Solar trickle charge

[lubelle]

We have a 1 year old 5th wheeler (Arctic Fox) with a solar trickle charge battery. The rig is not being used, everything turned off, we are in full time sunny location, but the battery keeps dying as we are again notified by the alarm!

How do you determine if the solar trickle charge is working?

We keep charging the battery via plugging into house, but after about a month, we get the alarm going off again because the battery is dead.

[opnspaces]

To figure out if your solar is working you're going to need a multimeter. If you don't have one already you can get a cheap one from harbor Freight or even Amazon.
Here's a cheap one on Amazon. It may not last but for $12 it's not a bank breaker either.
Amazon

Or a $7 meter from Harbor Freight
Harbor Freight

[magicbus]

A quick test would be to disconnect the negative cable at the house battery on a sunny day and put a volt meter between the POS on the battery and the disconnected cable. If the solar is working you will see a voltage reading, hopefully over 13 volts.

Dave

[fj12ryder]

Okay, actually if your Arctic Fox is like many, most, other trailers, even when there's nothing turned on there's still stuff running and draining the battery. The CO detector, propane detector, and other stuff. The battery should still be charged by the solar panel with the battery disconnect switch turned to OFF. Do that first thing and see how the battery holds up. The next step would be a manual disconnect switch on the negative battery terminal.

In our Fuzion, even the radio was on when the battery disconnect switch was turned OFF. We installed a manual disconnect on the negative terminal, which it sounds like you need to do. I have a clamp on amp meter to see how much my battery is drawn down with the battery disconnect switch turned to OFF.

[lubelle]

Yes, the battery is still connected to the trailer, but nothing in the trailer is turned on.
We left the battery switch to ON position as we thought it needed to be to keep the solar trickle panel charging the battery. The solar panel is on the roof and is a trickle charger only.
It was our understanding the trickle charge would keep the battery alive provided the weather cooperates, but that isn't happening as we have had lots of sunshine.

[fj12ryder]

Is the battery cable disconnected? Or just the battery disconnect switch? Have you physically checked to make sure the solar panel is supplying power to the battery? How powerful is the solar panel? 10W? More or less? Some of those solar chargers are basically just trickle chargers, and if your battery is a little old, or not in the best of shape, they won't keep it charged.

Honestly it sounds like the battery is still connected to the trailer, even though the battery disconnect switch is turned to off, and it may be drawing more power than the solar charger is providing.

[corvettekent]

Not sure what you mean by a "solar trickle charge battery". Is the camper solar ready or do you actually have a solar panel on the roof? If you do have a solar panel, then you need to find the solar charge controller. Then look the see if it is turned on.