Charge main battery from solar panel?

[roxburd]

Hi all,
I have a McLouis Fusion 331 with a 100W solar panel that does an awesome job of keeping the auxiliary battery topped-up. But while it's in storage the main battery depletes - mainly due to the alarm, I imagine. There's no mains near where the van is stored so I can't keep it charged off a regular trickle charger.

It seems daft to buy another trickle-charge solar panel to keep the main battery topped up when the auxiliary battery is at 100% and the solar panel is still producing loads of charge every day.

I bought the van after the solar panel had been fitted and have no manual or instructions - but it was professionally installed. There's a control box mounted inside a cupboard under the oven but I haven't had a chance to examine it and it's not very accessible.

Do these installations generally have an option to divert the charge to the main battery? It seems like such an obvious thing to do!

Any advice much appreciated,
Dave

 

[David and Sally]

Sounds like you need a Battery Master. Available form this site”s shop.

It diverts some of the leisure battery charge to the starter battery when there is spare juice.

Easy to fit too.

Van Bitz Battery Master

>>CLICK HERE TO BUY

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Van Bitz Battery Master — Offgrid Power Solutions

BATTERY MASTER, LEISURE > ENGINE BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM THE AUTOMATIC ENGINE BATTERY CHARGING SYSTEM WORKS EVEN WITHOUT A MAINS HOOK-UP!

offgridpower.solutions

 

[royandsharont]

My solar controller charges both sets of batteries, it’s a Thule SDC12 and does it all automatically. My previous Thule one did the same but I could set the % output to which set of batteries I wished. My Sargeants one before that also did it to both automatically but I know of many threads where theirs doesn’t charge both sets or you have to switch it to the one you want.

 

[VXman]

I agree with David and Sally A vanbitz battery master is the simplest solution.

Some controllers have two outputs, many don't.

 

[rod_vw]

Will a Battery Master keep a normal wet lead acid vehicle battery charged when the leisure battery is a lithium?

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[mitzimad]

depending how close your batteries are all you need is a fused cable from positive to positive to make it permenate add a switch

 

[yorkiebar]

Will a Battery Master keep a normal wet lead acid vehicle battery charged when the leisure battery is a lithium?

Yup.

 

[Just smiffy]

Will a Battery Master keep a normal wet lead acid vehicle battery charged when the leisure battery is a lithium?

Yes