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01-23-2023, 10:58 AM
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#1
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Member
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 62
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12v solar panel
Harbor freight has a 1.5W 12V solar trickle charger ($14.99) that plugs into the cigarette lighter. Has anyone used one of the to keep the chassis battery charged when stored for a long period of time. I do drive my 2015 Winnebago Vista 31KE about every three weeks. Sometimes I have to use the house batteries to supplement the starting.
Thanks
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01-23-2023, 11:30 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2022
Posts: 247
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If your starter battery drains in 3 weeks I'd look for the cause of that before adding a trickle charger. The drain on your battery is probably more than the 100 MilliAmps this device would provide. Just my 2¢.
__________________
1999 Fleetwood Southwind 35S - F-53 chassis (formerly Model T) - V10
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01-23-2023, 11:33 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 2,858
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1.5W isn't enough to charge a cell phone, much less a truck battery especially when you factor the parasitic loads that are ultimately the cause of discharging chassis batteries. One of these "wouldn't hurt" but it won't help either. Bump that up to a 25W panel, and between limited insolation sitting on a dashboard during the winter season you're getting close to what you might need.
Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
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01-23-2023, 12:50 PM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,821
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My Itasca's chassis battery will last about 2 weeks before running down. First thing I tried was a 5 watt solar charger panel plugged into the cigarette lighter. I may have gotten a couple more days but that was about it. A 1.5 watt panel ain't gonna cut it.
I never did put an amp meter on it to see what the draw was. Connected to power now but if it wasn't, that would be the first thing I'd do to get an idea of how much solar is needed.
__________________
03 Itasca Sunova, Workhorse P32 with the 8.1 and 4L85-E
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01-23-2023, 01:18 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: MN
Posts: 2,849
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To make matters worse, you're going to get that 1.5 watts for about one hour of each day around noon on days when the sun is directly overhead. Somewhere on the equator, I think. For most of us in North America, that panel isn't going to do much at all.
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1993 Rockwood 28' Class C - Ford E-350 7.5L
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01-23-2023, 02:50 PM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2022
Posts: 247
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However Costco has a good battery maintenance panel for $100 right now.
https://www.costco.com/.product.1003..._Mailer_Starts
__________________
1999 Fleetwood Southwind 35S - F-53 chassis (formerly Model T) - V10
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01-23-2023, 04:00 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2021
Posts: 556
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I purchased a 7 watt panel from harbor freight for around $35 for our old motorhome. This seemed to work for us. But I utilized the factory battery disconnect. So there was no parasitic drain, just the natural battery discharge over time.
__________________
"A Man's Gotta Do What a man's Gotta Do"
2000 Fleetwood Southwind Storm 30H- Workhorse
2016 Prime Time Tracer 3150BHD
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01-23-2023, 05:54 PM
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#8
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Foxboro Ma.
Posts: 1,131
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If your looking to maintain 500 amp HR worth of battery you need a charger that puts out someplace over 8 amps for at least 4 hours a day . Anything less then this and your long term storage will result in needing new batterys.
__________________
2015 42' Redwood RL38 Morryde IS , disk brakes, 1920W of solar with Victron everything,5 Battleborn, 2024 GMC DRW 3500HD ,60 gallons of fuel in the bed,Hensley BD5 air ride hitch.
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01-24-2023, 09:11 AM
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#9
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Member
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 62
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Thanks everyone for the info. I do not have a chassis battery disconnect. I will probably put one on.
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01-24-2023, 09:35 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,246
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Paulie G
Thanks everyone for the info. I do not have a chassis battery disconnect. I will probably put one on.
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Here is one of the simplest ones for just $15...
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SBFKM5Y
If you happen to already have solar on your RV for your coach batteries, you can add a Trik-L-Start device and it will also keep your chassis battery charged.
Good luck!
Chris
__________________
2 x 2015 Thor Majestic 28a 30' Class C. Ford e450 v10. 500w solar. 2000w inverter. 200AH
2013 Coachmen Leprechaun 210QB 23' Class C. Ford e350 v10. 300w solar. 1100w inv. 220AH
*** Addicted to mods and tinkering ***
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