We Have Solar... working at last..

[Trevor and Laura]

Hi, in our initial post we mentioned that we only have remote storage without any shore power for our new to us 2006 42ft Dynasty and that the original 100w solar panel was only producing a max of 10v, so no charging. The battery voltage was always marginal and the generator was often iffy to start, so we set off down 2 paths, decided to upgrade the solar with 2 x 210w panels from good old Amazon and also to add an 11th battery at the front for the gennie. When we opened up the combiner box under the fridge vent cover we were met with a corroded mess, were lucky to find a couple of new connector strips in the local electrical suppliers scrap bin and used screws and nuts to secure them in place. The original panel was tested on the ground and still producing 23v, so much was being lost due to the corrosion, even just 100w had clearly also been causing some heat there. The new panels are secured, sealed and connected, the batteries all seem to be happy and the gennie started without using boost for the 1st time; it will still have its own starting battery, but the solar will not keep it charged with the VSR that we have, as the Heliotrope only takes the chassis batts to 13.2v and the charging relay looks for 13.5+v, could try and switch it to the house batts?

Now to stop the generator slide from drifting out...

Just an update on Bella..

Trevor and Laura

Owen Sound ON.

 

[TomV48]

LOOKS nice up top.    Be careful of those AC shrouds.  Mine were 2005 and that color     Leaned on them during solar install.  Patched the cracks initially with Eternabond but every time you looked at them the cracked a little more..   Those guys get brittle after years in the sun even with paint on them for UV protection.   Ours were the older penguins without vent holes on the sides.  New ones from Amazon at about $162 each and repainted them with rattle cans from an auto paint store,  a pretty good match, and now ours are pretty again

[jacwjames]

When I first bought our coach I found the solar wasn't producing.  I had 3 panel, the original 85 watt and two Kyocera 125 watt panels.  The original panel tested good but the two Kyocera tested bad.  I had contact the Heliothorp company and question them about what voltages I was seeing and they suggested Kyocera as there was a recall on a bunch of there panels of my vintage.  Contacted them and provided them with the name plate info and sure enough, mine were part of the recall.  Kyocera sent me 2 new panels and prepaid shipping of the old ones back.   So I ended with one 85 watt panel and two new 125 watt panels. 

When I dug into the combiner box I found a similar problem, corrosion.  So I redid the box with wiring lugs.   I'd suggest anyone with solar to check the combiner box.

 

The solar is still working but I wish I had ~5-600 more watts. 

[vito.a]

Your Heliotrope solar charge controller is adjustable.  It has small jumpers that you move around to adjust it.  I found it easier to set up if I completely removed.  

Also, it charges both you chassis and house batteries simultaneously. 

[Trevor and Laura]

Yes, I have read their manual, but it states that the chassis side is not adjustable, fixed at 13.4v and a max of 3A and that is what our generator is connected to; why I was considering trying to change the gennie start to the house bank, which was charging at 13.8 this morning. Although this is only a concern with solar while in storage, which after October will not be a concern as we will be travelling, when the alternator, gennie and shorepower will keep the relay closed. The chassis side was at 13.1v this morning, starting was very quick.

Trevor

2006 Dynasty

[eddie4ne]

On 8/24/2023 at 5:40 PM, Trevor and Laura said:

Now to stop the generator slide from drifting out...

Our problem also!