Post by Admin on Sept 17, 2018 21:33:57 GMT
Jun 20, 2018 2:46:11 GMT @calitow said:
I have a Casita travel trailer with a new battery installed last fall which has been in storage over the winter in mild northern CA climate. I installed the rover controller yesterday and it read 10V or with an over-discharged error. I plugged the trailer into shore power to charge the battery and the Rover controller read 13.3V. I unplugged the shore power and connected the 100W panel and let it do its thing for one day. 20 hours or so later, the controller is reading 10.8V. There is no draw on the battery to speak of. I'm not sure where to start troubleshooting. Faulty controller? Faulty battery?
Jun 20, 2018 3:41:37 GMT @calitow said:
Someone mentioned blocking diodes are required to prevent the trailer battery from draining through the solar panel at night. I don't know if my starter panel has these. The panel was plugged in overnight. I am going to plug into shore power again tonight to charge the battery with the panel disconnected and confirm the voltage is back up. I'll then watch the reading for a day or so on the controller to confirm it's steady, then plug the panel in during the daytime only.
Jun 20, 2018 11:47:50 GMT @rabird said:
calitow, it's not the controller/panel draining your battery, you already did that to the point it may not be recoverable.
yes, attempt to charge it and see it holds a charge with the charger off. likely toast.
if you did not disconnect the battery from the trailer's CO and propane detectors while in storage then you battery may no longer hold a charge.
You might consider taking the battery to an auto parts store that would charge and test it for free.
In the future, disconnect the battery while in storage and add the solar to keep it maintained at full charge.
Yes sir, You killed your battery... Buy a new one and next time unhook it completely....
Jun 20, 2018 14:39:13 GMT @calitow said:
Thanks all - the interesting thing is the original battery lasted 4 years and I never disconnected it and it went through cycles of total depletion. This battery (same type), if it really is toast, is responding a lot differently. Regardless, I will be disconnecting while in storage going forward.
My guess is something has changed... Have you added anything or had to replace anything in the past 5 years??
Jun 21, 2018 0:04:07 GMT @calitow said:
Nope. Someone on the Casita forum recommended plugging into shore power for 3 days, then check voltage. If it appears steady after a day off of shore power, then plug in the panel and monitor.
The factory-installed converter that charges the battery off the shore power apparently takes around that long on a discharged battery, so given that is known, it's probably a worthwhile test.
Jun 21, 2018 0:17:10 GMT @rabird said:
Just an FYI, most charge controllers have a better charge profile that the onboard converter charger. Yep solar charger only work in the sun and are generally limited in charge amps but it is voltage that is important. A onboard charger may use 13.6v constant but a solar charge controller tires to get to mid to upper 14v (based on battery type) and closer mimics the charging profile of battery makers.
You could search battery sufation and or equalization for attempted battery recovery. it can be a long process.
Jun 21, 2018 1:16:49 GMT @calitow said:
Thanks for the tip! The onboard converter is known to be crappy and I have had my eye on upgrading it which I should do sooner rather than later.