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12-26-2019, 06:03 PM
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#1
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Bridge City Texas
Posts: 262
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New 100 watt panel installed, need some reassurance
Some one please reassure me that with the solar feeding thru the charge controller attached to the house batteries won't harm my factory 12volt charger/12volt house fuse/breaker panel.
I understand when on shore power or running the gennie the solar has to be disconnected.
I'm just worried about back feeding into the stock charger & burning something out.
I'm new to tying into the 12 volt RV electrical.
Mikee
__________________
Mike, Stacy,Preston. Dutch & Artie, our German Short Haired Pointers
2021- View 24J, 2015 Jeep Wrangler toad
10/18/19 Dutch has passed but still travels with us in our hearts :(
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12-26-2019, 06:08 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: MN
Posts: 2,809
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"I understand when on shore power or running the gennie the solar has to be disconnected."
This statement is throwing me. My solar is connected all of the time. Never a problem.
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1993 Rockwood 28' Class C - Ford E-350 7.5L
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12-26-2019, 06:12 PM
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#3
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Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: SoCal
Posts: 15,749
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Solar controller is just a battery charger. Muliple chargers connected at the same time is ok.
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Vince and Susan
2011 Tiffin Phaeton 40QTH (Cummins ISC/Freightliner)
Flat towing a modified 2005 Jeep (Rubicon Wrangler)
Previously a 2002 Fleetwood Pace Arrow 37A and a 1995 Safari Trek 2830.
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12-26-2019, 06:12 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Kamloops, BC, 60 miles from the Center of the Universe according to the Rinpoche, of the SF monks.
Posts: 7,321
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You have nothing to worry about there.
On a good day, you might get close to 100 watts.
Most likely you will only see 50-75 watts because of the angle the sun will hit the panel.
The batteries will be up enough in voltage that most likely the charge controller will have cut off anyway if you are hooked to shore power and your charger is going.
Happy Glamping.
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Happy Glamping, Norman & Elna. 2008 Winnebago Adventurer 38J, W24, dozens of small thirsty ponies. Retired after 40 years wrenching on trucks! 2010 Ford Ranger toad with bicycles or KLR 650 in the back. Easy to spot an RVer, they always walk around with a screwdriver or wrench in one hand!
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12-26-2019, 07:25 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Bridge City Texas
Posts: 262
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BobbyF
BobbyF
The way I read it. If you don't have an automatic disconnect on your electrical when on AC power the 2 chargers or Inverter will fight themselves.
I think the way it was explained.. Inverter try's to charge the batteries while at the same time the AC voltage tells the onboard charger to charge the batteries.
Then the solar is trying to charge also.
I think if it's a factory install the auto disconnect is already there.
Mine doesn't have any solar from the factory.
Just a big electrical circle is created.
Hope that makes some kind of sense.
Mikee
__________________
Mike, Stacy,Preston. Dutch & Artie, our German Short Haired Pointers
2021- View 24J, 2015 Jeep Wrangler toad
10/18/19 Dutch has passed but still travels with us in our hearts :(
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12-26-2019, 07:32 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Bridge City Texas
Posts: 262
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Unplanned.....
Going to add another 100 or 120 watt panel in the near future. I have another Harbor freight 45 watt I may add to the system just for a little more juice . It's not very efficient but I bought it 4 years ago. Been out of the box once. Planning to do some dry camping this year. Also need to find a place for 2 more batteries, only 2 right now. The big pusher we used to have had 4,-6 volt batteries.
Thanks for the reply.
Mikee
__________________
Mike, Stacy,Preston. Dutch & Artie, our German Short Haired Pointers
2021- View 24J, 2015 Jeep Wrangler toad
10/18/19 Dutch has passed but still travels with us in our hearts :(
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12-26-2019, 07:39 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 2,807
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There is no "fighting" of smart charge controllers (or even dumb ones to a point). As the batteries charge their voltage increases which pushes against the charging current slowing it down. Charging controller don't know the difference between battery voltage going up or another charger putting a higher voltage on the system. Bottom line is, when the batteries are fully charged whether they get the charging current from 1 or 3 chargers, any chargers connected to the battery should go into "float mode" which maintains the charged batteries voltage but doesn't really force any charging current down the batteries throat; so everybody will be happy at about 13 VDC.
