Hello Fun
Firstly- please excuse the long explanation- I thought I’d tell everything to help with the replies.
Having just returned from our Chevy Chase European Adventure, I’ve been asking myself a few questions in relation to solar, hook up and batteries and would now appreciate your advice.
I have a tag axle Euramobil and when I bought it, it had 5 leisure batteries - all of different Ah size and makes.
When I decided to get solar, I changed all of the leisure batteries at the same time and bought Varta LFD90’s. (Why replace with 5 batteries? I have Mrs GAVLAD and mini GAVLAD who are clueless on power consumption and wanted to go places off grid but still enjoy the luxuries as much as possible)
3 x 100watt solar panels plus a Solar charge controller fit.
My Euramobil is fitted with a CBE battery charger (16a) which when on hook up charges the leisure batteries and trickles the vehicle battery once the leisure batteries hit a certain voltage.
This is augmented by a CTEK mxs25 charger - as the CBE wouldn’t be up to the job on its own.
So, over the winter, my vehicle battery wasn’t keeping its charge.
I ended up replacing the original fit Fiat battery (9yr old) with a Varta 110ah.
Within a week of fitting the new vehicle battery, it was flat.
I took it off and charged it at home and had it tested and it was ok.
I put it down to the Growler alarm and other vehicle items (as everything else was off) and poor light (via solar).
On holiday, all was ok with both sets of batteries until on site in Italy when the site electrics went down for everyone.
When it came back on, I was showing as having over 15 volts on the panel plus the Solar charge controller was alarming.
I ended up pulling the fuse on the solar to reset it. I think there must have been some kind of spike.
For the rest of the holiday, this became a regular occurrence if we plugged into EHU.
When off EHU, the leisure batteries would fall to around 12.2v.
So I’m home now and I’ve just checked the batteries and the leisure bank is showing 14.3v and vehicle 13.8v - with Sid of Solar and not on EHU.
Going forward, I’m considering moving the Solar charge controller as it’s located under the seat and with the bed made it, I found it a bind to get to it to mute the alarm.
Whilst thinking about this I thought I may as well address the winter issue of charging the vehicle battery as I don’t want to resort not switching on the alarm to avoid a flat battery again.
My questions are:
1) Should I fit a battery master or should I buy another solar charge controller and re wire the 3 solar panels to have 2 going to the leisure and 1 dedicated to the vehicle battery?
2) I have read mixed reports about the battery master but that would probably be the easiest fix of the two. For those who don’t recommend them, why not?
3) Also, if I am to move the Solar charge controller- say into an overhead locker, is there any issues with joining the cables (junction box/terminals etc) or does it have to be one continuous cable?
4) Also, does the controller need to be near to the leisure batteries?
5) And finally, by having a dedicated solar panel and controller to the vehicle battery, is that acceptable?
Photo of existing set up. Note there’s a false floor under the seat which reveals the leisure battery box - which I’ve taken the lid off for this photo. I didn’t have to take the false floor up or lid off to mute the alarm.
Thanks everyone
Firstly- please excuse the long explanation- I thought I’d tell everything to help with the replies.
Having just returned from our Chevy Chase European Adventure, I’ve been asking myself a few questions in relation to solar, hook up and batteries and would now appreciate your advice.
I have a tag axle Euramobil and when I bought it, it had 5 leisure batteries - all of different Ah size and makes.
When I decided to get solar, I changed all of the leisure batteries at the same time and bought Varta LFD90’s. (Why replace with 5 batteries? I have Mrs GAVLAD and mini GAVLAD who are clueless on power consumption and wanted to go places off grid but still enjoy the luxuries as much as possible)
3 x 100watt solar panels plus a Solar charge controller fit.
My Euramobil is fitted with a CBE battery charger (16a) which when on hook up charges the leisure batteries and trickles the vehicle battery once the leisure batteries hit a certain voltage.
This is augmented by a CTEK mxs25 charger - as the CBE wouldn’t be up to the job on its own.
So, over the winter, my vehicle battery wasn’t keeping its charge.
I ended up replacing the original fit Fiat battery (9yr old) with a Varta 110ah.
Within a week of fitting the new vehicle battery, it was flat.
I took it off and charged it at home and had it tested and it was ok.
I put it down to the Growler alarm and other vehicle items (as everything else was off) and poor light (via solar).
On holiday, all was ok with both sets of batteries until on site in Italy when the site electrics went down for everyone.
When it came back on, I was showing as having over 15 volts on the panel plus the Solar charge controller was alarming.
I ended up pulling the fuse on the solar to reset it. I think there must have been some kind of spike.
For the rest of the holiday, this became a regular occurrence if we plugged into EHU.
When off EHU, the leisure batteries would fall to around 12.2v.
So I’m home now and I’ve just checked the batteries and the leisure bank is showing 14.3v and vehicle 13.8v - with Sid of Solar and not on EHU.
Going forward, I’m considering moving the Solar charge controller as it’s located under the seat and with the bed made it, I found it a bind to get to it to mute the alarm.
Whilst thinking about this I thought I may as well address the winter issue of charging the vehicle battery as I don’t want to resort not switching on the alarm to avoid a flat battery again.
My questions are:
1) Should I fit a battery master or should I buy another solar charge controller and re wire the 3 solar panels to have 2 going to the leisure and 1 dedicated to the vehicle battery?
2) I have read mixed reports about the battery master but that would probably be the easiest fix of the two. For those who don’t recommend them, why not?
3) Also, if I am to move the Solar charge controller- say into an overhead locker, is there any issues with joining the cables (junction box/terminals etc) or does it have to be one continuous cable?
4) Also, does the controller need to be near to the leisure batteries?
5) And finally, by having a dedicated solar panel and controller to the vehicle battery, is that acceptable?
Photo of existing set up. Note there’s a false floor under the seat which reveals the leisure battery box - which I’ve taken the lid off for this photo. I didn’t have to take the false floor up or lid off to mute the alarm.
Thanks everyone
