camper lights dimming and getting brighter

[pdfny1]

I have an issue with my 2006 fleetwood wilderness, the 12v lights get dim when the converter shuts off and then bright when it comes back on. I have replaced the battery, checked the output on the converter and checked all the fuses...its all good. I have heard dimming is normal but we have had this camper for 4 years and this has never happened. We are seasonal campers and the shore power is steady. Also noticed when every single light is on everything is fine because the converter stays on. I also noticed when the converter shuts off the furnace gets weaker. HELP

[GaryKD]

Hi pdfny1,
Welcome to iRV2. The only difference in 12 VDC power when the converter is on or off is the amount of power available to run the appliances. The converter will provide the maximum power needed up to its' output rating. Once off, it is the battery only. There could be a difference between the converter output and the battery (alone) output. If the best the battery can do is less than the converter output there will be a dimming of the lights. Sometimes the circuit breaker on my converter pops off. I never notice until the house batteries get really low. When I turn on the converter the lights get significantly brighter.

For me, I leave my converter on all the time. This way we always have fully charged batteries when, we travel for a couple of days straight or for whatever reason we do not have shore power.

Gut feel says the battery output is significantly less than the converter output. The furnace takes a considerable amount of 12 VDC power.

[John Hilley]

Sounds like a loose or corroded connection somewhere. Since you replaced the battery, I assume you cleaned and tightened those connections. I would check where the negative cable connects to the frame.

["007"]

Always leave your converter on its purpose is to keep batteries fully charged and supply 12v's if your not dry camping than its in your batteries hands that need to be fully charged.
Give this link a read.

Welcome to irv2.

[Steve & Bunny]

pdfny1,
If your converter is shutting off on its own, it is not working right. Most of today's converters are two or three stage "switch mode" power supplies that monitor the voltage, thus the battery charge level. When the voltage drops to a certain point they increase their output. This transition should be almost unnoticible to you. One thing you should check is the tightness of the 12v connection at the converter. Disconnect the battery and the 120v power from the converter before doing this.

Good luck and happy trails.

Steve