The 12 Volt Lights In My RV Are Dim Unless I Turn On a 120 Volt Appliance

by Bobby
(Georgia)

My 12 volt lights get dim on my rv until I turn on a 120 volt appliance. Then they get bright. Is this a battery or a converter gone bad?

ANSWER: Greetings Bobby thanks for submitting your question on our Ask An RV Question Page.

This is a very unusual symptom. My best guess is that there is a bad ground somewhere in the RV.

The only thing I can suggest that you do is check your house batteries for proper electrolyte levels and top them off with distilled water if needed. I would also check the connections on the house batteries to make sure that they are clean and tightly connected.

If the above does not help, then you will probably have to have the electrical system checked out to find the problem.

Leave your RV repair bills to us—Good Sam Extended Service Plan
I hope this helps. Do me a favor once you find out what the actual problem is please leave a comment on this page letting us know what caused it.

Do you have any suggestions or comments on this topic? You can add them to this page by clicking on the "Click Here To Post Comments" link located near the bottom of this page.

Protect your RV and your family while on the road: Join Good Sam RV Emergency Road Service Today and save!
Happy RVing

RVing Al

P.S. Did You Know that you can build your own Web Page on Everything About RVing? Just Tell Us Why You Love RVing, Share An RVing Tip Or Trick, Tell Us About Your Favorite Camping Or RVing Destination or Share a Funny RVing Story With Us.