boondocking, need help asap....

Ok first of all please reread what i wrote......the cheapy controller that was given to me worked better the the new NOT CHEAPY one I have now!
I expect voltage to drop over night due to fridge etc running, but not to drop the way it is because a cloud passes over! How can a battery go from good to fair in a matter of 20 minutes? Something isn't right.

I always prepare for the boons as if I were in a tent with no RV. Portable LED lights with alkaline AA batteries, dried or canned meat for a few days. Doesn't take much space and can be stored for years.

And now a cloud passes over and the battery voltage drops, that should not happen.

Why not? Charging stops, loads are running, voltage drops.

With cheap controllers... I will never understand this. You are buying an item for 10 years or more, you want it to be reliable. A good 4A controller costs $30-40. It is not worth buying something for $10 and going through all this pain.

Sounds like the cheapie controller is just that. Some people have had good luck with Landstar controllers. Cheap but they actually work. About your Honda, I saw the following with a google search:

Remove the recoil assembly, it should be held on by 3 10mm bolts. Remove the spark plug also. Get a wrench big enough to fit the bolt in the center of the cup where the flywheel goes and see if the engine will turn clockwise. If it will not turn then your engine is most likely seized to the point where it is not repairable. The engine can be swapped out by a honda dealer, but his may cost the same as the unit did new. Did you verify that the unit had oil in it? If this is a new machine it may be covered under warranty.

I am now confused....when I first put the panel on I used a real cheapy controller with it. My camper monitor always showed "charging" during the day,never had the batteries read fair or poor the whole time I was out boondocking doing what I am doing now.
the cheapy controller seemed to quit working so I bought a new one. Hooked up the same as old one and now monitor never says charging but volt meter shows voltage going up. And now a cloud passes over and the battery voltage drops, that should not happen.
I do not have access to shore power, and my honda genny wont start, I can't pull the pull cord, any ideas on that?
getting more depressed by the hour with all this :-(

Almot wrote:

Controller controls the charging - not the discharging. To stop discharging, you need to shut down all the loads after sunset, including LP fridge, detectors, radio clock on standby, and not run any lights and pumps after sunset. Even then there will be a self-discharge overnight, but it is not significant if battery is in a good shape. The red light still might go on, and - I assume - it means that battery is not 100% full by the morning.

I doubt that 50W solar can fully charge the battery when you use it at the same time. Green light can not be trusted in this case.

100% full battery disconnected from the loads and rested 24 hours should read 12.7V. A little less when under load. In the process of charging the numbers are different.

X2

campermama wrote:
Thought the controller controls this? How do I stop the discharging?

Controller controls the charging - not the discharging. To stop discharging, you need to shut down all the loads after sunset, including LP fridge, detectors, radio clock on standby, and not run any lights and pumps after sunset. Even then there will be a self-discharge overnight, but it is not significant if battery is in a good shape. The red light still might go on, and - I assume - it means that battery is not 100% full by the morning.

I doubt that 50W solar can fully charge the battery when you use it at the same time. Green light can not be trusted in this case.

100% full battery disconnected from the loads and rested 24 hours should read 12.7V. A little less when under load. In the process of charging the numbers are different.

campermama wrote:
Just put a new controller in for my 55w solar panel. It charges batts (2 12v) to full charge, but once the sun starts to go down the batts start to discharge and the controller shows red by morning. Why is this happening? Thought the controller controls this? How do I stop the discharging?
thanks in advance!

I understand your concern, but by your description I really see nothing wrong...Likely by morning, its reasonable that voltage has diminished somewhat, thus the red light (possible reduced batt voltage triggers light??). Just an idea...What does controller manual say about red light active?

Like most people have said you need to get your batteries fully charged and then do some troubleshooting. your reported 13v is not nearly fully charged. You need to get battery voltage up to around 14.4 to 14.6 for at least 2 hours then this will likely only be about 90% charged considering how low they are now

Also you do have 12volt stuff running. lights, refer control board, detectors, and radio memory. 55w solar is only going to give you about 20AH per day on bright sunny days. Your hotel loads I showed you above are probably using close to that if not more, in other words that solar is barely and probably not covering your use meaning your batteries are only breaking even and probably discharging in a 24 hour period. You need at least double if not triple the solar power to keep those 2 batteries charged if you are minimizing power demands

Your fridge controls and propane detector use 12VDC all of the time

Can you get to shore power... ? (50Watt panel will not fully charge 2 batteries)

if so, fully charge your batteries to 14+ VDC

turn of your solar panel if you have a controller with that option... or disconnect the solar controller from the batteries

Observe over night... rules out the batteries hopefully

second night... have batteries fully charged by the shore power... then after dark... reconnect solar panel...

observe

if the batteries then drop you probably have a diode problem in your controller... and it should be replaced

Report your observations back here as you go... there are some good people on the forums... and some guess. Don't take guesses or at least the ones that cost money

sleepy

Your batteries should be reading higher while the controller is charging them, possibly the 55w panel isn't producing enough power to get the voltage up high enough.