alansh Posted June 18, 2021 Share Posted June 18, 2021 We are having solar panels fitted and have been told they only charge up the leisure batteries. If our MH is being stored in a secure area for a while, how can we keep the engine battery charged up? Is there a way for the solar panels to do this? Thanks for any advice Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickt Posted June 18, 2021 Share Posted June 18, 2021 Not true you can have a dual charge regulator fitted, which will charge engine and leisure battery,or you can fit a battery mate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted June 18, 2021 Share Posted June 18, 2021 Alan, You either need to get a charge controller fitted which has two separate outputs, one for the leisure and the other for the starter battery OR if your control panel will allow it, get the control panel set to charge both batteries from the solar panel. What is the make and model of your Swifts existing control panel? And what make and model of solar charge control are you currently planning on having installed? Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alansh Posted June 18, 2021 Author Share Posted June 18, 2021 Keith, I don't know what make and model it is as the dealer we bought it from is going to fit it. I will call him tomorrow and ensure it can charge all the batteries now that I know it's possible. Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 Tell him you want a Votronic Duo controller B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted June 19, 2021 Share Posted June 19, 2021 alansh - 2021-06-18 10:57 PM Keith, I don't know what make and model it is as the dealer we bought it from is going to fit it. I will call him tomorrow and ensure it can charge all the batteries now that I know it's possible. Thank you Alan There is a good deal of online guidance on fitting a solar-panel system to a motorhome. https://tinyurl.com/bjkd4sm6 http://www.aandncaravanservices.co.uk/solar-power.php and (as should be apparent from the advice provided above) a number of ways for the power produced by the solar-panel system to charge the motorhome’s starter-battery as well as its leisure-battery. It’s perhaps stating the obvious, but if your dealer is planning to install a solar-panel system that only charges the leisure battery, revising that plan to provide more sophistication should be expected to cost extra. For example, the price of a new Votronic Duo charge controller (recommended by Charles) is around £100, and the price of a Van Bitz “Battery Master” (which I assume is what Mickt was referring to) is around £70. When a motorhome is out of use and its batteries cannot be charged via a 230V mains-powered battery charger, a suitable solar-panel system will help to maintain the batteries’ charge state. The system can either charge all the batteries (starter and leisure) via a controller, or charge the leisure batteries and have a device (eg. a Battery Master) that transfers charge from the leisure batteries to the starter-battery. The simplest/crudest ploy is Clive Mott’s ‘bridging fuse’ approach http://www.motts.org/BRIDGING%20FUSE.htm but even this will involve effort and cost to install fuse-holders and wiring to connect the leisure and starter batteries together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alansh Posted June 19, 2021 Author Share Posted June 19, 2021 Thank you. Money isn't the issue here - I just need it to work. I will ring him and sort it out. Thank you all, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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