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Old 04-15-2020, 05:42 PM   #1
Apalinto
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Keeping my batteries charged with solar panel

Hello to the group. So while staying isolated I thought I would bring our Cougar 315RLS home from storage for a wash and wax and my batteries were dead. 2 deep cycle 6 volt interstates wired in series that I had switched off last August. So I brought my batteries home for servicing and charging.

I am about to pull the trigger on a 10 watt mini solar panel and utilize an adapter cable to connect the SAE plug from the solar panel to the Furrion plug inlet on the trailer which is already wired to my batteries. I am wondering if anyone in the group has any feedback on this project?

I really like the panel listed below because it has an integrated controller and I can easily bolt it to my motorcycle rack which has great exposure to the sun while in storage and easily plug the cable to my side access Furrion plug.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XNZZHK5...v_ov_lig_dp_it

https://www.amazon.com/ACOPOWER-Adap...6998528&sr=8-2

Appreciate your feedback. Hope you are all well and staying safe. Hopefully we will be back on the road enjoying our rigs soon! Cheers!
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Old 04-15-2020, 06:08 PM   #2
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Can't help you with the solar question, but...

When you say "switched off," do you mean with the Keystone "disconnect switch" that doesn't actually disconnect everything and still drains your battery? The only sure way to switch off is to install your own switch on the battery cable, or just remove the cable. And even if you do disconnect the batteries completely, they can still eventually discharge.

If my rig is in storage and isn't plugged into shore power, I take the battery with me and keep it on a tender.
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Old 04-15-2020, 06:49 PM   #3
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I see several issues, one is letting the batteries set for 10 months unattended and unmaintained. I pretty sure they are destroyed. If the disconnect you used is the factory installed one then it doesn't completely disconnect all parasitic loads so that will discharge the batteries completely and destroy them. Lastly, you need to add a zero to that solar charger. I don't see 10 watts as sufficient, might be enough for a small battery for a riding mower. With a charger (solar, 120vac trickle charger or the trailers converter) you cannot walk away for 10 months and not check on the battery water level and check for corrosion on the terminals.
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Old 04-15-2020, 07:08 PM   #4
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Whatever kit you buy make sure to confirm the polarity of the kit matches the polarity of the plug before plugging into the Furrion plug.
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Old 04-15-2020, 07:11 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Apalinto View Post
Hello to the group. So while staying isolated I thought I would bring our Cougar 315RLS home from storage for a wash and wax and my batteries were dead. 2 deep cycle 6 volt interstates wired in series that I had switched off last August. So I brought my batteries home for servicing and charging.

I am about to pull the trigger on a 10 watt mini solar panel and utilize an adapter cable to connect the SAE plug from the solar panel to the Furrion plug inlet on the trailer which is already wired to my batteries. I am wondering if anyone in the group has any feedback on this project?

I really like the panel listed below because it has an integrated controller and I can easily bolt it to my motorcycle rack which has great exposure to the sun while in storage and easily plug the cable to my side access Furrion plug.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XNZZHK5...v_ov_lig_dp_it

https://www.amazon.com/ACOPOWER-Adap...6998528&sr=8-2

Appreciate your feedback. Hope you are all well and staying safe. Hopefully we will be back on the road enjoying our rigs soon! Cheers!
. I think 10 watts 3/4 amp will not keep your batteries alive. Disconnecting the ground wire will help .
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Old 04-15-2020, 07:24 PM   #6
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LHaven, first trailer with a switch and yes, it is the switch the trailer came with. I really thought that if it was all totally off. My one battery on my Premiere was so easy, i just disconnect one of the leads, so I will remember that going forward. It was totally unplanned to let the trailer sit so long but if this happens again, I'll just bring them home and maintain them off season.

flybouy, I'll see if I can find a higher watt solar panel, thanks for the tip. Fortunately, my batteries really took the charging well with zero error codes and putting out 14.2 volts. There was no corrosion and the acid was still covering all the cells. Hopefully, I dodged a bullet.
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Old 04-15-2020, 08:04 PM   #7
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You need to read the charts on how depleting a battery to zero affects their ability to charge and work for you. Totally depleting a battery, depending on brand/type, can literally destroy your battery ability to recharge and carry loads by 83+%. You need new batteries IMO if you want to depend on them.
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Old 04-15-2020, 08:24 PM   #8
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LHaven, first trailer with a switch and yes, it is the switch the trailer came with. I really thought that if it was all totally off.
So do a lot of people. For saaaaaaaaaaafety reasons, the propane/CO detector is always on. Aaaaaaand.. there goes your battery!
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Old 04-15-2020, 08:27 PM   #9
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KRumm, yes, I have read up on the polarity issues and I found a great video on YouTube on tracing the polarity and reading the pins in the Furrion plug. What I need to confirm are the leads coming from the panel. But I have heard of the Furrion pins being installed backwards on the batteries. I am thinking using a test light might resolve the polarity issues. Thanks.
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Old 04-15-2020, 09:09 PM   #10
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Thanks Sourdough, I'll take into my battery store to be tested. Hope they are OK, but if not, that will be a $200 lesson.
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Old 04-16-2020, 04:49 AM   #11
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So do a lot of people. For saaaaaaaaaaafety reasons, the propane/CO detector is always on. Aaaaaaand.. there goes your battery!
Yes, been discussed many times. Can't speak for Keystone but I'm "guessing" it's a safety (read liability) and perhaps other regulatory reasons. If you didn't install a battery cut off yourself, or remove the neg battery cable then the parasitic loads will drain the battery in a week or two.
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Old 11-26-2020, 08:10 AM   #12
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hi Alex,

