Solar Panel Output

[Herb51]

anyone know what the direct output is for small solar panel on roof mu fluke meter reads -20 dc

[Jim_HiTek]

Those small roof mounted optional solar panels are 8 watts and 10 watts. Totally useless. The 20 volts is the open circuit voltage. After going through a Solar Controller, it's supplied to the batteries at ~14 volts. So using the wattage above, you could expect on a sunny day, 0.57 amps or 0.7 amps of charging. Totally worthless with today's big batteries in RVs.

The roof mounted small solar panels are basically a sales gimmick and virtually worthless. But the good news is that I have seen some manufacturers now days advertising a roof top solar panel as being optional and 100 watts. That's better...7.1 amps in full sun. That would do a lot to keep your Chassis battery charged while the RV is sitting during the off season.

You can check easily enough by reading the brochure for your model. That will list your solar panels wattage. And you can get a copy of that by googleing "brochure for Your brand and model".

[Herb51]

Originally Posted by Jim_HiTek

Those small roof mounted optional solar panels are 8 watts and 10 watts. Totally useless. The 20 volts is the open circuit voltage. After going through a Solar Controller, it's supplied to the batteries at ~14 volts. So using the wattage above, you could expect on a sunny day, 0.57 amps or 0.7 amps of charging. Totally worthless with today's big batteries in RVs.

The roof mounted small solar panels are basically a sales gimmick and virtually worthless. But the good news is that I have seen some manufacturers now days advertising a roof top solar panel as being optional and 100 watts. That's better...7.1 amps in full sun. That would do a lot to keep your Chassis battery charged while the RV is sitting during the off season.

You can check easily enough by reading the brochure for your model. That will list your solar panels wattage. And you can get a copy of that by googleing "brochure for Your brand and model".

guess that explains why it was unplugged better option for long down time might be a battery tender thanks for your help

[Jim_HiTek]

It's easiest to leave the RV plugged into shore power if you can...after verifying that you have a 'keep charged' circuit for the chassis batts. But if you can't, you can just disconnect the battery grounds from both sets or the grounds from the chassis batts and the middle jumper from the 6 volt set. I keep a wrench and a pair of gloves in the battery compartment just for that. That way the RV can sit for months and be ready to head out the morning after you plug back in to shore. OR, it'll start right up using the AUX switch on the dash and you can let the alternator top them off for you.

I see you're a senior member so you probably already know all this stuff but I'll leave it here for lurkers.

[The Driver]

TS coaches with Magnum inverters should NOT have the negative battery cable removed first...it creates a risk of damage in your circuitry as the inverter searches for a ground elsewhere.

Remove positive first.

[Airboss68]

Originally Posted by The Driver

TS coaches with Magnum inverters should NOT have the negative battery cable removed first...it creates a risk of damage in your circuitry as the inverter searches for a ground elsewhere.

Remove positive first.

It's tidbits of info like this that make cruising this forunmdaily a must.

[Herb51]

Originally Posted by Airboss68

It's tidbits of info like this that make cruising this forunmdaily a must.

thanks for tip I always seen to do the wrong thing first

[bsu fans]

Has anyone tried upgrading the solar panels and leaving the factor controller ?

[DanishDragon]

Sounds like a great Question