david lloyd Posted September 9, 2020 Share Posted September 9, 2020 I have a 105ah Hankook XV27 MF Marine/RV sealed battery usually coupled to a 100w solar panel. During our last trip to a THS at Kendal there were a couple of sunny days at the beginning but after that it was mostly cloud/rain with a few sunny spells. Not enough sun really to recharge the (approx) 15ah we seemed to be using in the 24 hour period although the control panel did show it reaching 100% - but they are not a very accurate measure. However, we were travelling to places virtually every day but this would be an hour travel distance at most. By the last three days the panel was showing -12v by bedtime - with early morning sunrise this would rise to 12.2v and rise steadily throughout the day just with the daylight but we were certainly using more than appeared to be being replaced. On the final night the voltage read 11.2v at bedtime but the panel alarm went off in the early hours and shut down the 12v system which it is programmed to do at 10.9v. Again by morning it was back above 12v. Back home last weekend it was charged from mains for +48 hours until it was fully charged then left off hookup and the solar panel covered plus all 12v off. Initially I thought it was holding a charge of 13.0v but it is reducing each day by about 0.2v and is presently at 12.5v with no load on it. We are planning a long term trip of a few months and don't really want to chance having to deal with a battery failure but had promised the next time we need to change the battery I would go for a lithium system. This would be a big investment as I know I need not just a good make battery but BMS, 12-12DC charger, suitable solar regulator etc. Really I should be monitoring the present battery for a bit longer to judge whether the deep discharge has killed it off but I don't have the time. So, does the short monitoring so far start to indicate there may be a good chance the battery is damaged? David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted September 9, 2020 Share Posted September 9, 2020 David, I'm not sure on the health of your battery but from your readings I would have to question if your solar panel is working? Did the battery voltage ever rise over say 12.5 volts? If not then the panel does not appear to be doing anything! Also what is the battery voltage when the engine is running? I would check all charging methods, including EHU, before condemning your battery. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted September 9, 2020 Author Share Posted September 9, 2020 Thanks Keith. Yes the solar panel was working fine - sunny days produced up to 6amps and even on cloudy days there was 1.5 - 2 amps. The readings I have given since coming home are with the solar panel covered to try and check voltage drop with everything off. The vehicle charging was also fine but, of course, you don't get much of a charge doing about an hours driving. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted September 9, 2020 Share Posted September 9, 2020 If it is a concern then modern battery testers will give a fairly accurate indication as to condition of the battery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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