# 12 Volt Voltage Regulation



## RWRiley (Oct 21, 2009)

I notice that my lights dim and the fan speeds decrease based on how many lights and other 12V accessories I have turned on.

I can even notice that the high speed vent fan effects the antenna booster. Is this normal ?

I'm taking it (286FK) to the dealer next week, and think I should have him check that out. Looking for advice here to make sure he doesn't blow smoke up my skirt just to keep from doing any needed repairs (It's still under warranty).

Thanks,

Rich


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Tell us about your battery. One group 24 12vdc battery will not run much for very long. If that is all you have then you need to cut back on power use or get new/better batteries.

If this is happening when plugged in then you should check the voltage output of the converter. It should be putting out 13.6 vdc and you should not have any issues running a few lights and a fan. If it is not maintaining 13.6 then you have a converter issue or a loose/high resistance connection.


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## RWRiley (Oct 21, 2009)

CamperAndy said:


> Tell us about your battery. One group 24 12vdc battery will not run much for very long. If that is all you have then you need to cut back on power use or get new/better batteries.
> 
> If this is happening when plugged in then you should check the voltage output of the converter. It should be putting out 13.6 vdc and you should not have any issues running a few lights and a fan. If it is not maintaining 13.6 then you have a converter issue or a loose/high resistance connection.


This is happening when I'm plugged in. I should add that the variable speed switch on the vent fan malfuctioned on the the last trip - so it's possible that it was a source of high resistance as you said. I notice the problem when the fan is off also.

I will make sure the dealer checks the output of the converter.

Thanks,

Rich


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## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

Could be a grounding problem.


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## hautevue (Mar 8, 2009)

X2.

A loose ground wire at the bottom of the power converter can cause problems like yours. Check that out: disconnect from shore power, and if you can, cut the battery cutoff switch to "off". (You do have one of them, don't you? [grin!]) Now open the power converter front door and at the bottom rear you'll see a terminal strip (a metal bar with screws threaded into it and a bunch of white wires under the screws). Make sure all the screws are tight against the wires. Use a screwdriver (phillips or regular as needed) and tighten them but don't take a crying strain on the screw--if you break one off, it's a PITA to replace...

That makes the ground (negative) connections really tight.

That might help.


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## battalionchief3 (Jun 27, 2006)

I found loose connections on mine. It was new and I check it once a year, with all the bumps of the highway something is bound to come loose.


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## WWH (May 7, 2010)

As others have stated check your ground connections on both ends of the wire and load test the battery. A weak battery will have the correct volatage without a load but when loaded the voltage can dramatically drop.

After checking the grounds and load testing the battery on my previous trailer I replaced the converter to correct the problem. Like many things on that trailer the original converter could not keep with our basic needs.


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## RWRiley (Oct 21, 2009)

Problem Fixed !!! Just like you guys said....I took the front panel off and found 3 or 4 loose connections. Now my TV is not effected by the fan, and all the other 12V stuff works just fine.

I have a 12V outlet in the back bedroom so I checked the voltage will all of the lights and fans on, and I get 13.6 - which is what I believe I should be getting.

While I had my voltage tester out, I hooked up my generator and checked voltage inside the TT. I got 118V with the air conditioner and the TV running. So I'm thinking my generator is working as advertised also.

Thanks for all the help - you guys were right on the money.









Rich


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## RWRiley (Oct 21, 2009)

hautevue said:


> ...cut the battery cutoff switch to "off". (You do have one of them, don't you? [grin!])


Yes I do ! It was my 1st mod. I got tired of hooking and un-hooking the battery every time and/or the battery running down. Took me a while to figure out where to get a switch. I finally found one on-line made for that exact purpose and installed it. I highly recommend the mod....it's pretty easy also.

Rich


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## hautevue (Mar 8, 2009)

RWRiley said:


> ...cut the battery cutoff switch to "off". (You do have one of them, don't you? [grin!])


Yes I do ! It was my 1st mod. I got tired of hooking and un-hooking the battery every time and/or the battery running down. Took me a while to figure out where to get a switch. I finally found one on-line made for that exact purpose and installed it. I highly recommend the mod....it's pretty easy also.

Rich
[/quote]

That was my first mod, too! Great minds run in the same track! Glad you found the power prob. Sit back, suck on a cold suds, and enjoy!


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## thefulminator (Aug 8, 2007)

It doesn't just happen to the 12V system. I had loose neutral wires on my 110v stuff too. Didn't know about it until I lost my AC on a really hot trip.


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## RWRiley (Oct 21, 2009)

thefulminator said:


> It doesn't just happen to the 12V system. I had loose neutral wires on my 110v stuff too. Didn't know about it until I lost my AC on a really hot trip.


Yea - I checked them all while I was in there. Not sure which were 12V and which were 120V, but I had a to use 2 different types of screwdrivers - so I'm assuming some were 120V and some were 12V. Both types had some loose connections.


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