Solar Panel Stopped Working - Dutchmen Owners
Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×

Go Back   Dutchmen Owners > Dutchmen Brand RVs > General RV Related Discussions
Click Here to Login
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 08-16-2016, 09:31 PM   #1
Member
 
Mauger's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Vallejo
Posts: 33
California
Solar Panel Stopped Working

Recently installed solar panel and has been working great. Following a two week trip - the trailer was parked for maybe a week and the batteries were dead. Looked at the interior solar panel and it was showing some numbers but there were no lights like there normally would be. I checked the connection on the top, read the manual, checked the connections behind the interior panel, and all connections around the battery. Everything seems fine. Also cleaned glass.

Anyone more familiar with solar have any suggestions.
__________________

__________________
2016 Aerolite 213RB
2014 Chevy Silverado - High Country
2012 Goldwing
Mauger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-17-2016, 05:48 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
ewarnerusa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Helena, MT
Posts: 606
Montana
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mauger View Post
Recently installed solar panel and has been working great. Following a two week trip - the trailer was parked for maybe a week and the batteries were dead. Looked at the interior solar panel and it was showing some numbers but there were no lights like there normally would be. I checked the connection on the top, read the manual, checked the connections behind the interior panel, and all connections around the battery. Everything seems fine. Also cleaned glass.

Anyone more familiar with solar have any suggestions.
Without some voltage readings it is hard to offer any advice. Voltage readings in and out of the solar charge controller during daylight? Controller had numbers but no lights, what were the numbers? What were the lights that you expected to see? Does the battery charge normally using the converter/shore power?

Also, anything left on during the week in storage that would discharge more than the solar could replenish?
__________________

__________________
2012 Aspen Trail 2710BH | 470 watts of solar on the roof | 2x6V GC batteries | 1500 watt PSW inverter | Micro Air on A/C | so far strictly boondocking
ewarnerusa is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-17-2016, 07:37 PM   #3
Member
 
Mauger's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Vallejo
Posts: 33
California
Solar Not Working

Thank You. I will get back to you regarding each point you made.
__________________
2016 Aerolite 213RB
2014 Chevy Silverado - High Country
2012 Goldwing
Mauger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2016, 04:42 PM   #4
Member
 
Mauger's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Vallejo
Posts: 33
California
Solar Problems

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mauger View Post
Thank You. I will get back to you regarding each point you made.
So you put me on the right path. It seems if the battery gets too low it will not accept a charge from the solar. I plugged it in for a day, then unplugged it, and the solar is running fine.

I still do not know what drained the battery so bad in the first place but at least the problem has been redefined.

Thank You.
__________________
2016 Aerolite 213RB
2014 Chevy Silverado - High Country
2012 Goldwing
Mauger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2016, 04:45 PM   #5
Member
 
Mauger's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Vallejo
Posts: 33
California
Quote:
Originally Posted by ewarnerusa View Post
Without some voltage readings it is hard to offer any advice. Voltage readings in and out of the solar charge controller during daylight? Controller had numbers but no lights, what were the numbers? What were the lights that you expected to see? Does the battery charge normally using the converter/shore power?

Also, anything left on during the week in storage that would discharge more than the solar could replenish?
The numbers were the led voltage reading which was 20+, and the lights were power, charging, and state of battery. And yes, it charges normal using the converter.

Thanks for your help. As I said prior it put me on the right path.
__________________
2016 Aerolite 213RB
2014 Chevy Silverado - High Country
2012 Goldwing
Mauger is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2016, 05:42 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
sundancer 87's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Tahlequah
Posts: 3,079
Oklahoma
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mauger View Post
The numbers were the led voltage reading which was 20+, and the lights were power, charging, and state of battery. And yes, it charges normal using the converter.

Thanks for your help. As I said prior it put me on the right path.
Solar panels in of themselves are pretty much bullet proof. Actually you can shoot a hole through it and it will still work, only with a small diminished capacity. All those little silver traces are redundant wiring in the panel to keep it working. If you have sun you have a working panel. Some have a blocking diode that may go out but they have pretty much been phased out with the modern charge controllers.
First place to look for problems with a solar system is the battery or batteries. You know that now
__________________
2013 Voltage 3800, 2012 Chevy 3500 HD
2010 Yamaha V Star 950
2009 Yamaha Raider
Volunteering with Habitat for Humanity Caravanners
sundancer 87 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-19-2016, 06:05 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
ewarnerusa's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Helena, MT
Posts: 606
Montana
A battery that has gone totally dead was likely damaged because they aren't supposed to be discharged to death like that. Maybe the panel amperage wasn't enough to overcome some resistance caused by battery damage, or maybe the solar charge controller has a minimum voltage level it wants to see before it allows current to pass through. Then the converter was able to get some level of charge to the battery because it can push out a lot more amps, then the solar could take over again. Totally guessing here though. I would be suspect of that battery's health if it had been allowed to discharge down to 0.
__________________

__________________
2012 Aspen Trail 2710BH | 470 watts of solar on the roof | 2x6V GC batteries | 1500 watt PSW inverter | Micro Air on A/C | so far strictly boondocking
ewarnerusa is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Dutchmen RV or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT. The time now is 02:48 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2020 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.
×