Solar and 2 batteries last less than 3 days?

[DonC]

I have a 2012 Fleet and purchased the options of 2 camper batteries and solar. By day 3 of every trip I am usually down to 1 light, the frig is off in the morning and temps way up, and seldom use my lights, furnace or use the 12V to charge my computer or camera batteries because of this. I have the compressor frig. One problem I am having is blowing fuses in the FWC camper batteries - typically 4 - 5 fuses in a 6 day trip.

Blowing fuses is a problem that needs to be solved, but I also don't know if I am getting everything I should out of the batteries and solar, so I did a “controlled test”. I completely charged the batteries with shore power and turned the frig on. I had the frig fan on from 8 am to 6 pm. No use of any other power in the camper. I drove the truck about 15 minutes total per day, and was parked in full sun each day. Here are the results

Hour 0 - shore power unplugged, 4 lights, frig temps 38/-10
24 hours – 3 lights, frig temp 42/0
48 hours – 2 lights, frig temp 42/0
58 hours – 2 lights, frig temp 58/+10
72 hours – 1 light, frig is off with temp of 72

I had the impression that with the investment of batteries and solar I would be able to do better than 2 ½ days. What is your experience? For trips longer than 2 days, which is all of my trips, the problem is compounded when I continually blow fuses and am unable to consistently recharge the batteries.

 

[camelracer]

I'm having the same problem with my system which is a Truckfridge TF130, 100W solar and 2 blue top batteries. This is not a factory installed system but it should be similar to yours. I'm good for a couple of days until the voltage drops too low.

I believe your temperature fluctuations might be caused by the compressor shutting off do to low voltage during the dark hours. The low voltage cutoff point can be adjusted with a jumper on the compressor control board.

I'm not sure if the fridge is causing you to blow fuses.

 

[Spitfire]

I have a 2012 Fleet and purchased the options of 2 camper batteries and solar. By day 3 of every trip I am usually down to 1 light, the frig is off in the morning and temps way up, and seldom use my lights, furnace or use the 12V to charge my computer or camera batteries because of this. I have the compressor frig. One problem I am having is blowing fuses in the FWC camper batteries - typically 4 - 5 fuses in a 6 day trip.

Blowing fuses is a problem that needs to be solved, but I also don't know if I am getting everything I should out of the batteries and solar, so I did a “controlled test”. I completely charged the batteries with shore power and turned the frig on. I had the frig fan on from 8 am to 6 pm. No use of any other power in the camper. I drove the truck about 15 minutes total per day, and was parked in full sun each day. Here are the results

Hour 0 - shore power unplugged, 4 lights, frig temps 38/-10
24 hours – 3 lights, frig temp 42/0
48 hours – 2 lights, frig temp 42/0
58 hours – 2 lights, frig temp 58/+10
72 hours – 1 light, frig is off with temp of 72

I had the impression that with the investment of batteries and solar I would be able to do better than 2 ½ days. What is your experience? For trips longer than 2 days, which is all of my trips, the problem is compounded when I continually blow fuses and am unable to consistently recharge the batteries.

What refigerator do you have?

 

[Hittheroad]

My guess is that your solar isn't working at all. A wire may be broken or someone forgot to connect something.
Check to see you are getting at least 14 volts across the battery under sunny conditions.

 

[rotti]

Something is amiss there.
I have never had a fuse blow, I can go three or four days before I hit the two light indicator and I DON'T have solar.
I have the factory two battery system with the 110L Waeco frig.

 

[lqhikers]

if you bought from factory/dealer original owner
i would be at their door first thing as there is no way
solar with 2 batteries would go dead.
has to be wired incorrectly,bad batteries,bad solar panel.

the blown fuses tell me you have a short,possibly a bare wire
that rubs on frame etc.

if you are asking why i would assume you do not have
the experience to trouble shoot problem and should have someone
check for you .easy to repair if you have solar battery knowledge.

i do not know how long you have had your set up but my unit wired at factory
(under duress) they would not sell unless they installed.
has soured me since due to the fact that they wired bed plug backwards.

of course they were sorry but i was 500 miles down the road before i found out.

hope you find the problem as solar is the only way to go!

let us know what happens.

Les,lqhikers

 

[DonC]

I have the electric frig (called compressor?).
Original owner bought and installed at the factory last Feb.
And yes, I don't know much about electric or solar.

I have opened this up again with FWC so I'll see what happens.

Rotti - if you can go 3 - 4 days without solar, then it appears there is something wrong with both the battery/solar set-up, as well as blowing fuses - could be related? This is the kind of info I wanted from my post - practical experience people have with the two battery solar set-up.

 

[JimW]

I have a Hawk shell with a 75 amp hr battery and a Zamp solar 80 watt portable. My only electrical demands are lights, charging iphones and a Truckfridge TF41 set at 39 degrees (low voltage cut-off set at medium?) I just spent 6 days in Mammoth with the last 2 days buried in the shade, never lost power with lights as bright as ever and cold beer.

 

[jha6av8r]

Read this and got me thinking so I ran a test in my driveway. We have a 90W solar panel with a SunSaver6 and two 75 aH AGM batteries. My Grandby in on the truck in my driveway and we've had pretty much full sun days except for some morning fog that's burned off pretty early. We have a Waeco 110L compressor fridge. It's empty and the camper is closed up during the day so it's pretty warm inside. I've been running the fridge since last Thursday and the SunSaver has shown a green battery status light the entire time even first thing in the morning. The fridge temp has been 40 degrees plus or minus depending on how long it's been since the compressor cycled off which is about a 15 to 20 minute on/off cycle for my fridge. We don't usually sit in one spot this long. The truck was started twice briefly to gain access to that side of the garage other than that, it's been off.

 

[brett13]

The blowing fuses seems like the smoking gun to me- something is wired wrong or broke. That problem needs to be tracked down ASAP because if you run the batteries down too low over and over then you are going to kill cells and ruin them.

 

[ski3pin]

DonC, I have an old Atwood furnace and a truckfidge compressor chest refrigerator. I have a simple solar setup - 100 W panel and charge controller hooked up to a 100 amp hour Sears diehard AGM battery. I have used this extensively since last fall. We have stayed in one place up to 4 days without moving. We have experienced all kinds of weather. At the beginning of evening, everyday, I have had a full battery (12.78 to 13.1 volts). I hardly even think about battery use. I figure that's the way it should be.

As brett13 says, the blowing fuses are probably a smoking gun that may lead to finding the problem.

It has been a few days since your original post. Have you found anything?

 

[RC Pilot Jim]

My advice is take it to an expert and have the system checked out.

Your local trailer, motorhome, camper service center will be able to do this for you.
then you will know the cause of the provlem and get it fixed.

 

[captainphx]

I have a 2012 FWC Raven. Same battery setup, same frig, and the same fuse problem. I called Terry at FWC and he told me to replace the positive side inline battery fuse to a 10 amp. (stock was 5 amp, as I recall) That fixed the problem.