Community Forums

SPA48 · 01-08-2012, 04:16 AM

according to my manual, the solar on the roof only charges when the battery shutoff switches are turned to off---Not much help when your dry camping---Any ideas to correct this??????

Steve
2006 Monaco Diplomat

freebirdbus · 01-08-2012, 05:18 AM

Steve, Could you provide a little more information about your system? It would be particularly helpful to know what brand and model controller you have (electronic thing wired between the solar panels and the batteries) and what shore powered battery charging that you have. Any additional info, such as the number and wattage of your panel(s), number and type of batteries (6 volt or 12 volt), and anything else you think is pertinent would be helpful too! Thanks!

Mike Canter · 01-08-2012, 08:17 AM

Steve, thats interesting, on my MH the solar charger chargers both the chassis and the house batteries with the disconnect switches in either position. My inverter/charger also charges both battery systems in the off or on position. You are correct in that it would make it hard to maintain the battery charge while dry camping. I wonder if that is a mistake in the manual. You should be able to verify that with a voltmeter.

My manual has a note that says:

NOTE: The solar panels will charge the batteries with the disconnect switches off.

This doesn't mean on mine that it will ONLY charges with the disconnect switches off but it will ALSO charges with the disconnect switches off. On mine it means it will do it in both/either positions. How is your statement in your manual written?

DonGott · 01-08-2012, 07:22 PM

Mike, I have an 01' Signature and the inverter seems to be only charging the house batteries. I have been in the garage dozens of times with the coach plugged into the 110 outlet and have witnessed only the house batteries going thru the charging cyle. Once complete, the inverter does not switch over and go thru a charge cycle on the engine batteries. When the bus is outside and in the sun, the solar panel will charge both and while the engine is running I will get a charge. What do you think it is?

Thanks
Don

Mike Canter · 01-08-2012, 08:33 PM

Don, do you know if you have the B.I.R.D charging control system that used the Big Boy relay like I have in the 2004 Sig? On the BIRD system the house batteries have to get up to 13.2 volts before it will switch the Big Boy relay and start charging the chassis batteries. If the inverter is programed incorrectly or you have a bad battery(s) on the house side so it can't get to 13.2 volts then it will never charge the chassis batteries from the inverter. If it is the Lambert system then it has to get to 13.5 volts before it will become active and switch to charging the chassis batteries. Have you ever taken a voltage reading on the fully charged house batteries?

DonGott · 01-09-2012, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike Canter

Don, do you know if you have the B.I.R.D charging control system that used the Big Boy relay like I have in the 2004 Sig? On the BIRD system the house batteries have to get up to 13.2 volts before it will switch the Big Boy relay and start charging the chassis batteries. If the inverter is programed incorrectly or you have a bad battery(s) on the house side so it can't get to 13.2 volts then it will never charge the chassis batteries from the inverter. If it is the Lambert system then it has to get to 13.5 volts before it will become active and switch to charging the chassis batteries. Have you ever taken a voltage reading on the fully charged house batteries?

I cannot find a BIRD on the bus. Yes, I just checked the house batteries and they are 13.6. If the starter bank is being charged from the inverter, then I can never catch that mode of charge. When I see the chassis bank get down to 12.2 or so, I will flip the disconnect and usually will put my regular car battery charger on that bank just to bring it up. I had some one tell me from another thread that the inverter/charger should be charging both banks at the same time. Is that correct? I'm trying to find that info in the manual and cannot. I have the RV-30D Charge Controller with a TRACE RC7 GS Remote Controller, Model RV3012.

lonestarace · 01-10-2012, 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonGott

I have an 01' Signature and the inverter seems to be only charging the house batteries. I have been in the garage dozens of times with the coach plugged into the 110 outlet and have witnessed only the house batteries going thru the charging cyle. Once complete, the inverter does not switch over and go thru a charge cycle on the engine batteries. When the bus is outside and in the sun, the solar panel will charge both and while the engine is running I will get a charge. What do you think it is?

Thanks
Don

DonGott:
You don't have a BIRD, you have a Lambert Enterprise Inc battery maintainer. Lambert is out of business. There is a picture of it in Sec.9 p. 227 of your owners manual. There is description of how the unit works in Sec.9 page 231 of your owners manual.

You can easily replace your Lambert maintainer with a Trik-L-Start http://www.triklstart.com/ for about $54

We hope this helps.