315 replies to this topic

[hoyden]

(This might be a little ranty)

Since near new, I've had problems with my solar. I wonder now if its that too-small-gauge-wiring I've read about.

2015 FWC Fleet, Dometic fridge, 160w on roof, two deep cell batteries - AGM 30, Go Power 30AMP PWM solar controller.


I can do mechanical, but electric eludes me no matter how much I read and study it.

Last month, I replaced my deep cell batteries. I have two. One was totally shot, the other on the way out. I'm worried that there's something wrong in my system that is causing issues and might kill my new batteries. I cant afford that right now.

When I first installed them July 22, I was excited because it seemed that the charging issue was over. I could drive, park in sun and have 13v reading with just a little drop in the evening down to 12.7, then 12.5 overnight. Well, this past week or so I've noticed that it's doing what it qs before- I'll park and itll show 12.5 even after a day drive. Today, I sit in sun and it got up to 13v abt half hr ago, but now its showing 12.5. Its only 3:15pm. This happened yesterday too and when I woke up, it was at 12.1v.

From my unlearned' mind, it seems the batteries aren't holding charge good.?

A friend keeps telling me to check with multimeter, but I dont even know what to test.

When AT tested my (old) batteries, they said that everything was fine. But all I'm running is the fridge. I've camped with other campers who have same set up and they can camp for days. I've not been able to do that since not long after I got my FWC. Since I live in it full time right now, this is more of a hardship.

I should have had someone else go through the set up before leaving on this adventure, but getting back on the road was a kind of last minute doing with non-camper complications so I didn't. Der.

I'm frustrated, if you couldn't tell.

If this is how it is supposed to run and I just need to buy a portable, so be it, but it seems like the 160w should be enough and the v shouldn't drop so quickly - especially when I was behaving differently (better) right after I put the new batteries in July.

I do have a multimeter with me, but I only knew how to use it for specific motorcycle issues I was working on. I know if you hope it up wrong you can cause damage, and/or kill the meter...so I'm hesitant to putz around with it without knowing exactly how to set it up, what I'm looking for, and how to read it.
Any suggestions appreciated.

[hoyden]

(Please excuse typos - wrote this all on my phone and the screen jumps around some :-) )

[lactic]

Watching this thread closely.

I have a 2017 Fleet with just a SnoMaster fridge and almost the same solar setup. I just bought the 100w Renogy suitcase solar panel to give an additional charge when I have the camper parked in my carport. While I was hooking it up, I noticed that my batteries don’t seem to be holding a charge very well either! Full day in the sun with 260w of direct sunlight and at the end of the day I was showing 12.1v even thought it was showing over 9amps going to the batteries for most of the afternoon. That doesn’t seem right.

I did just drive for about an hour and the controller is now showing 13v (first time in a long time!) but I’ll be curious to see how quickly it drops after the sun goes down.

[searching for nowhere]

I am not electrically minded.  I think it is magic when I flick a light switch and light comes on.  So, anyone, please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

I suggest that you look at the data sheet for your batteries.  My batteries have a float charge of 13.5 but 100% charged is 12.74. The float charge is the charging voltage so when the sun goes down, your battery charge will read close to your 100% voltage.  50% with my batteries is 12.1. 13.0 could be your float charge and 12.5 could be your 100%.  But 12.1 in the morning does sound low.  Maybe you have something unknowingly drawing current?  How to figure that out is way over my head.  

 

And once again, please correct me if I don't have this stuff correct.  I'm with Dawn - mechanical stuff is much easier.  

[ClimberRob]

Charging voltage is going to be much higher than the battery reads once the charge has stopped.

 

Do you have a meter in your system that gives you actual usage and charge stats? If not, that's the place to start.

[hoyden]

Hey searching! :-) "Maybe you have something unknowingly drawing current?" I have wondered. I thought that new batteries fixed it, but this was same problem I had before.

AT changed out my original controller, but didn't troubleshoot the system, just the batteries themselves.

I've seen other folks post that the camper comes from factory with too small a gauge wire from? to? and that causes charging problems?

I just got in touch with a handy friend in Flagstaff who said he can help troubleshoot this, so I'll make my way there. It's only 282 miles from where I'm an in Bryce Canyon NP. Crossing fingers whatever is going on hasn't caused damage to my brand new batteries! I'll let y'all know later this week what we find. (I'll get there Tues or Wed)

[Ronin]

To test your battery set the multi-meter to the lowest VDC setting. My very basic meter has settings of 20,200,and 600 so I set mine at 20  VDC when I'm checking my 12v battery. You should have 2 wire leads coming off the multimeter. Touch the black lead to the negative post of your battery and touch the red lead to the positive post  and take your reading. Test each battery separately - each battery should have close to the same reading. Hope that answers your question on how to use the meter.

[hoyden]

ClimberRob: I have a GoPower controller. It gives me voltage and amps, and a percentage that I've been told to pay no attention to.

My understanding (I'm sure you know this, but to give you a little of what little I know :-) ) is that the voltage is what the batteries have usable, and amps is what the solar is collecting.

When AT installed the replacement controller, he hooked it up so that it reads only one reading of both batteries - as opposed to there being a reading for "battery A" and a reading for "battery B". I don't know if that matters. He said since they are in parallel that I dont need to see each individually. I wonder if I'd have known abt the one original battery's demise if I'd had separate readings? No matter at this point, I guess.

[hoyden]

Ronin - but my batteries are new, so wouldn't the problem not be them and I'd need to read what's running thru wires or at my controller or something?

[CougarCouple]

Hi Dawn
Ok so sounds like you have a meter. So you have two sources to regen (charge)your batteries. So did you check your motorcycle battery with the meter? So you can check the source for a charge, solar or vehicle the same as you would you motorcycle battery.

https://www.amazon.c...A/dp/B007VLMRP2

If you look at this controller you see the two screws on the left, are the wires coming from the solar panel. That would be the input, put you leads to read the voltage. If the voltage is higher than the batteries power/current should be flowing into the batteries. Hopefully you can access this item easily. Measuring the next two would be the battery's value. Let's say you measure the solar controller at noon and the solar wires measuring 14.6 volts. And you then move to the next set the battery wires 12.3 volts you could see there might be a problem.
Or if your readings are solar 14.6 camper batteries 14.1 I would think you are charging your batteries with the solar panel.

The other source comes from the truck alternator, I think yours should pass thru an isolator, a device which separates your camper batteries from the truck battery. This will prevent the camper from draining your truck starting battery.
Mine only isolates the 12v + I check mine with one test lead on the 12v- and the other on the wire coming into the isolator from the truck battery (12v+). When the truck is running the measurement you see here should be the same as measuring the battery under the hood. Again numbers higher than your house battery's says you are charging or at least have the potential to charge.

I would check all connections for a secure or tight screw or lug. Be careful switch the camper off so none of the 12 volt accessories will work. A little tug on the wires is ok.

Next time you are in a town google a battery distributor like interstate batteries, someone who can check the specific gravity to look at the integrity of your new batteries. If you have a bad cell they can identify it that way.

https://www.amazon.c...r/dp/B000JFHMRU

You mentioned the wire size, think of filling the fuel tank on your truck at a pump and how long it takes. Now imagine you have 48 quart bottles and the funnel opening is no bigger than your finger, now how much time would that take. That's kinda how the wire size in the scheme of things works. You might have the watts or power on the roof, but you are bottle necked in your system by wire size or a loose connection.


Hope this helps. I'm not real good with solar so if anyone sees something wrong what I wrote or can add something please do.

Russ