Solar Panels and battery drainage

[stlrswvu]

I am hoping someone can help me.

I have a new 2022 Keystone Sprinter 31TB with 400w of solar installed at the factory.

I just parked the camper at the storage lot (outside in sunshiny Florida) two weeks ago. I shut off the house power and only have the solar on. I shut everything off inside and outside the camper.

When I stopped by the check on the camper the batteries were drained. The power on the auto leveler wouldn’t even come on.

My question is what is wrong? The batteries were fully charged when I parked the camper two weeks ago. With the amount of sunshine in FL and nothing on in the camper, I would think the 400W of solar panels (two 200 watt panels) should be able to keep the battery charged. At least to a level where I can get enough power to operate the auto leveler.

Please help and let me know if so am in left field.

Thank you

Scott

[chuckster57]

Sounds like the solar isn’t working. You need to find the solar controller and verify things are working. There may be a fuse in the positive lead from the solar, and it may be blown.

[JRTJH]

Since it's a "new trailer", I'd first ask, "Has the solar system ever worked in the past" ???? If it was just recently picked up, the dealer may not have connected the solar system to the batteries so it will NEVER charge them, or, someone may have accidently turned the solar system off ??? There are at least two "on/off switches" that could disable the system. One is on the solar controller and one on the "giggy box". If either is off, the solar system is disconnected from the batteries.

So, did it work in the past? and Is the system turned on ???

[stlrswvu]

Originally Posted by chuckster57

Sounds like the solar isn’t working. You need to find the solar controller and verify things are working. There may be a fuse in the positive lead from the solar, and it may be blown.

Thank you, Chuckster

I have the smartSolar controller installed by factory. When I went this afternoon it was bright and sunny and only the one light on the right side of controller was illuminated. I will head back over and also check the fuse.

Thanks
Scott

[NH_Bulldog]

If the solar was working as it should, it would not have drained your batteries even with the coach fully energized. Since your batteries were completely discharged, are they lithium or lead acid? Lithium can handle complete discharge, other types will be ruined. Even with the battery disconnect turned, there are still parasitic loads in the camper that cannot be isolated, so without shore power or working solar, the batteries will drain within a few days to a week.

[stlrswvu]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Since it's a "new trailer", I'd first ask, "Has the solar system ever worked in the past" ???? If it was just recently picked up, the dealer may not have connected the solar system to the batteries so it will NEVER charge them, or, someone may have accidently turned the solar system off ??? There are at least two "on/off switches" that could disable the system. One is on the solar controller and one on the "giggy box". If either is off, the solar system is disconnected from the batteries.

So, did it work in the past? and Is the system turned on ???

Hi JRTJH

The camper is new. Well I purchased in in August of 22 but I took it out one weekend right after we picked up. There were some issues and the camper was at Campibg World until beginning of April. So, I really consider the end of April weekend trip to be my first. Plus I was on shore power. This is the first time the camper has been parked in the storage lot. I did verify the solar controller is on. The house control is off and everything in the camper is off. I am not sure what the “giggly box” is.

Thanks

Scott

[stlrswvu]

Originally Posted by NH_Bulldog

If the solar was working as it should, it would not have drained your batteries even with the coach fully energized. Since your batteries were completely discharged, are they lithium or lead acid? Lithium can handle complete discharge, other types will be ruined. Even with the battery disconnect turned, there are still parasitic loads in the camper that cannot be isolated, so without shore power or working solar, the batteries will drain within a few days to a week.

Hi NH_Bulldog

They are lead acid. After the camper sitting at dealership for eight months they did install two brand new batteries before Inpucked it up at the end of April.

If the batteries are dead I guess solar isn’t working. Now to figure out why. It is still under warranty it I hate to take it back to dealership as they had it 8 months the last time I took it in.

Thanks
Scott

[JRTJH]

Scott

I understand your reluctance to take the trailer back to the dealership after they had it for such a long time. The "Giggy Box" (on travel trailers) is the same as the "Brock Box" on fifth wheels. It is explained in the owner's manual and there's a link to a page on the Keystone website that further explains its function and how to use it.

The function of the Giggy/Brock boxes is to hold the circuit breakers from the battery to the trailer 12 volt wiring and to provide a "complete shutoff switch" for the batteries. If that switch is off, your batteries are disconnected from the trailer and with the solar controller off, they are also disconnected from the solar charging system....

On trailers, it is usually under the front of the trailer, between the A frame members on the first bulkhead. On fifth wheels, it typically in the front compartment, just behind the pinbox. Here's a part of the explanation that's in the owner's manual. Hope it helps some.

[stlrswvu]

Originally Posted by JRTJH

Scott

I understand your reluctance to take the trailer back to the dealership after they had it for such a long time. The "Giggy Box" (on travel trailers) is the same as the "Brock Box" on fifth wheels. It is explained in the owner's manual and there's a link to a page on the Keystone website that further explains its function and how to use it.

The function of the Giggy/Brock boxes is to hold the circuit breakers from the battery to the trailer 12 volt wiring and to provide a "complete shutoff switch" for the batteries. If that switch is off, your batteries are disconnected from the trailer and with the solar controller off, they are also disconnected from the solar charging system....

On trailers, it is usually under the front of the trailer, between the A frame members on the first bulkhead. On fifth wheels, it typically in the front compartment, just behind the pinbox. Here's a part of the explanation that's in the owner's manual. Hope it helps some.

Thank you very much.

The. Bro I Box looks like the switch to shut off “house power”. It is in the front compartment (behind the pin) behind the batteries mounted on the wall. It is right next to my solar panel controller. With my travel trailer (didn’t have solar on the roof). I just had solar I plugged in to the side with one panel to keep the battery charged. I always turned the battery disconnect (house power) off when I stored the camper.

On the 5th wheel (my first one) I did the same. Shut off the house power. I did leave the solar controller on because dealership said it would t charge the batteries if I turned it off.

However, when I went to check on the camper today and noticed batteries were dead (I checked to see if auto leveler would power on) I turned back on house power to see if that was the issue. I didn’t think it was, but still wanted to try.

I just don’t know enough about this camper (a 5th wheel) yet to do any good troubleshooting. I should know a lot about it but the dealership having it for eight months took that time away from me.

Thank you again for all of your help. I will go over to storage tomorrow and start looking at fuses. I guess I should also check to make sure the dealership hooked back up the solar to the battery when they replaced them.

Thanks
Scott