Forum Discussion

patfromnc's avatar
patfromnc
Explorer
May 11, 2014

lights dimming

Hi y'all we have a 1993 holiday rambler 5th wheel imperial model and at times our lights will get really dim then get bright again , not sure what could be causing this , or where to begin to look . it doesn't do it all the time and its mostly at night when there's not much running. Thanks yall

17 Replies

  • Well since were hooked up to shore power he turned the charger part off yesterday afternoon and the light have not dimmed at all so maybe it is the battery and not the converter
    Thanks y'all for the help
  • RoyB's avatar
    RoyB
    Explorer II
    A shorted CELL in a battery will cause this. I would most definitely check the batteries fluid levels and see if the battery case is getting hot to touch when this start happening.

    Roy Ken
  • Shorted bttery could be sucking all the juice the converter can make qnd then some start with the basics. Battery, then wiring then converter
  • It's not too hard to do, but if you aren't familiar with the electrical system in an RV, it might be better left to the pros.

    There are troubleshooting techniques you can use to isolate the converter, and safety practices you must follow when replacing. The most important safety instruction is to disconnect from shore power and disconnect the battery before you start to remove it.

    If you have some basic mechanical and electrical skills, it's fairly straight forward. Disconnect from the 120VAC and 12VDC sources. Remove the screws holding the converter in the housing. Pull the converter out, and disconnect the 120V and 12V wires. Take a picture of the wiring before you disconnect it so you'll know how it goes back together. Install the new converter and reconnect everything.

    FWIW - The last time my converter went out, the primary symptom was the lights getting dimmer and brighter which are the exact same symptoms you are describing.
  • Thanks yall, We are always hook up to power were full timers , this started about a week ago . is the converter something that's easy to replace
  • Is your FW hooked up to shore power or a generator when this happens? If so, I'd suspect the converter. If not, I'd start my trouble-shooting with the batteries.