Did you get that 10w panel on Amazon? I just had my used trailer delivered where it will be parked year round. As they close in winter, it will be sitting without power for 4 months in Kentucky moderately cold weather. I had found the same amazon items, then hunted posts here, but never saw what you decided? It sounds like this would be a great trickle charge set up versus taking my battery home -which I guess is not really that hard to do
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Old 11-26-2020, 08:29 AM   #13
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hi Alex,

Did you get that 10w panel on Amazon? I just had my used trailer delivered where it will be parked year round. As they close in winter, it will be sitting without power for 4 months in Kentucky moderately cold weather. I had found the same amazon items, then hunted posts here, but never saw what you decided? It sounds like this would be a great trickle charge set up versus taking my battery home -which I guess is not really that hard to do
A 10 watt solar panel would be a waste of money IMHO. At 10 watts it will produce less than 1 amp. That's at 10 watts. With the limited sun of winter (shorter days, lower angle of the sun) it might charge a couple of AAA batteries.

Take the battery home and connect it to a battery maintainer.
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Old 11-26-2020, 02:46 PM   #14
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thanks, Marshal, makes sense... i'm guessing something like this from amazon would be fine after I take the battery home?

https://www.amazon.com/BatteryMINDer...tag=rvshare-20

https://www.amazon.com/BatteryMINDer...tag=rvshare-20
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Old 11-26-2020, 03:04 PM   #15
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thanks, Marshal, makes sense... i'm guessing something like this from amazon would be fine after I take the battery home?

https://www.amazon.com/BatteryMINDer...tag=rvshare-20

https://www.amazon.com/BatteryMINDer...tag=rvshare-20
Yup, or Harbor Freight has the also. The one I use is a 5 amp but I also have a 2 amp unit that I use for the riding mower. The are basically the same but obviously one take longer. I use the smaller one on the mower as the battery is much smaller, lower capacity.
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Old 11-26-2020, 04:31 PM   #16
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Hi Big Bear Rick. I went with 30 AMP panel for my trickle charging project. Has been working great keeping my 2 6Volt batteries topped off. I just go out and check the levels on my batteries every month. I had to buy an extension SAE cable and a polarity plug that converted to my Furrion solar inlet plug.
https://imgur.com/a/9JwMY30
Found the panel on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/SUNER-POWER-W...SJ6CN183VTJJ6F
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Old 11-26-2020, 05:00 PM   #17
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Forgot to mention the links for the extension and the SAE/Furrion plug converter.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Old 11-26-2020, 10:02 PM   #18
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Correction: The Suner Solar Panel on Amazon is a 30 Watt Panel, not 30 Amp, Ha ha!
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Old 11-27-2020, 08:36 AM   #19
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hi Alex,

Did you get that 10w panel on Amazon? I just had my used trailer delivered where it will be parked year round. As they close in winter, it will be sitting without power for 4 months in Kentucky moderately cold weather. I had found the same amazon items, then hunted posts here, but never saw what you decided? It sounds like this would be a great trickle charge set up versus taking my battery home -which I guess is not really that hard to do
I'd urge you to verify that "since they're closed in the winter" Can you, during that time, even get access to your trailer? If the campground is closed, are the gates closed and nobody is permitted to be "wondering around the grounds".....

If you can't get to your trailer to check the battery fluid level, then even having a charger to keep batteries charged is not going to work.

I'd recommend that you verify whether you can even get to the trailer while the facility is closed before spending money on something that needs to be monitored periodically while in use......
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Old 11-29-2020, 09:17 AM   #20
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I'd urge you to verify that "since they're closed in the winter" Can you, during that time, even get access to your trailer? If the campground is closed, are the gates closed and nobody is permitted to be "wondering around the grounds".....

If you can't get to your trailer to check the battery fluid level, then even having a charger to keep batteries charged is not going to work.

I'd recommend that you verify whether you can even get to the trailer while the facility is closed before spending money on something that needs to be monitored periodically while in use......
Thanks for the info... i'm lucky that I can get off season access, as the maintenance guy lives close by, and will let someone in to check on something... but I totally forgot that I would need to check the fluid level a few times. As its about a 2 hour drive, I think the best will be to grab the battery and keep it in my basement on an AC trickle charge for the winter. Thanks to everyone for their input!.. have a safe winter ...
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