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12-26-2019, 08:06 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: MN
Posts: 2,809
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Ah, I think I get what you're talking about.
I use the "fool your system into thinking inverter power is shore power" hookup. Many people do. I plug my shore power cord into the inverter when I'm off shore power. Everything then runs from the solar-charged-batteries-to-the-inverter just as if you're on shore power. No additional outlets or circuits needed.
So, I always unplug my converter-charger from the inverter power when I'm NOT plugged into shore power or the generator - i.e., when I'm using the inverter - so that I'm not running my converter to charge my batteries to power my inverter to run my converter to charge my batteries to . . .
I think this is what you're talking about.
This guy explains it better than I can:
How to Disconnect the Converter Charger Automatically When Using an Inverter - RV With Tito
If you don't do this, you won't damage anything, but you will slowly drain your batteries.
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1993 Rockwood 28' Class C - Ford E-350 7.5L
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12-26-2019, 09:50 PM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Chetwynd, BC
Posts: 293
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Wow, that's pretty complex and a lot of unnecessary work. As others have said, each charger will back down at their high side voltage regulator set points. No need to disconnect anything.
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Brentw
3500 Duramax dually
Fuzion 325 Toy Hauler with a GL1800 Goldwing
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12-26-2019, 10:03 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2018
Posts: 2,812
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You can't believe many things you see on utube. My inverter/charger is on all the time, and my solar through the solar controllers are on all the time, [in the daytime anyway]. Battery SOC will tell controllers or chargers to reduce current and/or voltage automatically.
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Foretravel tag axle 40 ft. 500 hp/1550 ft/lbs ism 1455 watts on the roof. 600 a/h's lithium down below.
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12-26-2019, 10:13 PM
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#11
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Forest River Owners Club
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 3,325
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As already stated they all just work together .. assuming they are all set the same. There is no backfeeding .. panels/ controllers prevent that. Your overthinking it, there are no issues
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2023 Coachmen Encore 325SS
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12-26-2019, 10:30 PM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: MN
Posts: 2,809
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"My inverter/charger is on all the time . . ."
What I'm describing doesn't apply if you have a combo inverter/charger - only when you have them as two separate units. Like I do - like many do. Not sure how class A's work - I have a C.
And then, it definitely applies.
It's not a backfeed issue - it's a matter of setting up a charging/discharging loop that, because of inefficiencies, slowly kills your battery charge. It's a variation of the perpetual-motion-machine problem.
This might not be what the OP was speaking of, but it's the only situation close to what he was describing that I can think of.
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1993 Rockwood 28' Class C - Ford E-350 7.5L
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12-26-2019, 10:51 PM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 35,349
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobby F
"My inverter/charger is on all the time . . ."
What I'm describing doesn't apply if you have a combo inverter/charger - only when you have them as two separate units. Like I do - like many do. Not sure how class A's work - I have a C.
And then, it definitely applies.
It's not a backfeed issue - it's a matter of setting up a charging/discharging loop that, because of inefficiencies, slowly kills your battery charge. It's a variation of the perpetual-motion-machine problem.
This might not be what the OP was speaking of, but it's the only situation close to what he was describing that I can think of.
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You are talking about charging you batteries with the batteries, a effort doomed to fail.
The OP is talking about charging batteries with 2 independent charging systems, something that is fine, and done all the time.
Solar controllers, engine alternators and 120 volt battery chargers are all voltage regulated. There is no danger of overcharging your batteries or damaging your equipment with them.
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12-26-2019, 11:33 PM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: MN
Posts: 2,809
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"You are talking about charging you batteries with the batteries, a effort doomed to fail."
Yep. Exactly.
"The OP is talking about charging batteries with 2 independent charging systems, something that is fine, and done all the time."
Okay. That's what threw me. I couldn't see what he was worried about, so I found my own problem. Thanks.
__________________
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1993 Rockwood 28' Class C - Ford E-350 7.5L
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