My solar and the chassis batteries

[mchero]

Outside of Quartzsite boondocking for the last month. Very happy with the solar but have one last question i thought id throw out to the group.
I can hear that Aux Start relay kicking in.
Im thinking about installing a switch next to the solenoid so that I can disable it. Is it necessary having the solar charging the chassis batteries? Not really sure how much parasite load i have on the chassis batteries. Not really sure if haveing them connected on a daily basis is good or not. I could flip the switch on once a week or so to keep them topped off. I was also thinking about setting it up so that the charge controller would dosconnect that solenoid when its harvesting solar. Driving down the road the panels are charging the house batteries. The alternator could just charge the chassis batteries.
Thoughts?

[MrWizard]

in two out the four class A ,RVs i have owned
I installed 200amp heavy duty forklift relays
physically twice the size of the avg RV relay of the same rating
these cost around $79 new, probably cost more now

never had one of those go bad

[pnichols]

I'm on my 2nd Trombetta - the first one went about 7-8 years.

However, what my non-Trombetta original stock automotive-type solenoid (lastest about 2 years) and the 1st Trombetta did was to still latch IN and OUT OK when hit with 12 volts on their coils ... but NOT make a dead short connection between it's input terminal and output terminal like they were supposed to when the contacts were closed.

I'm guessing that their contacts gradually became corroded/eroded enough over time such that they went just a bit too resistive. Thus when charging low coach batteries via the engine alternator - due to heavy current flow - the voltage on the solenoids' output side was lower than the voltage on the solenoids' input side. I saw this happen as it occured with both solenoids because I have a four-place voltmeter constantly monitoring each side of the solenoid whenever the engine is running (the voltmeters are mounted on the cab dash) and charging low coach batteries. The alternator side of the solenoid might read, say, 14.3 volts but the coach battery side of the solenoid might read only 12.8 volts .... thus the coach batteries would not be getting charged anywhere near as fast as they should have. This voltage drop across the solenoids' contacts could only have been caused by the contacts going resistive.

The reason I switched to the first Trombetta solenoid after the OEM solenoid failure was the silver coated contacts on the Trombetta. The silver coating slows up corrosion/erosion of the contacts when carrying heavy currents over time, thus explaining the 2 years contact life of the OEM solenoid versus the 7-8 years contact life of the 1st Trombetta. I'm hoping to get at least another 7-8 years out of the 2nd Trombetta with it's silver coated contacts.

I wonder how many motorhome RVer's out there arrive at campsites with low coach batteries ... and either don't realize it or don't understand why ... merely because their alternator-to-coach-battery interconnect solenoid is "latchinig" but not permitting full available current flow to the coach batteries due to voltage drop across high resistance solenoid contacts?

[mchero]

westend wrote:
How many amps continuous do you need?

200 to 300
Figured if Trombetta was 200 a 300 "might" last longer correct? Just tired of replacing Trombetta's! LOL

Thanks for the post

[westend]

How many amps continuous do you need?

[mchero]

CA Traveler wrote:

mchero wrote:
pnichols

This will be the THIRD time I posted the model of my Isolator solenoid! Don't you folks read the entire posts?

Since you are both Senior Members both of you know the answer.

Right? 🙂

It's just the way it is. :B

DAM! That's right a Senior moment! I'm sorry!
Thanks for pointing that out CA Traveler
Now that I think of it I have done the same!
Again sorry!!

Still waiting for a trombetta replacement suggestion w/o having to take out a loan. Mex had a good suggestion but those 300 amp suckers are pricey.

Just checked the trombetta and now it appears to be working. Nightly charge and both banks the same voltage give or take .02 volts.

[mchero]

scrubjaysnest wrote:
Our experience with the Trombetta is they get very hot. Since I rewired the B.I.R.D correctly the solar now feeds the cranking battery and yes during the early AM and late PM the Trombetta will chatter. It is also on my replacement list before we leave for AZ next month.
Haven't made the decision to add a switch to drop out the Trombetta or not; most likely will. Cranking battery only needs topping off about once a week for us if we sit still that long. The only loads I've found on the cranking battery thus far are the night shade motor, Trombetta and B.I.R.D, and DW's tablet over night.
Will switch the tablet over to the house batteries once I upgrade the USB charging bank to something higher then a 1/2 amp.

scrubjaysnest
What do you mean by "Since I rewired the B.I.R.D correctly"

I'm lost

Another reason to have the Midnight solar disconnect the Trombetta is house battery equalizing. Don't need the chassis batteries equalized!

Thanks for your contribution.

[CA_Traveler]

mchero wrote:
pnichols

This will be the THIRD time I posted the model of my Isolator solenoid! Don't you folks read the entire posts?

Since you are both Senior Members both of you know the answer.

