More electrical

[Bigdog]

First noticed trouble when lights came on dim I ran water pump lights would dim out,charged house battery got up to 12.4 tried water pump again still dimd lights out figured bad pump,replaced pump recharged battery

reinstalled battery,nothing no lights at all not even when engine running like before second charge plugged into shore line every thing works including new water pump noticed

very I mean very slight light dimming when using water pump. dual battery Isolator and Altinator replaced six months ago, deep cycle battery about three years old.

(foot note) In the last year I put in a new Sterio JVC KD HDR60 w/remote control by passing ignition so I could turn it on and off from the back living area.

[Bob C]

You have power when hooked up to shore power. That makes everything easier. You know that it is somewhere in the truck portion of the system.

Get yourself a multimeter and start sorting out your problems. I made up a set of long test wires with alligator clips on one end of each wire, it makes testing easier when working alone.

Start with the engine running and check for power at the isolator. I hook my ground right to the negative battery post to eliminate that problem right away. Touch your positive test wire to the bolt that gets power from the alternator, it should read 13 + volts.

Now, work your way back, check the output bolt on the isolator, and then check the power at your circuit breakers to the coach, again, it should be 13 + volts.

Keep working your way to the rear until you get all the way to the coach battery.

You will have to go through the entire system including the fuses between that coach battery and each light or appliance. I know that it is a pain, but doing the work yourself is what keeps these things affordable and fun. It is very satisfying to get things fixed and you will have a better handle on problems in the future.

[Maineah]

Sounds like you have a ground or battery terminal problem. The battery is removed from the system when you plug it in if it still has the original converter/charger system. The converter has two outputs one for the lights and another for battery charging, the relay inside the converter disconnects the battery when it's plugged in and reconnects when you unplug it. If every thing works with it plugged in it's either a wiring problem between the battery and the converter or a dead/bad battery. There is a remote possibility that the relay inside the converter is bad but usually they just stick and you get no lights on battery.

[Totem]

In my rig if the battery falls below 12.4 the water pump wont even come on...I think that's normal. House battery should take a charge and stay in upper 12s to 13s even with a load.

If its dropping right back down to 12.4 or lower after a day of charging it most likely has sulphation, shorted deteriorated plates or lack of electrolyte. I always try to bring batteries back before ditching them; the only thing that should kill a battery to the grave is deterioration/shorting of the mat or plates. Sulphation and dry battery can be fixed usually with distilled water and or epsom salt or a desulphator.