Solar Panel Add-on

[elees]

Originally Posted by UFO Pilot

I had a 130 watt solar panel installed for this same reason. I had it installed 8 years ago and haven't had battery problems since then.

Thanks for your feedback. Did your merely replace the existing 10w panel with the larger one, or did you do an add-on?

[elees]

Originally Posted by ByeTheWay

I run the gen under load every month. Solar keeps my batteries at 100% daily. In storage I also run the Hydro-Hot monthly. I was told not to run it when the water lines were blown out so I use the pink rv "potable" antifreeze in winter storage.

Thanks for the reply. I guess I should consider getting to the storage lot more frequently, or us e the rig more often. Up until I had the problem, we were using the rig about one week a month. So, that usage helped things getting charged.

I do have a question about charging under a load. I have heard different theories about charging with, or without a load. My Newmar dealer tech said you don't need a load on the batteries when you run the generator. What is your take on this?

Thanks, Ed

[elees]

Originally Posted by WardSimmons

I’m not disagreeing with any of the previous responses, but are you sure you cut off the chassis batteries? Our inside cut-off switch is for the coach batteries, and the cut-off switch for our chassis batteries is located outside, in the chassis battery compartment. I don’t know about your coach.

Thanks for the feedback. It turns out that I did not turn off the external disconnect switch. I was only turning off the house battery disconnect near the passenger seat. Never had a problem before, but the coach wasn't used for a couple months and that did it in. The chassis batteries were down to 6.5Volts. No Bueno.

[elees]

Originally Posted by Aegon

I can confirm that with the chassis battery disconnect open and the coach stored outdoors, the 10W panel has kept the chassis batteries consistently at 12.7V from April-today.

I wish I knew all the draws on the system, but haven’t had the time to trace out the circuits.

Wow, that's pretty good. 2+ months with a 10w panel kept them up!

[UFO Pilot]

Originally Posted by elees

Thanks for your feedback. Did your merely replace the existing 10w panel with the larger one, or did you do an add-on?

I added the 130 watt panel. The 10 watt that came on my RV was useless. I haven't used the battery disconnects since adding the bigger panel. I do live in CA and store the RV outside so I get plenty of sunshine.

[followingsea]

Originally Posted by elees

I do have a question about charging under a load. I have heard different theories about charging with, or without a load. My Newmar dealer tech said you don't need a load on the batteries when you run the generator. What is your take on this?

Thanks, Ed

You want to put a heavy load on the generator after it warms up. It has nothing to do with the batteries.

Of course it depends on the design of the generator and the fuel source. When I start the generator for a monthly exercise run or to charge the batteries, I first turn off all the heavy loads. There is a delay after start and AC coming on in the coach. Then there is another delay before the batteries start charging.

After 5 minutes, I load up the generator by doing things like turning an a 1500 watt heater and then two air conditioners.

[Aegon]

Originally Posted by followingsea

You want to put a heavy load on the generator after it warms up. It has nothing to do with the batteries.

Continuing the thought above:

You want a little heat in the generator windings to keep them dry. Moisture in the air is an enemy to your generator. You don’t want to create a condition that can lead to a short in the windings.

I bought a used boat that sat unused for 2 years. Yes, the generator shorted out when we fired it up. $3,600 in 2010 for an 8KW gen, my labor.

[ByeTheWay]

Originally Posted by elees

Thanks for the reply. I guess I should consider getting to the storage lot more frequently, or us e the rig more often. Up until I had the problem, we were using the rig about one week a month. So, that usage helped things getting charged.

I do have a question about charging under a load. I have heard different theories about charging with, or without a load. My Newmar dealer tech said you don't need a load on the batteries when you run the generator. What is your take on this?

Thanks, Ed

I have enough solar (1150 watts) that the batteries are kept charged. I was told by Cummins when they serviced my Onan to run the gen under load every month or so. I either run both of my AC units or my AC units in the heat pump mode, to create the load. The batteries are usually in float during that time.



Also I have one battery bank for both starting and the house. 6-6v batteries in Series/Parallel.

[TLGPE]

About four years ago I installed two 100W Renogy panels on the roof. The kit came with a PWM charge controller, but I later changer that out for a MPPT type.

This arrangement works really well for me, and allows me to use power tools, etc when I go to the coach for work projects. I have four 6V wet cell batteries, but I wish I had room for two more.

Tom

[X-OEM]

So the popsicle stick wedged in the battery boost switch does what exactly?

