Solar Battery Maintainer for Diesel Truck
During the winter, our 2004 Dodge Ram CTD sometimes sits for a couple of weeks or more at a time between times it gets driven. So during those periods, I want to put a battery minder / maintainer on it to keep the two batteries topped up. I prefer a small solar maintainer to an electric maintainer, so that I don't have to plug into a 110V outlet.
My plan is when the truck will sit for a while, I want a small solar panel to lay on the dash, and either back charge through the always hot 12V power socket in the console, or hook it to leads coming out of the firewall that are wired direct to one of the two batteries (I have learned by reading plus my own experience that hooking a maintainer to one of the two diesel starting batteries will charge both batteries at the same time).
Shopping on Amazon Prime for now, I have found several possible solar maintainer setups I am considering. My questions of you all are:
1) How many watts do you think would be necessary to maintain two diesel truck batteries?
Keep in mind I would never ask or expect said small solar charger to charge a low battery. Instead, it would be hooked up when the batteries are fully charged after having been driven, solely to maintain a full charge. Also, please keep in mind that we live in Phoenix, AZ, which on average has 299 sunny days per year, so a little solar panel on the dash would be in the sun at least 82% of the days on average.
2) For a small solar panel, the ones I am looking at are 5W, 10W, or 15W, is it necessary to have a charge controller to protect the batteries? Or not necessary for the smaller wattages?
3) Is it OK to back charge thru a cigarette lighter plug, or best to wire direct to a battery?
4) Does anyone here have any experience with a small solar panel as a maintainer for two batteries? If so, any equipment to recommend? And lastly, any comments on the solar equipment I listed and linked below would be much appreciated! Given how hot the sun gets here, any solar panel has to be able to take the sometimes intense sun and heat here without curling up. I could have started this thread on the Tow Vehicle forum, but chose this forum instead, because there are so many who contribute here with a lot of experience with solar.
SIX SMALL SOLAR PANELS FOLLOW:
PANEL #1:
This solar panel has very good reviews and though the seller doesn't state the wattage, those who have purchased think it is a 5 watt panel.. Cost, $23 shipped. Pic below:
PANEL #2:
5 Watt solar panel, includes controller. Cost, $35 shipped. Pic below:
PANEL #3:
This is a 10 Watt panel. Cost, $36 shipped. Pic below:
.
PANEL #4:
5 Watt panel. Also on same page, for $14 more, a "regulator" is offered.. Cost, $48 shipped. Pic below:
PANEL #5:
15 Watt panel. Cost, $42 shipped. Pic below:
PANEL #6:
And last, another 5 Watt panel here.. Cost, $47, shipped. Pic below:
My plan is when the truck will sit for a while, I want a small solar panel to lay on the dash, and either back charge through the always hot 12V power socket in the console, or hook it to leads coming out of the firewall that are wired direct to one of the two batteries (I have learned by reading plus my own experience that hooking a maintainer to one of the two diesel starting batteries will charge both batteries at the same time).
Shopping on Amazon Prime for now, I have found several possible solar maintainer setups I am considering. My questions of you all are:
1) How many watts do you think would be necessary to maintain two diesel truck batteries?
Keep in mind I would never ask or expect said small solar charger to charge a low battery. Instead, it would be hooked up when the batteries are fully charged after having been driven, solely to maintain a full charge. Also, please keep in mind that we live in Phoenix, AZ, which on average has 299 sunny days per year, so a little solar panel on the dash would be in the sun at least 82% of the days on average.
2) For a small solar panel, the ones I am looking at are 5W, 10W, or 15W, is it necessary to have a charge controller to protect the batteries? Or not necessary for the smaller wattages?
3) Is it OK to back charge thru a cigarette lighter plug, or best to wire direct to a battery?
4) Does anyone here have any experience with a small solar panel as a maintainer for two batteries? If so, any equipment to recommend? And lastly, any comments on the solar equipment I listed and linked below would be much appreciated! Given how hot the sun gets here, any solar panel has to be able to take the sometimes intense sun and heat here without curling up. I could have started this thread on the Tow Vehicle forum, but chose this forum instead, because there are so many who contribute here with a lot of experience with solar.
SIX SMALL SOLAR PANELS FOLLOW:
PANEL #1:
This solar panel has very good reviews and though the seller doesn't state the wattage, those who have purchased think it is a 5 watt panel.. Cost, $23 shipped. Pic below:
PANEL #2:
5 Watt solar panel, includes controller. Cost, $35 shipped. Pic below:
PANEL #3:
This is a 10 Watt panel. Cost, $36 shipped. Pic below:
. PANEL #4:
5 Watt panel. Also on same page, for $14 more, a "regulator" is offered.. Cost, $48 shipped. Pic below:
PANEL #5:
15 Watt panel. Cost, $42 shipped. Pic below:
PANEL #6:
And last, another 5 Watt panel here.. Cost, $47, shipped. Pic below:
