Solar panel to Leisure Battery

[kmbenno]

Hi, another question.
My new to me motorhome has a solar panel on.
The leisure battery this morning was below 9v.
I noticed that the Black and Red crocodile connection leads from the inverter were not connected to the leisure battery terminals.
Is this why the voltage has dropped and do i need to clip them on then terminals ?
Thanks

 

[Tigger-Tim]

An inverter on crocodile clips doesn't sound ideal, but them being disconnected won't drain the battery.

Is it a wet cell battery - if so, check the fluid levels, and top up deionised water if needed.
Then see if the voltage rises when the sun comes up. If not, your solar panel may not be connected. Or a fuse blown.

 

[kmbenno]

An inverter on crocodile clips doesn't sound ideal, but them being disconnected won't drain the battery.

Is it a wet cell battery - if so, check the fluid levels, and top up deionised water if needed.
Then see if the voltage rises when the sun comes up. If not, your solar panel may not be connected. Or a fuse blown.

I can't see any other way the solar panel is connected to the leisure battery ?

 

[Tigger-Tim]

Do you mean a solar regulator, rather than an inverter?

Lets see a few photos of what you have, and I'm sure we can help.

 

[monzer]

I can't see any other way the solar panel is connected to the leisure battery ?

That's probably why it isn't keeping the battery charged. Nothing for it but a bit of investigation to see where all your wires are going.

Set up should be:

Cables from solar panel in to a regulator

The regulator to leisure battery.

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[andyelbac]

I had a similar problem. Purchased a new Burstner last year. Came with solar panel fitted. Had to store remotely and was bringing it back home weekly for 24 hours to charge cab and battery as tracker was draiing it. Every time I collected it I noticed the hab battery had drained quite a bit. It was starting to get me peeed off with my first MH experience and then I saw an advert in our storage yard or an electrician specialising in MH's and caravans. He came out and for £250 fitted a little piece of kit (converter/inverter????...still no idea to tgus day!) that took power from solar panel and distributed to cab or hab battery depending on which needed it most. My point to this long winded story is that after fitting he told me the reason why my hab battery kept draining was because the solar panel leads had not been connected! So either Burstner had failed to connect them at factory (seems unlikely given the checks rhey do or the importing dealer was messing around, disconnected for some reason and forgot to reconnect. All works a treat now and haven't had to bring the van back home to top up batteries since.

 

[VXman]

I had a similar problem. Purchased a new Burstner last year. Came with solar panel fitted. Had to store remotely and was bringing it back home weekly for 24 hours to charge cab and battery as tracker was draiing it. Every time I collected it I noticed the hab battery had drained quite a bit. It was starting to get me peeed off with my first MH experience and then I saw an advert in our storage yard or an electrician specialising in MH's and caravans. He came out and for £250 fitted a little piece of kit (converter/inverter????...still no idea to tgus day!) that took power from solar panel and distributed to cab or hab battery depending on which needed it most. My point to this long winded story is that after fitting he told me the reason why my hab battery kept draining was because the solar panel leads had not been connected! So either Burstner had failed to connect them at factory (seems unlikely given the checks rhey do or the importing dealer was messing around, disconnected for some reason and forgot to reconnect. All works a treat now and haven't had to bring the van back home to top up batteries since.

They aren't necessarily set up this way. It's not a problem or a fault. Burstner would have just done the simple thing and connect the solar panel to the leisure battery - which is probably the most useful for most people. The starter battery could be charged by using the vehicle (i.e. driving it) or plugging it in.

There are two ways of chargin your starter battery.

1. Have a solar regulator with 2 outputs, 1 to each battery
2. A Battery master which takes power from the lesiure battery (which is being charged by the solar) and trickle charges the starter battery. This sounds like what you have fitted. I fitted one to my Burstner a while ago. It works well.