Community Forums

Searching_Ut · 02-28-2018, 07:21 PM

Your system should work out pretty good for you. Having a lot of experience with batteries and chargers over the years, I'm a big fan of the Bogart SC2030 trimetric combination. It's about perfect for lead acid batteries. When you get it installed you'll want to program the Trimetric for 4 stage charging, which does wonders for getting a full charge into your batteries in a short solar day. Especially since you're using a temperature sensor you'll want to make sure and program in a max voltage limit that doesn't exceed the max voltage specs on things in your trailer. For me that's the Norcold refrigerator with a 15.4vdc max. I limit my system to 15.3.

When you're ready to program the system if you go to the bogart Engineering web page support section they have a section on SC-2030 charging parameters where you punch in the specifics of your system and it provides the numbers you'll want to program into your trimetric.

Motor7 · 03-01-2018, 05:43 AM

Thanks, setting up the charge parameters does seem a little intimidating. I will take a look at the fridge max voltage, as I never thought about that.

On another note, the TPO rubber roof over Luan gives no bite to the self tapper screws that came with the Renogy panel brackets, so I am going to replace them all with Stainless Steel #4 or #6 x 3/4 Pan Head sheet metal screws.

I am also looking into installing some kind of Moly Bolt in the center of each bracket since I have read a few stories on the net about panels taking flight while on the road in high winds. We go from TN to Manitoba once or twice a year and the winds out in the Dakotas can be epic. I found a thread reference using a rivet gun to install common Molys to keep them from spinning, but I'm not sure how that works:

https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/f...print/true.cfm

If anyone has some Moly tricks or another way to anchor the brackets, post 'em here

RasMouSein · 03-01-2018, 06:22 AM

Maybe build a sub-frame to attach to the frame of the roof ?

Motor7 · 03-01-2018, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RasMouSein

Maybe build a sub-frame to attach to the frame of the roof ?

Good idea, but too late, as 2 of three panels are already down using the individual brackets. I found some Stainless Moly's in fleabay from chi-na, so I ordered them....kinda curious to see if they are actually Stainless....lol.

RasMouSein · 03-01-2018, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Motor7

Good idea, but too late, as 2 of three panels are already down using the individual brackets. I found some Stainless Moly's in fleabay from chi-na, so I ordered them....kinda curious to see if they are actually Stainless....lol.

Molly, I google that. That's a great option. They are probably zinc coated ?

Motor7 · 03-01-2018, 12:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RasMouSein

Molly, I google that. That's a great option. They are probably zinc coated ?

I have only ever seen zinc coated, so yeah I will be surprised if they actually are stainless.
Anytime a screw or bolt comes off the exterior of my rig, it gets, replaced with stainless. And new add-ons are always stainless too....I hate rusty hardware.

Motor7 · 03-02-2018, 06:19 PM

Sun-z-out...........progress today. I dropped a 550 para cord with a large nut on it down the fridge vent cap. I then found a ready made hole leading to the area under the fridge, which leads to the chase under the cabinets and sink. So, I fished the 6ga duplex wire through there all the way to the entry door wall. From there I had to drill a 1/2" hole down into the storage compartment, Then through a double steel wall to get to the battery area under the entry steps.

Once I had one end of the duplex in the battery compartment, I taped the 500 para cord to the duplex and pulled it up through the fridge vent cap on the roof. I know it sounds complicated, but it's not really. You will need a 90 degree angle attachment for your drill due to the small spaces where you have to make a hole. Now, all my wires are run, so next is to install the Bogart charger and monitor.

I am sorry about the pic's but the forum does not make this easy since i can't use a third party host.....but I'll get them done when I can..........

cruzbill · 03-03-2018, 01:42 PM

Don't forget snap in bushings where your wire penetrates any steel (or any wall structure, for that matter)

https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-2-in-S...7251/202077082

Motor7 · 03-03-2018, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cruzbill

Don't forget snap in bushings where your wire penetrates any steel (or any wall structure, for that matter)

https://www.homedepot.com/p/1-2-in-S...7251/202077082

10-4 will do.

Motor7 · 03-03-2018, 04:04 PM

The TM-2030 and SC-2030 are all installed. Fishing wires took a good bit of time and the battery box space is limited, so it was slow going there too. Just as I was buttoning up the entry steps where the battery's live, FedEx pulled up....yep the third panel has arrived!

I installed the new panel, and it's definitely not the same as the Renogy....will test individual output later and compare. I bought the waterproof M4 connector crimping tool and only had to build the two ends at the 6ga termination point.

I fired up the panels then tried to program the TM-2030....am I the only one that finds Bogarts instructions confusing? Each 6v Trojan is 210 amp hours @ 20 hrs so if they are in series(which they are) then I enter 210 in the P3 mode. So, now how do I lock that in? I thought I had it set, then I go back and it's on the default....220...what the?

Motor7 · 03-07-2018, 06:46 AM

I left it parked in the sun for two full days of sun. Peak voltage showing was 13.9, however it never showed fully "charged". I backed it back into it's shed and plugged it in and still does not show fully charged.

Reading through the mountain of programing paperwork it repeats that this happens if something is left connected between battery's and shunt. There is nothing except the negative battery cable to my shunt, then all other neg connections to the other side of the shunt.

I set it up for 210 amps(that is each 6v's 20 capacity), and on the Trojan setting(#3 in P22). There has been zero load on the system, so is that why the battery's won't show full since the 2030 has not seen a drop in voltage yet?

RasMouSein · 03-07-2018, 07:11 AM

Can you confirm the voltage with a multimeter?
Maybe the sense wire are mixed.

Motor7 · 03-07-2018, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RasMouSein

Can you confirm the voltage with a multimeter?
Maybe the sense wire are mixed.

Will do, but I wrote it down when I ran the 4 strand 22 ga wire, then I triple checked it before plugging in the panels.

If I put it in "amp" mode and turn on the basement lights, it shows a little over a 1 Amp load.

cruzbill · 03-09-2018, 08:41 AM

Peak voltage, what peak voltage? A fully charged 12v battery is 12.6v. Are you looking at solar panel output peak voltage or peak voltage out of your solar controller? Are you seeing normal voltage drop due to wire size and length? Doesn't sound to me like anything is wrong.

BTW, don't expect much solar charging while the MH is in the shed!