please help, I cant keep battery charged!

Hello evryone, first of all let me say thank you for all your help. I have a problem with my 1996 Dodge caravan 2.4L engine. I just recently replaced a battery because it kept going dead, I figured since it kept going dead it probrably needed to be replaced, since replacing the battery my problems persist. I jump the car and drive it over an hour a way and then proceed to turn the key off and then turn it back on and its dead again. This is not the only problem, sometimes my digital gauges flicker on and off and my stero cuts on and off. I have notice that after I jump my car the lights(inside and outside) go from dim to bright until I press on the gas. I need help deciding on a course of action. I initialy thought it might be the battery cables on the van but when I tried to replace them I was notified by the local Dodge dealer that in order to replace the battery cables I would have to purchase the whole power train wiring harness because they were all tied together(over $1000). Thats alittle to steep for a poor old country boy like myself. I know the altenator is another possiablity, can someone give me insight on how to test it? Thank you all once again.

I would guess the alternater is bad too. Auto Zone I would think could test the alternater with a digital voltmeter or something along those lines.

I would guess the alternater is bad too. Auto Zone I would think could test the alternater with a digital voltmeter or something along those lines.

I checked the alternator and is working fine, the problem seemed to be a bad connection between the terminals and the posts on the battery.

Yeah, had that happen once on my truck. Well, at least it was a cheap fix. Glad to hear it's solved.