Help with a bet I have with my wife - House Batt

[frschof]

My wife says if the house batt is dead, there will be no lights avail in the RV. I say there will be providing your hook up to shore power. What say you all.

Frank

[16ACE27]

You are.

[widdershins]

Depend on the kind of dead. If the batteries have internal shorting, might blow a fuse in the converter and result in no lighting when on shore power...

[Lt Keefer]

Generally speaking, you are correct.

[Chateau_Nomad]

Unplug the shore power when she's not looking... then concede defeat. Happy wife, happy life!

Just don't let her go poking around and figure out what the converter is for...

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by frschof

My wife says if the house batt is dead, there will be no lights avail in the RV. I say there will be providing your hook up to shore power. What say you all.

Frank

I say, I think you gonna be in trouble.

Here is what you do. Hookup shorepower, walk through a dark RV, whatever you do don't touch a light switch, but open the Fridge and say see

[The Gritz Carlton]

I don't care what you do or say...you'll never be right or you'll pay dearly for it if you are. Concede...sofa sleeping sucks!!

[Nursx2]

you are - converter will run everything on shore power

[Bfdchief24]

It will run the lights But My radio went out? So I assumed the Axxera radio went out so I went through the long process of getting a replacement. Installed it and still didn’t work? So I put it on hold for a while since we were stationary for a while. Went to crank the generator for the monthly running and it would not turn over? Checked batteries and both of them dead? Replaces with new ones and reinstall Axxera radio and it worked. Lesson learned!!

[Scubawise]

Originally Posted by frschof

My wife says if the house batt is dead, there will be no lights avail in the RV. I say there will be providing your hook up to shore power. What say you all.

Frank

Tell your wife you love her. Pull out some oil and rub her feet and back..

Works 100%

[dkoldman]

It may be too late. OP has not been back. He may have won the bet, but lost the fight Be on the lookout for a RV in Florida with no lights; but plugged into shore power; OP may be found nearby.

[Nancy W]

Reg. whether the house lights will work with a dead battery, but plugged into shore power..

I thought the shore power charges my battery, and because of that battery charge, my house lights then work. All house electric comes from 12 volt batteries. If battery is dead, ie: can’t take or hold a charger…truly dead dead….
Then would the shore power some how bypass my battery to provide lights to the Coach? Converter? Inverter? Does it all require a usable battery first? IDK?
Funny bet with the wife…but it has me wondering if she is not technically correct.
Please educate me too hahaha

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Nancy W

Reg. whether the house lights will work with a dead battery, but plugged into shore power..

I thought the shore power charges my battery, and because of that battery charge, my house lights then work. All house electric comes from 12 volt batteries. If battery is dead, ie: can’t take or hold a charger…truly dead dead….
Then would the shore power some how bypass my battery to provide lights to the Coach? Converter? Inverter? Does it all require a usable battery first? IDK?
Funny bet with the wife…but it has me wondering if she is not technically correct.
Please educate me too hahaha

For a moment, forget the batteries even exist. All 12 volt devices MUST be supplied with 12 volts DC.

All 12vdc House devices connect to what is called a 12 volt DC bus. Think of a tiny school bus (with no kids); but 12vdc house items all touching that bus.

The 12 vdc bus can get power from two sources.

1. House Batteries ( that we don't have ( disconnected / dead or whatever))
2. Converter ( a converter takes 120VAC from Shorepower and converts to 12VDC and supplies power to the 12 vdc Bus

When batteries exist and connected (Use mode), the Converter also supplies appropriate DC Voltage to maintain the batteries.

Note: The latter is why a lot of people have dead batteries, because they have shorepower and assume the converter is charging the batteries when it is not if the House switch is in Store mode / (batteries disconnected).

[Travelin' Texans]

You will have lights, water pump & other low amp 12 volt devices operational without a battery connected by the converter, but DO NOT attempt operating the slides or leveling system without a fully charged fully functional battery connected or risk damaging the converter.

[Rene M]

Depends on if your coach is using 12 DC lights inside or 110v coach lights.
Mine uses 12 volt DC for all interior lights. Some do some dont.

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Rene M

Depends on if your coach is using 12 DC lights inside or 110v coach lights.
Mine uses 12 volt DC for all interior lights. Some do some dont.

12vdc lights comes on (regardless of battery condition or if batteries exist) with shorepower as well as any 110vDC lights. If it does not you have defectives converter or miswiring.

See my post #13 that explains why or just go to your RV and see.

All my interior lights are 12vdc.

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by Rene M

Depends on if your coach is using 12 DC lights inside or 110v coach lights.
Mine uses 12 volt DC for all interior lights. Some do some dont.

Why would any RV use 120 VAC lights?