hoyden
Lady Bug
(This might be a little ranty)
Since near new, I've had problems with my solar. I wonder now if its that too-small-gauge-wiring I've read about.
2015 FWC Fleet, Dometic fridge, 160w on roof, two deep cell batteries - AGM 30, Go Power 30AMP PWM solar controller.
I can do mechanical, but electric eludes me no matter how much I read and study it.
Last month, I replaced my deep cell batteries. I have two. One was totally shot, the other on the way out. I'm worried that there's something wrong in my system that is causing issues and might kill my new batteries. I cant afford that right now.
When I first installed them July 22, I was excited because it seemed that the charging issue was over. I could drive, park in sun and have 13v reading with just a little drop in the evening down to 12.7, then 12.5 overnight. Well, this past week or so I've noticed that it's doing what it qs before- I'll park and itll show 12.5 even after a day drive. Today, I sit in sun and it got up to 13v abt half hr ago, but now its showing 12.5. Its only 3:15pm. This happened yesterday too and when I woke up, it was at 12.1v.
From my unlearned' mind, it seems the batteries aren't holding charge good.?
A friend keeps telling me to check with multimeter, but I dont even know what to test.
When AT tested my (old) batteries, they said that everything was fine. But all I'm running is the fridge. I've camped with other campers who have same set up and they can camp for days. I've not been able to do that since not long after I got my FWC. Since I live in it full time right now, this is more of a hardship.
I should have had someone else go through the set up before leaving on this adventure, but getting back on the road was a kind of last minute doing with non-camper complications so I didn't. Der.
I'm frustrated, if you couldn't tell.
If this is how it is supposed to run and I just need to buy a portable, so be it, but it seems like the 160w should be enough and the v shouldn't drop so quickly - especially when I was behaving differently (better) right after I put the new batteries in July.
I do have a multimeter with me, but I only knew how to use it for specific motorcycle issues I was working on. I know if you hope it up wrong you can cause damage, and/or kill the meter...so I'm hesitant to putz around with it without knowing exactly how to set it up, what I'm looking for, and how to read it.
Any suggestions appreciated.
Since near new, I've had problems with my solar. I wonder now if its that too-small-gauge-wiring I've read about.
2015 FWC Fleet, Dometic fridge, 160w on roof, two deep cell batteries - AGM 30, Go Power 30AMP PWM solar controller.
I can do mechanical, but electric eludes me no matter how much I read and study it.
Last month, I replaced my deep cell batteries. I have two. One was totally shot, the other on the way out. I'm worried that there's something wrong in my system that is causing issues and might kill my new batteries. I cant afford that right now.
When I first installed them July 22, I was excited because it seemed that the charging issue was over. I could drive, park in sun and have 13v reading with just a little drop in the evening down to 12.7, then 12.5 overnight. Well, this past week or so I've noticed that it's doing what it qs before- I'll park and itll show 12.5 even after a day drive. Today, I sit in sun and it got up to 13v abt half hr ago, but now its showing 12.5. Its only 3:15pm. This happened yesterday too and when I woke up, it was at 12.1v.
From my unlearned' mind, it seems the batteries aren't holding charge good.?
A friend keeps telling me to check with multimeter, but I dont even know what to test.
When AT tested my (old) batteries, they said that everything was fine. But all I'm running is the fridge. I've camped with other campers who have same set up and they can camp for days. I've not been able to do that since not long after I got my FWC. Since I live in it full time right now, this is more of a hardship.
I should have had someone else go through the set up before leaving on this adventure, but getting back on the road was a kind of last minute doing with non-camper complications so I didn't. Der.
I'm frustrated, if you couldn't tell.
If this is how it is supposed to run and I just need to buy a portable, so be it, but it seems like the 160w should be enough and the v shouldn't drop so quickly - especially when I was behaving differently (better) right after I put the new batteries in July.
I do have a multimeter with me, but I only knew how to use it for specific motorcycle issues I was working on. I know if you hope it up wrong you can cause damage, and/or kill the meter...so I'm hesitant to putz around with it without knowing exactly how to set it up, what I'm looking for, and how to read it.
Any suggestions appreciated.