAVE A 2004 CLASS B MOTORHOME (FOREST RIVER).  HOWEVER, I AM PLUGGED INTO SURE POWER (30AMP) MY LIGHTS KEEP DIMMING ( AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR).  ALSO, MY REFRIGERATOR STOPS WORKING AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR) THE OUTLETS, MICROWAVE, AND AC WORK GREAT.

WHEN I START MY ENGINE EVERYTHING BRIGHTENS UP! REFRIGERATOR STARTS TO WORK GREAT AND LIFE IS GOOD AGAIN.

THANKS IN ADVACE FOR YOUR HELP ( MONEY IS TIGHT)
 
I assume you mean SHORE power.  First, is your salesman switch turned off?  If so turn it on.  Second do you have a volt meter?  Get it out and verify your converter is working and sending 13.5VDC or more to your battery.  How old is your battery? If you have a RV refer it needs 12VDC for the control voltage.  So when the battery dies, the refer quits working. So bottom line you need to prove the battery is good and getting charged from the converter.
 
Dumb question, but are you sure the shore power is on. Quite often the breakers are shut off at campsites, and need to be turned on. In fact, most people shut off the breaker before they unhook their cord. Its a good idea to make sure the breaker is off when plugging and unplugging.
 
Thanks for the responses

Yes - the power is on - microwave works - AC and all the outlets.

Yes - the switch is on as well-

I?ll go get my batteries checked-
I?m assuming house batter - not Chevy battery?

 
Yes. The house batteries need to be checked. Not the Chevy battery which I assume you mean the starting battery for the engine. Many auto part stores will test your battery for free. Napa did and I assume they still do. Get the battery checked asap and if possible, don't plug in until the problem is resolved.
 
From your description, it seems that the onboard converter/charger is not functioning. That's the device that makes 12vdc power from 120vac (shore) power. If it isn't producing, then you are running on battery even though plugged to shore power and will eventually run out.  Some possibilities are (1) it has failed), (2) the circuit breaker that feeds it is off), (3) a shorted battery has caused it to shut down to avoid damage.

Your house battery is going dead but that is probably NOT the cause.  Instead, it is a result of no power from the converter/charger.
 
Thanks everyone-

I apologize for not understanding the correct terminology:

I will get my house battery checked first
And if it?s strong(good) I will have my converter checked.
 
Is there a way to check the converter before getting my battery checked - i would have to unhook - and so forth
 
check for a switch by the door that says " Coach Battery"  it needs to be ON.
 
Cedricshelby said:
Is there a way to check the converter before getting my battery checked - i would have to unhook - and so forth
Click to expand...

Yes.  Disconnect the negative battery cable from the battery.  With a volt meter read the volts across the cables.  You should see around 14.5 volts.
This stuff aint rocket science.  You need a decent cheap digital volt meter and you can troubleshoot probably 95% of electrical issues yourself.
 
Welcome to the Forum!

A fully charged battery should read about 12.6V.

A functioning converter / charger will provide from 13.5 to 14.4V depending on battery condition.
A battery connected to a working charger will read the charger voltage.

If you are plugged into shore power, and the battery reads less than 13V, it is NOT being charged and the converter is not getting power to the battery.

If the converter is not working, possible problems include:
Breaker to converter is tripped.  Reset breaker.
Converter is shot.  Replace.  around $200 for the converter.
Somehow, converter got unplugged.
Fuses on converter blown.

You can get a digital multimeter for under $10 at Harbor Freight.

Good Luch!
 
Thanks everyone:

I have it working again!  ( Bad House Battery).  No, as someone said in the comments ?It?s not rocket science ? but as a professor I?ve learned that everyone is not mechanically inclined. Don?t cut yourself short - your experience and knowledge in the area of RVing help this newbee lighten up!

Thanks again,


Cedric Shelby,Ph.D
 
You should still get a voltmeter and check the voltage at the battery, it should be over 13 volts with the RV plugged in.  Perhaps the new freshly charged battery will only keep you going for a day or two. 
 
Cedricshelby said:
I?ve learned that everyone is not mechanically inclined.
Cedric Shelby,Ph.D
Click to expand...

Glad you are working.  And your comment, owning a RV, you will become mechanically inclined  ;)  It's kinda like sink or swim in our world.
 
Good job Cedric. We are curios to how you determined that your battery was bad and if you you checked your charging circuit. That information would be of a great assistance to the forum.

Thanks
 
Cedricshelby said:
Thanks everyone:

I have it working again!  ( Bad House Battery).  No, as someone said in the comments “It’s not rocket science “ but as a professor I’ve learned that everyone is not mechanically inclined. Don’t cut yourself short - your experience and knowledge in the area of RVing help this newbee lighten up!

Thanks again,


Cedric Shelby,Ph.D
Click to expand...

I would still check your convertor. Even with a bad battery, when plugged into shore power you should see full power. ( no lights dimming) Your original statement leads me to believe its not working as after some time you lose power and things get dim, as in your draining the batteries.
 
Koodog said:
I would still check your convertor. Even with a bad battery, when plugged into shore power you should see full power. ( no lights dimming) Your original statement leads me to believe its not working as after some time you lose power and things get dim, as in your draining the batteries.
Click to expand...

X's 2 on this

Within a couple days you may notice the lights going dim yet again.
 
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