45 replies to this topic

[5outta6]

The camper battery is hooked up to the truck battery w/a Aopec isolator. installed by ATC:
http://www.aopec.cn/...w.asp?pro_id=17

I un hooked all cables to the battery: voltage was 12.71, 12.81

I disconnected the two leads to the solar controller and hooked up meter for resistance test  between the ground wire from the solar panel to the battery and the reading fluxuated between 2-3.

(My meter manual say "the resistance is usually 1 to 0.2 ohms for a standard pair of test leads.)

these are the current readings with everything connected:

battery 13.44v
solar in : 20.81
to battery from controller: 13.17

now to see what happens when the sun gets up high and the outside temp rises....

 

Now after being in the sun for about an hour,     10:00AM

the solar in reads      13.95

controller to battery   13.85

 

battery                         13.7

 

 

10:51Am.....     88F temp outside         

On for about an hour here are the readings now

 

controller

solar       14.62

to battery  14.45

 

camper battery  14.6 v

 

thanks for your time.

Edited by 5outta6, 03 September 2019 - 05:54 PM.

[rando]

The resistance test confirms that you have a wiring problem.     There is a low resistance (<2 ohm) path between the negative terminal of your solar panel and the battery.  This allows the current flow to bypass the charge controller (which regulates the power to the battery by disconnecting the negative wire between the solar panel and battery terminals, but it can't do that if there is another path for current to flow) so the charge controller cannot stop the flow of power to the battery once it is full.   

 

I would pull the solar fuse until you get this fixed as you are further damaging your battery by repeatedly overcharging it.    

 

I have also not heard of AOPEC battery isolators before, but it appears to be a Chinese clone of the Bluesea m-ACR:

https://www.bluesea....-_12_24V_DC_65A

[5outta6]

Pulled the fuse. voltage immediately started dropping.

 

  Will talk with ATC today. tnx

Edited by 5outta6, 03 September 2019 - 06:07 PM.

[5outta6]

Just spoke with Marty at ATC. They are going to check all the wiring and install a Renogy controller.

 

I'm lucky I'm only a little over an hour drive (in no traffic) to their shop.

 

 

just for my imagination, I checked to see if the mounting screws on the controller were grounded and they were.

 

So I checked continuity between the solar ground wire and the mounting screws and there is continuity.

 

Isn't the controller solar wires a complete circuit and not grounded to the frame?  Just fishing for ideas what could be the problem.....

[rando]

The negative solar terminal on the solar controller shouldn't be connected to the controller case.    However the battery negative is usually connected to the camper frame, and you already determined that the negative wire from the solar panel is connected to the negative battery terminal, so it makes sense that when the solar panel is connected, the negative terminal of the solar panel has continuity to the frame. 

 

Good luck on getting it fixed.  It sounds like ATC screwed up on this one.  If it were me I would be asking about them replacing my two month old and now abused battery as well. 

[marty]

This solar panel has a designated ground wire that is not connected to the frame. The battery separator is not part of the solar system nor is it connected to the solar controller. We did not install the battery in this camper or do a lot of the wiring. We will figure this out when the camper comes in. Marty

[5outta6]

Actually an ATC  employee did install the battery I supplied.....As for the "lot of the wiring" , there are two pairs of wires, all fused which go from the battery terminals to two 12v 'ports' .    

With these two pairs of wires disconnected, the solar controller is still not regulating the voltage to the battery......

Edited by 5outta6, 06 September 2019 - 02:11 PM.

[5outta6]

Took the camper into ATC this morning.

 

They worked on it all morning. I think they did find a problem somewhere and ran a new wire.

 

They also installed a Renogy controller  (its a Renogy solar panel)   &  a new battery.  

 

So far so good.   

 

I will monitor the voltage to see what happens.

 

Once again ATC is easy to deal with and there was no question about anything. Good to see a company back their warranty without question.

 

Thanks Marty

[rando]

Thanks for reporting back, and I am glad they fixed it without too much hassle.   

 

Any more specifics on what the issue was with the wiring?  It may help for other ATC owners who have the same issue.

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Took the camper into ATC this morning.

They worked on it all morning. I think they did find a problem somewhere and ran a new wire.

They also installed a Renogy controller (its a Renogy solar panel) & a new battery.

So far so good.

I will monitor the voltage to see what happens.

Once again ATC is easy to deal with and there was no question about anything. Good to see a company back their warranty without question.

Thanks Marty

ATC is a fantastic company to work with.