Solar Trickle Charger (1 Viewer)

Spidermonkey

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May 8, 2012
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back in uk for a while
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June 2012
Hi guys

Have had the MH in storage for a couple of months and the engine battery was flat when we went back to her. Managed to charge her off of the car after couple of hours, but does anyone recommend any solar trickle chargers to stop this happening again?

Thanks :helpsos:
 
Apr 27, 2008
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Eastbourne East Sussex
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Many of these sold are so low powered as to be useless.

I leave my Discovery parked at the MH storage facility when we are away, and this is notorious for running down it's battery. I bought a 10w panel of ebay and this I just leave on the roof with it's output connected into the permanently live pin on the 12S towing socket. It will produce a maximum of 0.5A so doesn't need a regulator and this seem sufficient to keep the battery topped up.

Panel like this one
Broken Link Removed

I used some magnetic selfadhesive strip on the panel to stop it getting blown off in a strong wind.
 

magicsurfbus

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Oct 11, 2010
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Pointless gadgets. I wired three of them together to try and keep the battery alive over winter and it was useless.

I have an 80 Watt solar panel on the MH roof that charges the leisure battery direct whilst in storage, and a home-made split relay circuit that puts any surplus into the engine battery. It only works up until about December, then I have to start taking the MH for a monthly spin, and bring it home for an EHU re-charge to keep the engine battery alive until about March. The leisure battery just about makes it through the winter on solar only, but the extra input certainly helps.

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pappajohn

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Aug 26, 2007
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as already said, the little dashtop ones are useless unless you are charging a mobile phone or similar.

They only provide a fraction of an amp in the best sun and the vans normal parasitic loads (alarm, radio memory etc) take more than that out the battery.

A minimum of 30watts MAY keep it topped up in winter....if the sun shines a bit each day.
 
Nov 4, 2011
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What make charging unit does your motorhome have, if it was a schaudt unit you can charge both battery's with there solar regulator.
 

Kool Kroozer

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Apr 19, 2014
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I purchased a small dash top solar panel (approx size is 15x8") as my engine battery kept going low/flat - not enough in it to turn the engine over :cry: it cost about £40 from Spinney Motorhomes and it worked a treat, as soon as i connected it all up the voltage was trickling up::bigsmile: - the last time i connected it the van had not been used for over 10 days and it fired straight up off the key instantly, (never gone that long without a start before) I have since found out that my engine battery was knackered and its been replaced by Peugeot under warranty, so even though my battery was a crock this solar panel still kept it charged to over 13.2v ready to start:thumb:

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cmcardle75

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Jun 8, 2012
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Hi guys

Have had the MH in storage for a couple of months and the engine battery was flat when we went back to her. Managed to charge her off of the car after couple of hours, but does anyone recommend any solar trickle chargers to stop this happening again?

Thanks :helpsos:

Try one of these:

Broken Link Removed

More effective than a tiny solar panel for keeping your battery from going flat over winter.

I actually use both. The 200W of panels do the leisure battery fine. The isolator suits the engine battery.
 
Jan 28, 2008
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Dovercourt, Harwich, UK
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7 years campers before that
if you have solar panels you can bridge the split charge relay with a fused link to charge both leisure and vehicle battery the fuses is there to blow if you try to start the van with the link in place

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RS_rob

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Dec 14, 2013
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over a Year Yay................
What make charging unit does your motorhome have, if it was a schaudt unit you can charge both battery's with there solar regulator.

Hmm...

Sorry to hijack this post but I was thinking of buying a large solar panel to top uo the battery when parked one of those £80 ebay jobys that dont need a regulator.

But having seen the above post I am now thinking that it may be possible to just connect the vehicle battery to 2nd battery slot in the solar charge box in the wardrobe.

would this sound about right ? I have no idea what make it is not until i look in the morning.
 

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