Dim Lights

[nataflood]

Hello RVers
I went to campground this weekend set up everything, plug in everything was going good no problems Friday night, Saturday was great but around 8m that night my lights started to dim and my carbon detector started going off and my panel battery was saying low. But when I put my key in the ignition and turn the RV on the lights got bright!what could the problem be?

[Rkesselus]

Need a little more information. What make model RV, what lights and did you start the engine or just turn the key to on?

[Skip426]

Key turned would have connected the chassis battery to the house batteries .
Dim lights etc. indicated the house batteries were getting low , as indicated.

If you were on shore power ( full hook up ?) , you need to test the operation of your charging system ( Converter / inverter ) .
If you weren't on shore power and your batteries normally last longer , charging and load testing the coach batteries is in order.

[Dutch Star Don]

Your lights went dim as you had drained the house batteries. Most likely, your converter/charger quit, either a fuse blew or it's dying. When you started the coach, you were charging the batteries with the engine alternator and supplying 12 volts to the system.

You need to check your house batteries and your house charging system.

[MSHappyCampers]

Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don

Your lights went dim as you had drained the house batteries. Most likely, your converter/charger quit, either a fuse blew or it's dying. When you started the coach, you were charging the batteries with the engine alternator and supplying 12 volts to the system.

You need to check your house batteries and your house charging system.

X2!

[Old-Biscuit]

Originally Posted by Skip426

Key turned would have connected the chassis battery to the house batteries .
Dim lights etc. indicated the house batteries were getting low , as indicated.

If you were on shore power ( full hook up ?) , you need to test the operation of your charging system ( Converter / inverter ) .
If you weren't on shore power and your batteries normally last longer , charging and load testing the coach batteries is in order.

YEP^^^^^^

[nataflood]

Originally Posted by Rkesselus

Need a little more information. What make model RV, what lights and did you start the engine or just turn the key to on?

2003 National Seabreeze
All my interior lights and I actually started the RV up.

[nataflood]

Originally Posted by Skip426

Key turned would have connected the chassis battery to the house batteries .
Dim lights etc. indicated the house batteries were getting low , as indicated.

If you were on shore power ( full hook up ?) , you need to test the operation of your charging system ( Converter / inverter ) .
If you weren't on shore power and your batteries normally last longer , charging and load testing the coach batteries is in order.

I was plug in 50 amp on campground.

[nataflood]

Originally Posted by Dutch Star Don

Your lights went dim as you had drained the house batteries. Most likely, your converter/charger quit, either a fuse blew or it's dying. When you started the coach, you were charging the batteries with the engine alternator and supplying 12 volts to the system.

You need to check your house batteries and your house charging system.

I checked the house batteries and the water level was extremely low could that have done it?

[YC1]

Low water is an indication of poor maintenance routines, bad battery or batteries, or bad charger.

Refilling my help for a short time but you must check them and only use distilled water. If they batteries are boiling you have bad batteries, charger, or battery temp sensor if one is used.

Batteries are the heartbeat of any rv and all roads begin with a good bank of them.

[Sundancer268]

If you have a volt meter, measure the voltage at the batteries while you are plugged into shore power, you should be reading 13+ volts IF the battery charger is working. If not, you have a charger problem. If you can't fix it and need to continue your trip, you could buy a battery charger form Wal-Mart or any other big box store to to recharge the batteries. 10-20 amps would probably work if you don't turn on any unnecessary 12 volt appliances such as lights. You do need your Reefer to stay powered and your A/C will also require 12 Volt power in most cases unless it is an older unit, some of them worked strictly on 120VAC. If it uses the same thermostat as the furnace, it requires 12 Volt Power the same with the Water Heater, only the oldest units worked with out 12 volt power. If you have a converter, I would check that it is receiving 120VAC, I once had the breaker trip on my old TT when I was on a rough road and it killed the converter plug and I had no charger. I have also blown the 12 volt fuse to the batteries from the converter in that trailer. On my current MH, I had to change the inverter when the magic smoke came out and the batteries would no longer charge.

[GregH 20]

Check your shore power breaker. Make sure it's on.

[Outbound]

If battery water level was low you may have a bad cell or two, need to test battery's.