1st Time New Airstreamer need help

[coachjl13]

Hi;

I'm posting for my parents and we need help. We have owned campers but nothing like this. I have a 2005 Keystone Hornet but my parents just sold a 2000 trialk lite and purchased a 1978 Airstream Excella. When I went to pick it up for them from the owner he told me he used lamps because the lights ran off the battery.

He is an older man so I did not think he knew what he was talking about so I pull the camper to my parents at a campground we gt everything hooked up power, water, ect

In th middle of the night the lights died do the over head lights only work off battery

please help us learn about this thing

[moosetags]

First off, welcome to the Forums. We're glad to have you with us.

The 12 volt lighting in an Airstream works off the battery(ies) or the converter (converts AC (110 volt) power to DC (12 volt) power. This unit is the opposite of an inverter which takes DC to AC.

It sounds like the converter in your Airstream is not functioning. It could be caused by a number of things. The converter could have a tripped circuit breaker, it could be improperly wired, or it could be burned out or broken.

Brian

[richinny]

does this model have a switch that turns off the converter as our '94 does?

i wondered what that switch did, lol. it looks like a light switch.

[TBRich]

Welcome to the forums! Lots of info and help to be had here...

It sounds like a converter issue as Moosetags noted...does anything else requiring 12 volt work (such as bathroom vent fans, fantastic fan)? If you have no 12v power at all when plugged into shore power, look to the converter.