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Topic: Experience with van solar panels anyone?

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Paul_B

02/4/2016 at 4:22pm
Location: Yorkshire
Outfit: Car & Caravan

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I usually have at least 13.5 volts with my 50w solar panel, every so often it takes it up to almost 15 volts.

12.3v is poor and I suspect a poor controller

chrisandsandra

02/4/2016 at 5:37pm
Location: Somerset
Outfit: Murvi Morello

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I don't know if this is relevant as we've got a Panel Van Conversion, not a caravan, but the same thing happened to us recently. We have 140w of solar panels on the roof and fitted 2 new leisure batteries late last year.

Last week getting it ready for our first camping trip of the year we tried to turn the van electrics on and they were dead, even though the solar panel control unit was flashing saying that it was receiving a charge.

We took it to our local caravan repair shop where they thoroughly tested it and found that an inline blade fuse between the solar panel and the van controller had blown so fitted new one and everything is now back up and working.

I know it's not exactly the same set up but it may offer a clue to what is happening with yours.

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navver

02/4/2016 at 8:07pm
Location: West country
Outfit: Mondeo

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10A Dual Battery Charge Controller

10A Dual Battery Charge Controller

Product Code: STCC10

£34.99

0 reviews (0 reviews)

This is the tech spec of the controller.
The Float Charging Voltage is 13.8V 2hich is normal for a caravan charger.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Nominal System Voltage 12/24VDC (automatic system voltage recognition)
Battery Voltage Range 6-36V
Rated Battery Current 10A depending on model selected
Charge Circuit Voltage Drop ≤0.26V
Self-consumption ≤6mA
Temperature Compensation Coefficient -30mV/oC/12V(25o ref)
Over Voltage Disconnect Voltage 16V/32V
Charging Limit Voltage 15.5V/31V
Equalize Charging Voltage 14.6V/29.2V
Float Charging Voltage 13.8/27.2V
Operating temperature -35oC to +55oC
Overall dimensions 135 x 70 x 35mm
Mounting hole size (in case) 3.8mm
Terminals 6mm2
Net weight 155g

chrisn7

02/4/2016 at 11:49pm
Location: West Yorkshire
Outfit: Bessacarr Cameo 625 2011

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You can establish if the solar panel set up or the rest of the van has a fault. Get yourself a multi meter with an amps function.

If you have a shutdown switch such as on Swifts, use this to ensure everything is turned off (or supposed to be). Remove solar system fuse.

Disconnect the negative terminal to the battery, including any separate neg terminal for a motor mover.Set your meter to amps, and connect the black lead to the negative battery terminal, and the red to the negative cable you removed. Any reading and something is switched on or faulty.

Repeat process with just the motor mover neg cable, if fitted, to test that system. If this has no reading either, then the fault must be with the solar system

fleck2

03/4/2016 at 7:51am
Location: Derbyshire
Outfit: Elddis accordo Motorhome

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DC clamp meters are handy in this situation, put round one of the solar panel wires you can actually see what current is flowing. Less accurate than an inline multimeter for measuring tiny leakage currents but very handy.

JTQU

03/4/2016 at 8:25am
Location: Hampshire
Outfit: Hymer Nova S

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A very practical way to be able to check the current being put into the battery from the solar panel, and if there is any drain is to install one of these neat meters.

http://cpc.farnell.com/1/1/45554-tenma-ten01046-current-tester-automotive.html

For a lot more it can be purchased at Maplins:

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/400mm-automotive-current-tester-maxi-blade-n48cy

This device fits into the fuse holder and the displaced fuse goes into its probe, so keeping the fusing function.
Like this the system operates as normal whether or not you are using it for taking a reading, so it can be simply left in place. To take a reading it needs swithing on. It shows the current flowing and the direction that current is passing.
It is a great bit of kit to have in your tool box also.