Right? 🙂

It's just the way it is. :B

[mchero]

pnichols

This will be the THIRD time I posted the model of my Isolator solenoid! Don't you folks read the entire posts?

Trombetta 114-1211-020 12v CONT

The Battery Control Center is connected to the solenoid. It will send 12vdc to the solenoid when driving down the road so that the alternator will charge the house batteries and it will also send 12vdc to the solenoid when the Xantrex OR Solar charger is charging the house batteries.

I'm going to setup a cutout relay to disconnect the isolator solenoid when the charge controller is charging or equalizing the house batteries.

Thanks for the link.

[pnichols]

mchero wrote:
I'm already down here in AZ scrubjaysnest. I'm in Quartzsite here in LaPosa West in the LTVA

'll tell ya right now, Trombetta is ****! I have replaced three and I just found out the current Trombetta is now toast! The frekin contacts DONT LAST.

Im looking for something other than a Trombetta!

That solenoid should NOT chatter!

Hmmmm .... what Trombetta are you using?

I use this one that automatically connects the chassis battery to the coach batteries whenever the engine is running:
http://shopping.murcal.com/Catalog/Bear-DC-Contactor-Family/114-1211-020;jsessionid=0a010c471f43e3c1...

[mchero]

Connected the isolator solenoid to the BCC and noticed that the solenoid was not pulling in. I let it sit for a day then located the service manual for the BCC.
I started checking the fuses and found ONE 5 amp fuse for the house battery disconnect.
I replaced the 5 amp fuse and after a couple minutes that isolator solenoid closed! What a surprise! I checked the voltage to the solenoid was found full voltage feeding that sucker.
Later I checked and still getting full voltage and it was rather warm.

After the sun went down the solenoid was open and cool.

Tonight, when I start the genset for my evening charge I will check the solenoid to see if it is energized. I will ten test the voltage & report back.

I was expecting the BCC to drop to the holding voltage. Interested to see what I will find tonight.

Thanks

[mchero]

landyacht318 wrote:
A Continuous duty solenoid can be either latching or non latching.

Do not feed a latching solenoid a constant 12v.

I do not know if your solenoid is latching or not.
When Mex's posts contain lots of spelling errors he is typing with fat thumbs on a smartphone, and is limited in search ability.

If a non latching solenoid is getting warm to hot passing minimal solar current to a nearly fully charged chassis battery, something is wrong with it.

I use Blueseas 6007m manual switches to send or take juice where I want.

Right now all 3 switches,(solar, chassis and loads) are all turned to battery 2, as there is no longer any battery 1.

Landyacht VERY familiar with the continuous duty solenoids latching or not thanks.

I'm looking for a replacement. I'm DONE with with Trombetta ****.

Mexico Wanderer, any suggestions for a 200+ amp isolator solenoid?

Here's the spec sheet in the current isolator solenoid;
http://www.trombetta.com/images/pdfs/dccontactors/bear/bear-family.pdf

[mchero]

I'm already down here in AZ scrubjaysnest. I'm in Quartzsite here in LaPosa West in the LTVA

'll tell ya right now, Trombetta is ****! I have replaced three and I just found out the current Trombetta is now toast! The frekin contacts DONT LAST.

Im looking for something other than a Trombetta!

That solenoid should NOT chatter!

[scrubjaysnest]

Our experience with the Trombetta is they get very hot. Since I rewired the B.I.R.D correctly the solar now feeds the cranking battery and yes during the early AM and late PM the Trombetta will chatter. It is also on my replacement list before we leave for AZ next month.
Haven't made the decision to add a switch to drop out the Trombetta or not; most likely will. Cranking battery only needs topping off about once a week for us if we sit still that long. The only loads I've found on the cranking battery thus far are the night shade motor, Trombetta and B.I.R.D, and DW's tablet over night.
Will switch the tablet over to the house batteries once I upgrade the USB charging bank to something higher then a 1/2 amp.

[landyacht318]

A Continuous duty solenoid can be either latching or non latching.

Do not feed a latching solenoid a constant 12v.

I do not know if your solenoid is latching or not.
When Mex's posts contain lots of spelling errors he is typing with fat thumbs on a smartphone, and is limited in search ability.

If a non latching solenoid is getting warm to hot passing minimal solar current to a nearly fully charged chassis battery, something is wrong with it.

I use Blueseas 6007m manual switches to send or take juice where I want.

Right now all 3 switches,(solar, chassis and loads) are all turned to battery 2, as there is no longer any battery 1.

[mchero]

Will do some voltage testing today guys and get back to you with some numbers. Working on getting the specs/schematics on the BCC.

Also, landyachts latching relay comment reminded me that my latching relay on the chassis side is non functional. Checked the fuse and it's good so more testing on the list.

Mex, can you send me a link for a replacement that's not on the garbage grade product list?

Thanks All