I've got a very strange issue with my travel trailer that I'm hoping someone can point me in a direction.My rig is a 2010 Streamlight that I've owned for 3 years without any major issues. I normally keep it plugged in when I'm not using it. A few weeks ago, I went in it and the lights wouldn't come on. I check the connection and the lights turned on but I flipped the light switch off and they wouldn't come back on. I unplugged and plugged it back in and the lights would do the same. Flip them off and they wouldn't come back on. Here's where it gets really strange. I was in it last weekend and plugged a small space heater into a wall receptical. As soon as I turned the heater on, the lights came on. (They were off but the switch was in the on position)I've bought a new extension cord to plug it in (I just plug in 110 and use an adapter) to see if that changes anything. I've taken a quick glance at the fuses and they seem okay, but I do need to take a closer look at them. I've seen no evidence of mice or anything like that chewing on wires.I'm pretty good at working on stuff and would rather DIY rather than have a shop look at it. If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears.

Could be a combination of things since the 12V lighting system should work off the battery.Your converter could be getting wonky or you could have a loose neutral connection inside the breaker panel. Either of those could cause intermittent connections. It would have to be paired with a discharged battery.I'd suggest to check the battery, measure converter output, and check the condition of any inline circuit breaker between battery and 12V distribution panel.

Lights are 12V DC..fed by converter and/or trailer batteryShore power is 120V AC.Converter is fed 120V AC and 'converts' it into DC to supply DC system and maintain charge on batteriesWhen was the last time you checked the battery water level?Have you checked battery voltage?Have you checked converter DC output?Disconnect battery positive cable and test/measure voltage from battery.Then with AC power ON....test/measure Converter DC output voltage....S/B 13.2V minimum or converter is failing.

Batteries are either toast or you have an open connection to them (corrosion on teminals?). When you turn off the lights, the converter has no more load and thinks it's disconnected. Heater turning on probably dropped the AC voltage just long enough to simulate "turning it off and back on" just like when you were checking the connections.

I'll admit, the battery is something I've probably neglected. The thought had crossed my mind with a battery issue but I wasn't sure how it would tie into my issue! Thanks a ton and I'll be doing some battery checks over the weekend!

I, too, believe your issue is battery terminal corrosion. Let us know what you find.

Bizarre issue with Electric system | Good Sam Community

Slash0311
Explorer
Jan 23, 2017
The new battery has seemed to fix the problem. I'm going to monitor the battery to see if it drops which could mean I've got an issue with the converter (or something else).

Thanx for all the help!
Slash0311
Explorer
Jan 22, 2017
The best I can tell, the converter tested okay, 13+ volts (I think it was 13.7v)

I got a new battery tonight and plan on dropping it in tomorrow. I'll let you know how it changes things.
RvNewbieFl
Explorer
Jan 22, 2017
P.S...and if that's not the problem... it took less then 5 minutes... and you definitely ruled that problem out....
RvNewbieFl
Explorer
Jan 22, 2017
Gosh... alot of this sounds so familiar to me.... if nothing else suggested works... try getting on top of your rv and remove the air conditioner vent cover... and also the ac vent cover inside... My inside looked fine... but it wasn't till I broke down and hired a professional, and I thought he was crazy... I wasn't having any ac problems... did I discover a squirrel had chewed through the wires ... making only partial connections and grounding out other wires on occasion... as I moved through the rv.... it doesn't hurt to look... it's just 4 screws.... and could save you alot of headaches...
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Jan 21, 2017
westend wrote:
Funny thing is, with the battery removed but still connected to the shore line, the problem still happens. I've checked the grounds and all look good. How would I test my power converter?
You can see if your converter is outputting charge voltage by measuring voltage at the converter's output wires. For more focused advice, list what make and model of converter you have.

On shore power, battery disconnected, converter ON.....measure DC output.
13.2V DC minimum......otherwise converter is bad
westend
Explorer
Jan 21, 2017
Funny thing is, with the battery removed but still connected to the shore line, the problem still happens. I've checked the grounds and all look good. How would I test my power converter?
You can see if your converter is outputting charge voltage by measuring voltage at the converter's output wires. For more focused advice, list what make and model of converter you have.
Slash0311
Explorer
Jan 21, 2017
If I tested the battery right with my multi meter, it was showing 9.7 volts. My charger kicked off when I turned it on so I'm fairly confident the battery is shot.

Funny thing is, with the battery removed but still connected to the shore line, the problem still happens. I've checked the grounds and all look good. How would I test my power converter?
Slash0311
Explorer
Jan 20, 2017
Thanx for the replies. Weather in my area looks nice tomorrow so I hope to get out and work on this tomorrow. I'll let you know what I find!
myredracer
Explorer II
Jan 20, 2017
Could be the battery or the connections to the battery. If the lights came on after plugging in the 120 volt heater, I'd be inclined to say it's more likely to be a bad connection somewhere, possibly a bad intermittent ground. I'd check all the ground connections to the frame (in A-frame area) and from the panel to the main frame (there will be a small lug on side of frame somewhere). It would also be a good idea to check all AC & DC connections at/behind the converter panel. These can sometimes be loose due to poor factory workmanship.
Lynnmor
Explorer
Jan 20, 2017
Of course check the battery and its connections, but it sounds like a bad ground to me. Redo any wire connections to the frame.

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