PCCC

07/4/2016 at 5:45pm
Location: Worcestershire
Outfit: Coachman VIP 575 4 with BMW X3 3.0L

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I'm pleased to report that my Solar Panel Charger problem on my Coachman VIP 575/4 appears to have been fixed this afternoon (I will let you know in a weeks time if things are still looking good).
I am fortunate enough to live 20 minutes from Solar Technology and they agreed to send a Tech guy out to test things. My Dealer did not identify any faults when the caravan was in the workshop last week for a service plus trying to sort this fault; they clearly do not know how to test the Panel or the Control Unit. On its return from service I stored the caravan (outside) on Fri 1st April, the caravan control panel above the door showed 13.1V, by Tues this week it was down to 12.7V and today it was down to 12.4V. The Tech guy tested the battery voltage with his meter and confirmed that the battery was 12.4V so at least the caravan control panel (above the door) is accurate. He took the solar panel wires off the Control Unit and confirmed that the Panel was performing correctly. On reconnection he checked the amps being put out from the Control unit at the fuse with his meter...it read 0.18A ...nothing like it should be. He tried a new Control Unit and we were immediately up to 3.09A which is where it should be on a cloudy/sunny day (he told me under test conditions the most you would ever get is 4A so this was a very good output reading). Within 20 minutes the battery had gone from 12.4V to 12.9V. Apparently there was a small batch of Control Units from 2014 that were faulty and mine was one of these..my caravan was built in Feb 2015. You may be interested to note even when we arrived at the caravan and the battery was 12.4V the green light on the Control Unit was steady green and the Tech said that this was normal and probably would stay steady green down to 12.3V ......so this is not really a good indicator of the state of the battery. Regarding the Maplin Current Tester N48CY, I bought one just in case things didn't go well today and had to trace anything that was drawing power To compare it to the Tech man's meter we tested it out by removing the in line 10A Solar Panel/Control Unit fuse and it instantly read the same 0.18A with the faulty Control Unit and 3.09A with the replacement Control Unit....so this is a great inexpensive bit of kit to test out the Solar charging circuit (£13.29) ...it should show somewhere between 2 and 3.2A if its working correctly depending on the sun/clud cover. Hope this helps anyone still having problems. Will post again next week to let you know how things are going.

gasmansteve

07/4/2016 at 7:42pm
Location: North Yorks
Outfit: Mazda CX5 AWD and Coachman VIP 545

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Excellent glad its sorted for you.Sounds very similar to our van which was built around that time last year and I don't think our solar panel has worked properly since buying the van. One visit we had to the dealer asking about the panel the salesman replied well they're maybe not strong enough to keep a battery topped up and when I replied with 'Well what's the solar panel for then?' a deathly silence was the reply??.Ours is in next Tues so will report back now I've got some ammo 😊
Cheers
Steve

PCCC

08/4/2016 at 7:08am
Location: Worcestershire
Outfit: Coachman VIP 575 4 with BMW X3 3.0L

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Hi gasmansteve....just a couple of things that may be helpful ....don't let your dealer order from Coachman, they can go directly to Solar Technology for the part. If you have no joy with your Dealer I would suggest buying one of the Maplin current testers for £13, test as mentioned in my earlier note & if you still suspect the Control Unit suggest you phone S.T. yourself (01684 774000) and ask for Kevin...he will send a new Controller to you direct which you could fit yourself if you wanted.
Good luck.

gasmansteve

12/4/2016 at 8:04pm
Location: North Yorks
Outfit: Mazda CX5 AWD and Coachman VIP 545

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Hi guys
Well I started this post about solar panels and an impending service so I guess I should carry on with it!.
Took van in today everything was working perfectly before I took it in (except the solar panels of course!) I get a call from dealer saying a problem with ATC and talking to Alko?? I said ATC was fine before I brought it in so what's happened to it since? No satisfactory reply so guess we'll have to leave it with them😠. Oh!and how's the solar panel I ask? Oh we haven't got to that yet!! Was the reply.
You really couldn't make it up !!!!
Steve

Di+Glyn_W

13/4/2016 at 10:59am
Location: Ashford Kent
Outfit: BMW X4. No van :-(

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Am slightly curious; we bought a new Bailey Unicorn last year, coming with factory fitted roof mounted solar panel. No problem using the van throughout the summer, but having gone back to it after it had been in storage over winter,battery completely dead. Checked during service, battery charged, all good.

