6.5 volts instead of twelve

[photoguy]

Hello all!
This is my first stab at the forums. I am a newbie.
My wife and I recently purchased a 1968 safari. A buddy and I were trying to get the furnace fan/blower to cut in but it was just dead. We started checking the power going to the furnace with a volt meter it was reading 6.5 volts. So we started checking other places on the electrical system. Mainly we would get 6.5 volts but once or twice it was higher like close to 10 volts.
The fuses visually seem ok (two glass fuses on wall beside 120 fuse box)
Should we be getting 12 volts as a proper reading, If so does this probably mean my converter is toast?
Any info would help!
Thanks

[Jammer]

If the converter is original to the trailer it is probably wise to replace it even if it isn't toast.

There's more to troubleshooting a dodgy 12 volt system than will fit in a forum post, but in short you should be starting at the battery and converter and working your way out from there.

[garry]

Some converters need a battery to work properly.

If the converter is original it is a Univolt a big very heavy gray box that hums very loud and boils batterys it is best replaced with a modern 3 stage converter.

[HowieE]

You never mentioned if there was a battery in the system.

If so pull the fuses, taking all loads off the system, and measure the voltage at the battery. If the voltage is below 12.5 volts troubleshoot the battery and converter before going any further.

Yes if it is the original inverter get a new converter, preferably one that has 3 stages of charging functions built in it.

Once you have the battery and converter in good working order you can then replace the fuses and check the system. Voltage at each fixture should be very close to battery voltage before the fixture is turned on. Anything less than battery voltage at the disconnected input to a fixture indicates a problem in the wiring of that fixture or the ground you are connected to. If you can use a wire connected to the battery ground terminal as the ground side of your volt meter, reducing the chance you have a bad ground at the fixture. This wire should be #12 to reduce voltage lose in the wire while testing.

[photoguy]

Thanks for all the info!! I'm pretty sure it's the converter then, I will get one and start from there, hopefully that will fix my voltage issues.
Thanks again.