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I am starting to really dislike my camper solar


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#11 Ronin

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Posted 10 September 2018 - 03:17 AM

To test your batteries 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. Use your multimeter reading to see if it matches the readings you are currently getting. 

Hope this is the info you were looking for - trouble shooting beyond this I'll leave to the experts out there.


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#12 Ronin

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Posted 10 September 2018 - 03:42 AM

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?

I was just replying to your question on using your multimeter. Testing the batteries is just a first step to verify what your current voltage readings are telling you. After that Cougar Couple gives a lot of things to start checking- it's a process of elimination. Thankfully, you have someone who can help you figure out what the heck is the problem. Good luck!!


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#13 PaulT

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Posted 10 September 2018 - 05:09 AM

Dawn,
If you have a smart battery charger like one of the Noco Genius models like the G7200, ( https://no.co/g7200 )
hook it up to your batteries, plug it in and allow it to fully charge the batteries. This gives you a known starting point so that you can determine how your electrical system is working.

Monitor what happens over your next while as you use the camper. Note the voltage after sunset and before the sun starts hitting your solar panels. Note the charging amps several times during the day to give you an idea about how much charging you are getting from solar and if charging is keeping up with your usage. Don’t make changes until you have more measured information about what is going on.

If your batteries continue to lose state of charge, stay somewhere with electrical hookups every few days to completely recharge your batteries so they don’t get damaged.

Let us know what you learn.

Paul
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#14 jrwdlw

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Posted 10 September 2018 - 05:26 AM

According to the Go Power charge controller manual, you should see 14.4 volts when charging, and 13.7 volts at "float".  If the voltage never gets to 14.4, you're not charging the battery.  We need some more specific information here.  You say there are two batteries, "AGM 30".  What brand are they?  What size (ampere hour capacity)?  The name AGM 30 tends to imply they are 30 ampere hour, but that would be ridiculously small.  What brand and model are the solar panels?  The operating voltage and amperage of the panels is important.  It could be a combination of issues.  The wire from the panels to the controller could be too small for the length of the run. That, combined with panels that have a lower voltage output, will result in too low a voltage to the controller.   if you're in full sun, and there is only 13 volts at the battery, there is a major problem somewhere. 


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#15 Optimistic Paranoid

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Posted 10 September 2018 - 11:10 AM

When you get to your friend in flagstaff, in addition to having him help with the solar, ask him to look at the setup that lets your alternator charge the house batteries.  Specifically you want to see what kind of isolator you have.  A solenoid would be good.  There are also some types that use advanced electronic components which is also good.  On the other hand, a simple diode type will cause a voltage drop that would significantly reduce the voltage going back to the house batteries, so you would wind up not getting much help from the alternator.  All part of your house battery charging puzzle.  Use a meter to check the voltage going into the isolator, and compare it to the voltage coming out.  A drop of .5 to .7 volts may not sound like much, but it's actually a big deal in battery charging.


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#16 Vic Harder

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Posted 10 September 2018 - 09:36 PM

At the risk of overwhelming you, I will chime in too.

 

Lots of good advice here.  More data is the first step, as others have said.  Battery AH capacity, and your Solar Panel output in Watts being the biggest unknown right now.  

 

Paul's suggestion to fully charge up plugged into shore power is a good one.  Get those batteries up to known good charge state and see what your GoPower says then.

 

Re:  wires to small.  I've written about this a lot in the More Power Scotty thread, but realistically, the wires inside the camper that go to the roof solar panels is NOT a concern. 

 

That said, wire size does matter when charging from the truck whilst driving.  The brand/model of isolator matters too.  A lot of them shut down under certain conditions (like low camper batteries) meaning that the truck alternator can't charge the camper batteries, ever.  Recharging them with shore power first can rectify that problem, temporarily.

 

So, here is a thought/theory... The new batteries worked fine in your system for a while, with the alternator and solar doing their part to recharge the batteries.  Maybe they could keep up with your normal load, or maybe not quite.  Then one day, your camper batteries dropped below a certain threshold that the isolator didn't like.  It kicked in, and now your truck can no longer help recharge the camper batteries.  The solar has to do it on its own, and can't, and it looks like the system/batteries are not up to snuff again.

 

If that's the case, recharging from shore power should restore your system (for a while).

 

Keep us posted.


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#17 craig333

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Posted 10 September 2018 - 10:27 PM

Sounds like its likely undercharging your batteries. Wire size most likely isn't an issue. Hate to say it but if you had a battery monitor (like the victron or others) you'd have a lot more info. Unfortunately of course thats more money. Curious to see what your friend comes up with.


