solar

OK that is what I was looking for. It is working as designed. I am just trying to save my batt. Before leaving on a trip I always plug it in to shore power to cool the fridge & top off the batt. It is a toyhauler with a 4K Onan & 2 GC2's so power while camping is a non issue. Thanks everyone

64thunderbolt wrote:
I have a small 15w panel & 7 amp controller just for maintaining between trips. Is it possible for it to drain @ night? I have noticed that my batt voltage is less @ night than during the daytime in full sun. Thanks for any opinions. I don't remember the mfg of the unit. I just wanted a trickle charge when not in use.

At night the batteries are not being charged (where they will be over 13v) but are going back to regular 12v levels so naturally they have lower voltage at night.

Roy, a 120v solar panel should do more like 7.6 amps aimed a high sun using a PWM controller. With MPPT it might be more or less than that depending on panel temperature

64thunderbolt wrote:
...In full sun it puts out about 18v @ 7amps. Thanks for the response.

A 15W panel would only put out about 0.8333 amps when the panel voltage is 18 VDC.

I only wanted something like a batt tender. Not using solar to completely charge the batt or run thing on just keep the batt from losing charge while sitting in the back yard for long periods of time. There is no usage anytime it is stored. cutoff swith is off. And it is in the + side so there is no drain. Like I said just a maintainer. While camping I don't need it. In full sun it puts out about 18v @ 7amps. Thanks for the response.

I don't know how much power a 15WATT Solar panel produces but a 120WATT Solar Panel only produces up to 14.4VDC @ 5 AMPS from its solar controller when in high sun during the day.

Not a whole lot of battery charging power.

My RV Trailer consumes around 1-2AMPS 24/7 with its so called parasitic drain running the sensor panels here and there including the propane detector. We always have a night lite going as well...

If the furnace blower ever kicks ON the blower fan consumes between 6-8AMPS DC current.

Not surprising that a 15WATT solar panel only charging during the high sun portion of the day would keep up with battery usage at night.

Roy Ken