Electrical problems, not sure what is up with that

[YoBobH42]

I am not done camping (yet) for the year. I have a 2011 Forest River 2651S. For the last 2 months I have had it parked in the driveway and hooked up to 110V power. It has gotten cold here in Virginia so a few weeks ago I activated the ARCTIC switch and drained the pipes to the faucets, shower, and comode.

Recently, it developed a problem where the lights would be dim and would brighten briefly for a minute or so and then would go back to dim. This would coincide with a click sound from the inverter.

This weekend, it was completely dead. No lights, no CO2 sensor, etc. Yet the TV worked fine and the microwave worked fine. The batteries were registering as DEAD. They are good batteries (15 month old Interstate deep cycle high CCA betteries). I would start up the motor and it would be fine but soon it would die out again after cutting motor off.

My thoughts:

1) Internal battery charger has maybe failed?
2) Arctic switch drains off the battery regardless of the electrical hookup?
3) Maybe the 110V power source I should not use?
4) The inverter has gone bad?

I just don't see how it could be hooked up to electricity and yet dead at the same time.

We hope to go camping next weekend to a place that has no hookups at all. I do not want a bad trip!

Any thoughts as to cause? Thanks fo rany help you can give me!

Bob

[wbdvt]

I am not sure what the Arctic Switch is but I suspect it has something to do with heat trace on pipes?? maybe tank heaters?
Have you measured the voltage the voltage at the battery terminals with:
1. Battery cables disconnected
2. Battery with Arctic Switch off and shore power on
3. Battery with Arctic Switch on and shore power on
What would be ideal if you had an ammeter and can see what the current draw is off the battery with the shore power on and off along with the Arctic Switch on and off.
If your battery has less than 6-8 volts on it disconnected it is probably no good now as it has gone into cell reversal.

[caper]

You have a bad converter. Your 110 items will still work but 12 volt items will not. Because the converter stopped working all 12 volt items were running off battery till the battery drained. You need to get the battery charged as soon as possible to avoid doing more damage to the battery. The converter will have to be replaced. Sorry to hear about your troubles. I had the same thing happen to my converter while we where traveling back form the west coast.

[TURBS]

Most likely the same as this post.

My recomendation is the same.


http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...eal-51610.html

[Iggy]

Sound like the batteries discharged or are bad.
You have to check and see if they are being charged by the inverter first then check to see if the batteries are bad or not.