hi all, i tried searching but did not find specifically what i was looking for. I have a generator hooked to my inverter which charges my battery. I would also like to connect a solar panel to the battery for when the generator is not running. Question: can the solar panel be connected to the battery while the generator/inverter are on and charging at the same time? Or would this 'cause issues with either the solar panel or inverter? Thanks for any help!

Osiris wrote:hi all, i tried searching but did not find specifically what i was looking for. I have a generator hooked to my inverter which charges my battery. I would also like to connect a solar panel to the battery for when the generator is not running. Question: can the solar panel be connected to the battery while the generator/inverter are on and charging at the same time? Or would this 'cause issues with either the solar panel or inverter? Thanks for any help!You just need to choose a solar controller with adjustable voltage so you can match voltages with your charger so they add their amps. No harm in having both on at once even if their voltages don't match; it would only affect how many amps you get.Please use "converter" or "inverter/charger" instead of "inverter", which is a different device, to avoid confusion.

You will need to disable the converter when the inverter is making 120 volts. Otherwise you're just going to be turning the contents of your battery/solar into heat with an endless loop, as nothing is 100% efficient.

BFL13 wrote:You just need to choose a solar controller with adjustable voltage so you can match voltages with your charger so they add their amps. No harm in having both on at once even if their voltages don't match; it would only affect how many amps you get.Please use "converter" or "inverter/charger" instead of "inverter", which is a different device, to avoid confusion.So to clarify, if both are connected at once without the solar controller, would that lower the amps provided by the converter and result in slower charging? Just trying to understand what the result of the amps changing would be. Also, is there a reasonably priced solar controller you can recommend? My panel is not large, it is meant to trickle charge. thanks again!!

twodownzero wrote:You will need to disable the converter when the inverter is making 120 volts.I'm pretty sure his inverter is an inverter/charger. Two charging sources at once is usually not a problem. They either work together or one just cuts out.

2oldman wrote:I'm pretty sure his inverter is an inverter/charger. Two charging sources at once is usually not a problem. They either work together or one just cuts out.Correct, it is an inverter/charger. Well, if i'm running the generator, i wouldn't want the inverter/charger to cut out, i'd rather have the solar panel cut out if anything. How can i determine if this will happen?

Solar and Inverter combo question | Good Sam Community

DrewE
Explorer II
Jan 10, 2020
Maybe I'm opening a can of worms, but why so many separate batteries? Why not connect the breakaway brakes, the winch, and the lights to one suitably-sized battery? Seems a lot simpler to me, with fewer things to have to maintain, fewer cells to have to put distilled water in, etc.

Your solar panel might be about enough to keep a fully charged battery from self-discharging too far, but that's about it. It will have no discernable impact on your converter/charger, nor will the latter cause it any harm. Just connect them both to the battery. A larger solar panel (with a suitable charge controller) will do more to keep the battery up to snuff and to recharge it should it be discharged in anything resembling a reasonable period of time.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Jan 10, 2020
Hi Osiris,

Here is one:

https://www.acopower.com/products/hy-kit-15wpwm5awas?variant=15691291787330&currency=USD&utm_campaign=gs-2019-06-15&utm_source=google&utm_medium=smart_campaign&gclid=CjwKCAiA3uDwBRBFEiwA1VsajIm5TiR2_1uOEo0nfq2rFFNyXZ33Fj-PxOAgmjZEF-JUlsj7-yA9mBoCO-cQAvD_BwE

But you may find something with larger wattage is cheaper.

Osiris wrote:
pianotuna wrote:
Add solar at 15 watts per 100 amp-hours of storage. Use a small charge controller.

Can you link an example of such a solar panel?
2oldman
Explorer II
Jan 10, 2020
I'm just about out of hypotheticals. Why don't you just hook this up and tell us what happens?
Osiris
Explorer
Jan 10, 2020
pianotuna wrote:
Add solar at 15 watts per 100 amp-hours of storage. Use a small charge controller.

Can you link an example of such a solar panel?
MrWizard
Moderator
Jan 10, 2020
Osiris wrote:
MrWizard wrote:
To the OP
You said inverter
Do you mean converter for charging the batteries
Or possibly
Inverter charger Combo, charges battery when generator is on,
Makes 120v when the generator is off

yes, inverter/charger combo. It doesn't do anything when generator is off.

Are you sure?

An inverter combo Will make 120v from your battery when the generator is off, Unless that function is turned off

Sounds like you have a standard converter aka charge only
Just hook all your 12vDC together
Battery, converter, and your new solar (no problems all is good)
pianotuna
Nomad III
Jan 10, 2020
Add solar at 15 watts per 100 amp-hours of storage. Use a small charge controller.

Osiris wrote:
I have a large battery inside which is dedicated to a winch. That is the battery i am most concerned about keeping charged.
Osiris
Explorer
Jan 10, 2020
2oldman wrote:
Osiris wrote:
The scenario is essentially the trailer may sit for long periods of time with no shore or generator power. During these intervals, i'd like some type of solar trickle charge..
Why are we concerned about running this and the charger at the same time?

Because the solar and converter will both be connected to the battery. So when I run the generator, i want to make sure there will be no conflict. My other option is to install a switch on the solar panel so i can turn it off when the generator is running.
2oldman
Explorer II
Jan 10, 2020
Osiris wrote:
The scenario is essentially the trailer may sit for long periods of time with no shore or generator power. During these intervals, i'd like some type of solar trickle charge..
Why are we concerned about running this and the charger at the same time?
Osiris
Explorer
Jan 10, 2020
BFL13 wrote:
Scenario is very unclear. Not an RV. The car hauler trailer does need a battery for its emergency breakaway brake system (by Law) so "the battery" might be just for that.

No idea what the rest of the scenario is, and so no idea what equipment is needed. Eg, is the tow vehicle with a slide- in camper as the RV part, so you use the camper at events the car is for? Whatever, you get better answers to your questions if we know the scenario.

Back to the original OP question, that PowerMax converter is the nifty LK model, so it has adjustable voltage. So you can get any old solar controller with no adjustable voltage, measure what voltage it does, and match that with the LK. If you actually need to or want to.

The trailer is a car hauler only, there is no rv/camping accomodations. The small battery for the emergency breakaway runs off the tow vehicle's alternator. I have a large battery inside which is dedicated to a winch. That is the battery i am most concerned about keeping charged. Another car battery runs the interior lighting, but i'm not so concerned about that one.

The scenario is essentially the trailer may sit for long periods of time with no shore or generator power. During these intervals, i'd like some type of solar trickle charge.

time2roll wrote:
Not as long as you are parked. Rolling down the road the 7-pin connector will connect the tow vehicle charging system. Just saying this will not present an issue either.

The 7pin connector on this car hauler only connects to the small battery that runs the trailer brake system and external lighting (brakes lights, blinkers). It does not connect to the normal battery inside the trailer that runs interior lights and other things.
time2roll
Nomad
Jan 10, 2020
Osiris wrote:
time2roll wrote:
Multiple charging sources are not an issue. You can run all at the same time plus run down the road with your alternator charging. No issues, none.

Its a car/toy hauler, so an alternator is not part of the equation.
Not as long as you are parked. Rolling down the road the 7-pin connector will connect the tow vehicle charging system. Just saying this will not present an issue either.