Leisure Battery Solar Charging

[Nigel L]

Have an Auto-Trail V-Line 635SE, which has 2 leisure batteries and a solar panel.
We are due to go away tomorrow, after what seems an age, so have been checking the van over this morning.
The solar panel normally keeps the batteries topped up nicely, so never normally bother putting hook up on When at home.
This morning when checking the control panel, it’s states 12.6 V (fair). Go to the solar panel box to make sure it hadn’t been switched off, and no, it was as it should be.
The green light is on the box, but no other lights are on

I have put it on hook up and the other amber light is now on, as it should be

On the control panel, it normally states after the voltage figure in brackets (charging) but there was nothing in the control panel, until I hooked up.
so, it would appear that everything is ok on Hook up, but not when on solar.
have cleaned the solar panel, and it’s brilliant sunshine here today.
anyone got any ideas?
Many thanks.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

Check the solar output with a multimeter to give you an idea that they are producing a charge. I don't have your set up but the green light would indicate it's charging .Whilst you are checking the solar output ,check the leisure battery is ok.unhook the ehu and check the state of the battery.with just the solar ,don't rely on the control panel readings.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

It's not unheard of for that switch - leisure / vehicle to have been connected the wrong way round. But it does mean your solar charges either the vehicle (engine) battery or leisure (habitation) batteries, not both together.

For the basic lead-acid banner batteries of the Autotrail V-Line series 12.6V is a good charge. The overdoor control panel LED display is not a good indicator of this, I have no idea why it's calibrated as "fair" when effectively 12.6V is close to a full charge. It's as if the display was expecting a better (different type) battery than is actually fitted.

 

[Nigel L]

It's not unheard of for that switch - leisure / vehicle to have been connected the wrong way round. But it does mean your solar charges either the vehicle (engine) battery or leisure (habitation) batteries, not both together.

For the basic lead-acid banner batteries of the Autotrail V-Line series 12.6V is a good charge. The overdoor control panel LED display is not a good indicator of this, I have no idea why it's calibrated as "fair" when effectively 12.6V is close to a full charge. It's as if the display was expecting a better (different type) battery than is actually fitted.

Yes indeed, it was wired the wrong way round in our previous van. This one is wired the right way round
it was just the fact that in brilliant sunshine it didn’t register as ‘charging’ on the control panel when just on solar, but when on ehu, show’s charging in the control panel. As you say, 12.6V may be fully charged then, and I’m worrying unnecessarily.
as you can probably gather anything electrical goes straight over my head

 

[Carpmart]

12.6 is okay, particularly if it’s chilly still where you are?

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[jezport]

Should be registering a charge if the sun is on it. Check voltage from panel by disconnecting ithe +ve panel connection at the regulator. 1f you are seeing a good voltage.
Then disconnect the battery +ve and leave for a few minutes to reset. Reconnect battery +ve first, then panel+ve. Then see if its working.

 

[GeoffnDee]

When not on EHU , with the green solar controller light on, showing solar active , I would expect the battery charge status lights to illuminate to show the state of charge in the selected battery. (leisure / starter), It seems that power is getting to the controller (green light) but not leaving it (status lights not on) The fact that the status lights work on EHU would indicate that the controller to leisure battery connection is ok, what happens when vehicle battery is selected on the solar switch ?

 

[Lenny HB]

For the basic lead-acid banner batteries of the Autotrail V-Line series 12.6V is a good charge

Thats not right it should go up to 14.4v before dropping to a float charge of 13.8v.

 

[Kannon Fodda]

Thats not right it should go up to 14.4v before dropping to a float charge of 13.8v.

I had read the OP's post as being the standing voltage on the battery system when charging wasn't taking place.

 

[Lenny HB]

I had read the OP's post as being the standing voltage on the battery system when charging wasn't taking place.

he is showing a photo of the solar in charging mode.
If it had just been standing overnight 12.6v would be a tad low I would expect at least 12.8/12.9v.

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[Kannon Fodda]

he is showing a photo of the solar in charging mode.
If it had just been standing overnight 12.6v would be a tad low I would expect at least 12.8/12.9v.

Sorry to be a pedant but there is two photos, first shows solar activity, but no charge on battery, second shows a battery charge.

Before I fitted lithium and other changes, the lead-acid Banner standard Autotrail thingy on my V-Line 540SE (a smaller panel van than the OP's but which I expect from wiring diagrams had exactly the same kit, and certainly the same solar panel controller), the display for resting never got higher than 12.6V on a brand new battery. As you have regularly stated elsewhere, British vans often have woefully thin cables, and I expect that contributes to some voltage drop.

 

[Lenny HB]

Sorry to be a pedant but there is two photos, first shows solar activity, but no charge on battery, second shows a battery charge.

Before I fitted lithium and other changes, the lead-acid Banner standard Autotrail thingy on my V-Line 540SE (a smaller panel van than the OP's but which I expect from wiring diagrams had exactly the same kit, and certainly the same solar panel controller), the display for resting never got higher than 12.6V on a brand new battery. As you have regularly stated elsewhere, British vans often have woefully thin cables, and I expect that contributes to some voltage drop.

The OP could be taken either way without clarification.
Cable size shouldn't have any effect on standing voltage would only cause a volt drop under load.
I think it was you that said the V Line only had a single stage charger that only took the battery to 13.8v. If so the battery would never see a full charge and that alone would be enough to wright a battery off in a couple of years.

 

[Guigsy]

Even with brilliant sunshine, you still aren't going to get a lot of charge at this time of year. The sun is just too low in the sky during the winter for a panel that's facing up. In Cambridgeshire today, the sun reached an elevation of 17 degrees at midday.

I've got ~180w of solar and my van is parked in the shadow of a tall building for much of the day. I'm lucky to get 10w out of it at the moment for about 20 minutes. Then it drops off to almost nothing. It's not enough to maintain my leisure battery. I have to drive it or plug in every couple of weeks.

 

[Nigel L]

So, been away for four nights now, all off grid and everything seems normal. Think van was just throwing a wobbly as it hadn’t been used for a while
Showing good figures

and both green and amber lights on

After a night with the heating on low all night (temp was -2 outside) and lights on etc, figure fell to 12.4

With a drive onto our next stop today, will charge up again nicely.
So, what’s the lowest figure you shouldn’t let the battery go under? Is 12.4 still ok?