Solar expert please help me understand

[larry_cad]

We are staying at a CG with full hookups including 30/50 amp electric which is all working. There is a smaller class A in a site, with shore power cord plugged into his power pole. However, and here is where I get lost, he also has a 2'X 4' solar panel set up and wired in front of the RV, and it is always aimed toward the sun. What I don't understand is why? What does the solar panel do that the shore power doesn't?

What am I missing?

[larry_cad]

To answer why I don't ask the owner, I have never seen him. The panels magically move to take in the sun, but I'm not sure how. I can see the rig out of my window, but have never seen a human there. Spooky.

I thought of the bad charger too, but thought this would be more expensive than a new WFCO.

[CA_Traveler]

valhalla360 wrote:
Unless there is something faulty in his onboard electrical system...there is no point to it.

Engine battery doesn't need solar to stay charged and it's simpler and more reliable to have a connection to the charging system for the house batteries with a disconnect.

It's actually common for the chassis battery to not be charged from the house charger. Then there is battery self discharge and perhaps loads that can't be switched off as supplied by the mfg.

And while an alternate charging method might be simplier we would then be denied the fun of responding to this thread.

[FWC]

Maybe he is testing his solar system? Or maybe he wants to see how many Wh he can gather in a day? Maybe he collecting solar power makes him happy?

If this is concerning you why don't you ask them, as opposed to posting photos of of strangers RV on the internet?

[valhalla360]

Unless there is something faulty in his onboard electrical system...there is no point to it.

Engine battery doesn't need solar to stay charged and it's simpler and more reliable to have a connection to the charging system for the house batteries with a disconnect.

[2oldman]

We're all just guessing here.. like his converter is shot, or he doesn't know what he's doing. Ask him!

There's always a nice way to ask.. like "hey, nice panels, where did yo get them.. blah blah." Then maybe he'll volunteer a reason.

[BFL13]

Likely the solar is for his engine battery, while the house batts get the charger supplied by shore power