Have never had a battery die before in 8yrs of leaving van over winter with no charging of any of the batteries.

There is a slight possibility we left the radio switched on (but I'm not convinced!). Would a 100w solar panel provide enough trickle charge (open to sky storage, no obstructions) to maintain battery charge with radio switched on?

Van back in storage at present so will be off to check battery next week to check for any change.

Can't figure out why solar panel does not keep a steady light when fully charged - how am I supposed to know whether the light is flashing slow, fast or faster if I've not seen it flashing before....

-------------
Glyn W.

What if the Hokey Cokey really is what it's all about....?

path20

13/4/2016 at 1:47pm
Location: Lancashire
Outfit: None Entered

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We had the same problem over the winter. The battery kept going flat despite two solar panels.
We found out, help from the dealer, that we were not shutting the van down completely.
One small switch we had missed turned off and problem solved.

PCCC

13/4/2016 at 1:49pm
Location: Worcestershire
Outfit: Coachman VIP 575 4 with BMW X3 3.0L

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Hi...just checked state of battery today one week after faulty Solar Control Unit was replaced....pleased to report that voltage showing on panel above door on my Coachman VIP was 14.3V same as it would show when connected to mains hook up on site. Clearly the only fault I had was the Control Unit.

Di&Glyn....see my 5 postings above between 28/3 to 8/4....mine is an 80W panel which gives out approx 3 amps, from what I understood from Solar Technology this should easily cope with alarm and radio panel left in place (although I do remove my radio front panel to minimise power draw). Although my Control Unit was faulty the two green lights on the unit were both green (static not flashing)...the one green light indicates power from the solar panel, the other green light indicates state of battery...this will only flash (it only has one speed) if battery fully charged as mine was today, otherwise the (battery) indicator remains a steady green light if the battery is between 12V and 13V, so its not really a true indication of the state of your battery. If your Control Unit is made by Solar Technology you may have one from the faulty batch made in 2014. Something else you may want to check on....a friend of mine has a 2014 Unicorn without a solar panel.....he just leaves the battery to power the alarm and charges it as & when required..however he noticed this winter when he was putting it into storage that the Alde central heating pump was running continuously .... he had not powered off the Alde heating and the thermostat on the Alde Control Panel was above ambient temperature and hence causing the heating pump to run even though the heating unit was not connected to mains or gas. This would obviously draw a fair amount of power from the battery. Hope this helps.

gasmansteve

15/4/2016 at 11:45pm
Location: North Yorks
Outfit: Mazda CX5 AWD and Coachman VIP 545

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Service update!
Hi guys
Well got van back today and SUCCESS they found the regulator was faulty 14v from the panel but only 1v going back to battery Yay! I mentioned going direct to the regulator suppliers for one but they insisted everything has to go through Coachman so we might be getting somewhere now. I`m pretty sure the regulator hasn`t worked since buying the van last year but other things got the blame. Watch this space.
cheers
Steve

Les Medes

16/4/2016 at 8:33am
Location: Little Hearing
Outfit: 2014 Coachman VIP 520 4 BMW X3

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I cannot throw any light on your problem but our VIP 520/4 with the same 80 Watt Panel works great, no issues, I would certainly get back to your dealer and insist that they sort it out, if you get no joy email or phone Trevor Baxter at Hull

-------------
Les

Mike-Debbie

16/4/2016 at 1:53pm
Location: Dorset
Outfit: Autosleeper

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I don't know if this helps anyone. I run a 10 watt panel in my shed to run a alarm system and maintain two batteries, which works very well. The voltage across the battery on a cloudy day is around 13.96 volts, and when the sun comes out the voltage goes up to about 14.14 volts. So if you are having trouble with your batteries and the voltage across the terminals is below 13 volts when on solar there is a high probability that there is a problem with the controller, panels or wiring

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