Does it allow your house batteries to charge your chassis batteries via the solar panel while in storage? Is there any possibility of doing any damage somewhere? I am not criticizing, I am curious.

Is this to get around the manual isolator switch for the chassis batteries which still allows charging but no discharging? (no draw from the batteries while in storage?)

[turbopilot]

Originally Posted by X-OEM

So the popsicle stick wedged in the battery boost switch does what exactly?

Does it allow your house batteries to charge your chassis batteries via the solar panel while in storage? Is there any possibility of doing any damage somewhere? I am not criticizing, I am curious.

Is this to get around the manual isolator switch for the chassis batteries which still allows charging but no discharging? (no draw from the batteries while in storage?)

As far as I know this is an issue unique to solar panel equipped SilverLeaf coaches as it applies to long term storage. There are two ways to control the charge bridge solenoid in SilverLeaf coaches: automatically via the TM102 SilverLeaf Total Coach Controller and manually via the "Battery Boost Switch". They both do the same thing, close the charge bridge solenoid.

When a SilverLeaf equipped coach is hooked up shore power the charge bridge solenoid is closed by the TM102 (indicated by a lightning bolt on the SilverLeaf panel) allowing the on board Xantrex charger to charge both the house and chassis battery at the same time. In my experience this connection is held open by the TM102 to the chassis battery as long as the coach is on shore power.

For SilverLeaf equipped Newmar coaches there is no logic in the TM102 controller that detects when the coach is off shore power but hooked up to solar panels via the solar charge controller. So in this circumstance while on solar power only the house batteries are charged. The charge bridge solenoid remains open cutting off the chassis battery from the charge source. It would not be difficult to program this logic into the TM102. The code exists in other TM102 equipped non Newmar coaches. Newmar has not allowed SilverLeaf Electronics to include this logic in the code for Newmar coaches.

The only way around this glitch in the TM102 logic is to manually close the charge bridge solenoid via the "battery boost" switch when the coach is in storage. There is no harm to chassis battery as it is being charged using the same schedule applied to house batteries via the solar controller.

There is one sure fired way to harm the chassis battery in storage: don't charge it as it will likely totally discharge within a week in the NA.

[TheEdge]

I just finished a total remodel of an '03 Gulfstream SunVoyager and added 4 - 100 watt panels. I added a sub panel off my existing IONA 50 amp breaker panel. I too was having what some would call parasitic drain of my house batteries. bought two new 27 series deep cycles from my RV service center. New Coach/Truck battery too. My house to truck transfer switch on the dash stopped working after a long cross country trip. So when truck battery was dead, out with the jumpers I would go.


I have a 50 amp hookup on my home for the RV, so house batteries stay charged, but truck battery is not (Many do not know this fact). SO parasitic from the chassis system will kill the truck battery without a tender. I added a battery switch to parallel the truck to the house when on shore power. That has solved the parasitic to the truck battery. I turn it off before starting the engine to ensure that the alternator isn't overloaded (160 amp/hr but why risk it) Been great all year!



The way I did my solar, I feed the Inverter from my main breaker panel. Because the main breaker panel is post transfer switch and I bought a charging inverter from Renogy (more details if anyone needs help). So, my added Solar Batteries (4 - 100 amp/hr AGM's) get charged by Solar and Shore Power, which is a huge help when you have a boondock in the middle of a trip. The Solar system is limited to the controller for charge rate, so you max out at 30/40 amp hours.



Since a 50 Amp is a 240 volt system, I moved a bunch of things of the B phase to the sub panel and ran the sub panel from the Renogy. One of the circuits I definitely recommend moving to the sub panel is the converter. This way your House Batteries are being charged when on or off the grid.



End Result - Batteries are always charged and ready to go.


Faster charge rate, as I have Solar and Shore/Generator charging to Solar Batteries.


Refrigerator, TV's, Convenience Outlets all moved to Solar Sub Panel, so I have creature comforts when boondocking.


New Battery run test, I got 2 days and 3 hours off the solar batteries with no shore power. I killed power at 6pm (sundown at time of test) We did get sun the next day, so I did get charging that day. 2nd day was overcast and showers. Best part, house batteries were still fresh when I lost AC power and truck battery was too, started right up. Happy Camping!

[X-OEM]

Thank you Turbo - Now I understand.


About a year ago, I developed a parasitic draw from my chassis batteries while parked on shore power. They would drain the batteries within 3 days or so. I would hate to think that the "simple" fix would have been the popsicle stick while parked!!