Anyone with Elddis-Peugeot MH Use Solar on Starter Battery?

[pat100]

Mine has an SDC 10 Solar dual charge controller with unused terminals for 2nd battery e.g. could be used for starter battery.
I asked Elddis why they didn’t connect the solar output to the starter battery and they said that “Peugeot don’t allow them to do that”.
I’m wondering if anyone has a dual charger that they have connected to a Peugeot cab. Is there a problem when you switch on the ignition and start driving? Mine has the added fun of StopStart and a smart alternator.
I’m no electrician but did discover why the leisure battery wasn’t charging from the solar: an incorrectly configured inline socket. Presumably done at the factory! Luckily, I have a £5 multimeter! Only took me a day to fathom it.

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

I have a 175 and have installed a lithium 100ah battery but has changed the htruma controller to an moptbut not lithium configured.
I kept 2 x lead batteries wired in parallel to run an inverter and a 12 v socket as a back up. I used my truma controller with a standalone solar panel and have it plugged in to the lead acid batteries on batt1 and ran a separate cable to the starter battery from batt2 , set the controller at 50/50, all seems to be OK, once the 2xleads are charged all the solar goes to the batt 2 and vice versa.
The leads are just standalone batteries and not connected to the hab system.

 

[Lenny HB]

The main reason for fitting a dual conroller is the charge the starter battery, Eldiss are talking blo**ks.
I have a Votronic controller which has a 1 amp output for the starter batter works a tread.
If your controller have the option of setting the charge percentage to the battery the best setting is 90% leisure, 10% Starter battery. That will be more than adequate to keep the starter battery topped up and reduces the risk of not fully charging the leisure batteries.

 

[pat100]

I have a 175 and have installed a lithium 100ah battery but has changed the htruma controller to an moptbut not lithium configured.
I kept 2 x lead batteries wired in parallel to run an inverter and a 12 v socket as a back up. I used my truma controller with a standalone solar panel and have it plugged in to the lead acid batteries on batt1 and ran a separate cable to the starter battery from batt2 , set the controller at 50/50, all seems to be OK, once the 2xleads are charged all the solar goes to the batt 2 and vice versa.
The leads are just standalone batteries and not connected to the hab system.

My 135 has StopStart, smart alternator and a Schaudt WA 121525 booster. Does your 175 also have those?

 

[Jimbohorlicks]

My 135 has StopStart, smart alternator and a Schaudt WA 121525 booster. Does your 175 also have those?

No ,it's a 2017 Peugeot.. but there is no reason why you can't run a cable from the truma controller batt2 terminal to your starter battery ,as its not linked to your leisure system in any way except for the earth. If you don't want to do that then buy a battery master and connect that up to give your starter a trickle charge.

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[The Artilleryman]

Mine has an SDC 10 Solar dual charge controller with unused terminals for 2nd battery e.g. could be used for starter battery.
I asked Elddis why they didn’t connect the solar output to the starter battery and they said that “Peugeot don’t allow them to do that”.
I’m wondering if anyone has a dual charger that they have connected to a Peugeot cab. Is there a problem when you switch on the ignition and start driving?

As Lenny HB has said already Eldiss are talking B******s, my 2017 Bailey (Pug Boxer) had a Truma SDC20 connected to both batteries, not stop/start though.

The 2022 Bailey MH's (with stop/start) now have a Truma mppt solar controller, but not sure if both sets of terminals are in use.

I think it may be due to BCA not having a smart alternator capable PDU that might be the reason for only the hab battery connected, but I may be wrong.

 

[Richard n Ann]

Our peugeot cab battery gets maintained by the Votronic solar controller no problem

 

[Sapper520]

Always like a photograph myself. Fiat van, but aren’t they more or less the same? Dealer fitted.

The controller isn’t to everyone’s taste, but works fine for us and if it ain’t broke why fix it.

’L’ for Leisure….’E’ for Engine……makes it simple for my simple brain.

 

[pat100]

Correction: “Peugeot don’t APPROVE us …”

 

[pat100]

I need to correct my original post from “Peugeot don’t allow us …” to: “… Peugeot don’t approve us…”

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[BikerGraham]

i have a 2017 Bailey. The standard fitted dual solar controller wasn't connected to the engine battery. I asked the dealer to wire it up which they did. Although connected, for some reason it wouldn't charge it. Never figured out why.

So changed the controller to a Votronic which as Lenny says has a 1 amp continuous charge to the engine battery. Took all of 5 minutes to change over controllers. It's been great since, keeping all batteries charged up well.

next job is to add a second leisure battery.

 

[The Artilleryman]

Interesting, was it just 2 wires in the harness not connected ?

We also have a 2017 Bailey and on ours it was the wrong battery connected to the wrong output, left it at 50/50 and seemed to work OK .

 

[Lenny HB]

Interesting, was it just 2 wires in the harness not connected ?

We also have a 2017 Bailey and on ours it was the wrong battery connected to the wrong output, left it at 50/50 and seemed to work OK .

90/10 is much better.

 

[The Artilleryman]

90/10 is much better.

Yes I did that early on but had problems with the hab battery not charged up enough on a long sunny day.
That was how I found out the batteries were wrongly connected and markings scrubbed off, so went back to 50/50 and that worked.

 

[Lenny HB]

Yes I did that early on but had problems with the hab battery not charged up enough on a long sunny day.
That was how I found out the batteries were wrongly connected and markings scrubbed off, so went back to 50/50 and that worked.
View attachment 689465

Its more likely the hab batteries won't charge fully on 50/50.
Now you have them correctly connected try 90/10 again.

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[The Artilleryman]

Its more likely the hab batteries won't charge fully on 50/50.
Now you have them correctly connected try 90/10 again.

No solar to cab battery as I've changed to a Victron SmartSolar mppt 75/15, which has only one output hab battery goes on ehu twice a month at the moment and is isolated afterwards. Part way through a LiFePO4 conversion, but other time sensitive jobs and the weather are slowing me down, along with a shortage of suitable sized LiFePO4 batery.

 

[BikerGraham]

I do t kno

Interesting, was it just 2 wires in the harness not connected ?

We also have a 2017 Bailey and on ours it was the wrong battery connected to the wrong output, left it at 50/50 and seemed to work

Interesting, was it just 2 wires in the harness not connected ?

We also have a 2017 Bailey and on ours it was the wrong battery connected to the wrong output, left it at 50/50 and seemed to work OK .

Not sure as the dealer wired it up for me on collection as I noticed it wasn’t wired to the engine battery.

I played around with the output percentages but still it wouldn’t charge the engine battery. Never figured out why as it charged the leisure battery ok.

With the Votronic mppt controller is just sorted everything out.

Only needed to connect the positive engine battery. It’s a much better quality unit but it just works. Can be set for all different types of battery including lithium.