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#18 hoyden

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Posted 10 September 2018 - 11:01 PM

Hi all!

 

Thank you so much for all your replies! I just arrived in Flagstaff  at my friend's house. I was going to stay out one more night and get here tomorrow, but I kept checking my Controller during my drive today, and decided that it can't wait. It stayed at 12.2 even after a couple of hours drive in the morning sun, then got up to 12.8v at Vermillion Cliffs (love that area!), then dropped back down to 12.5 at the next gas station. All day no clouds, full sun. Drove for 5+ hrs. I parked at my friend's house just now and it's reading 12.4. Der.

 
At least I'm now in a city, with a friend who can help, and real stores if need anything, at high enough elevation where we won't roast :)
 
He's still at work, so I'm catching up on this thread.
I'm going to write down all the ideas, and show them to my far-more-skilled-than-I-with-electrical-stuff friend :D

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#19 hoyden

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Posted 10 September 2018 - 11:22 PM

Oh, those in this thread that aren't familiar.... I'm full-time in my FWC! so making repairs isn't terribly easy. I've got some tools with me, and a shitty multimeter :), but it's so much easier when in a town where you can go buy supplies if needed! 

 

Here's my ongoing Trip Report http://www.wanderthe...ding-home-tour/

 

(I was at Bryce Canyon this morning! So pretty! )


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https://no-destination.org/ .:.  https://razorgirls.org/

 

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As I get braver I get stronger, and as I get stronger I get braver. It’ a good cycle.

#20 Advmoto18

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Posted 11 September 2018 - 09:20 PM

I will chime in and try to keep things simple.

 

I have a 2015 Hawk (started camping in it 4/16/15) after installing two Optima Blue Top Deep Cycle AGMs.  They are still in the camper and performing at about 90% efficiency compared to new.  Not half bad for 41 month old batteries.

 

But, the key is maintaining deep cycle batteries at peak storage capacity to the greatest extent possible.  Obviously, they are meant to be deeply discharged.  But, they must be fully charged as soon as possible when they are drained into a deep discharge condition.  Failing to do so will greatly decrease the longevity of the batteries.

 

Vic hit upon a very important important variable.  Charging with the vehicle's alternator.  The "hot" wire comes off the positive of the crank battery and should be a gauge suitable to carry the suitable amperage to the camper batteries;  gauge will be dependent upon the length of the run.

 

Also, toss out the 2015 FWC battery separator (can't even recall the brand name anymore) and install the Blue Seas ML-ACR Automatic Charging Relay with Manual Control -12V DC.  This will allow you to override the relay and charge your camper batteries with the truck when camper batteries are in a deep discharge.  You must use the manual override judiciously as this places a very heavy load on the crank battery.

 

If you are living in the camper full time, I suspect you are putting a heavy drain on the camper batteries and they are not getting a full recharge before the next deep discharge.  The deeper the discharge and the longer the period before a full recharge, can reduce the life span of expensive AGM deep cycle batteries to mere months.  Further, a partial recharge and then a deep discharge is hard on deep cycle batteries and will reduce life span as well.  I learned this expensive lessen the hard way on my flats fishing boat that had a 24v trolling motor.

 

In-so-far as solar charging.  You only get 100% efficiency from the panel when it is exactly 90' to the sun.  Any "angle off" will diminish solar gain and charging efficiency.  More then 30' angle off will greatly reduce the panel's charging efficiency. 

 

Further, shading of a single cell (say 1 of 36 cells) can reduce the entire panel charging efficiency by as much as 75%.  I didn't install racks of on my camper roof for this very reason,  I can't accept shade on the solar panel.  I'm also keenly aware of the sun's relationship to the panel with the roof vent open so I don't needlessly shade a cell.  An important aspect camping days on end in the same spot out in the desert.  And, I use a portable panel.  I would submit the portable panel is far more efficient than the fixed roof mounted panel as long as you keep the panel oriented towards the sun throughout the day.

 

To get the most out of solar charging, one should learn the nuances of the system, its limitations and techniques to gain the most from a solar charging system.  There is some really good info online as it relates to campers and RVs.  While there are some really nice controllers on the market that let you know charging and discharge rates along with a host of other variables, nothing beats using good techniques to conserving the energy in your batteries.  And really, that's what we're talking about energy conservation and using good techniques as they relate to your solar charging system thereby reducing the burden on the system itself.

 

Good luck.


Edited by Advmoto18, 11 September 2018 - 09:55 PM.

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