Bill I noticed on the Quartzite photo of your coach you have two huge solar cells. Could you tell us a little about them and what about your battery bank? Do you have more than to two coach batteries most of us have and if so where are they? Also can I be nosey, what is the metal box you have attached to the side of the coach?

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[This message has been edited by davebowers (edited February 20, 2005).]

quote:

Originally posted by davebowers:
Bill I not on the Quartzite photo of your coach you have two huge solar cells. Could you tell us a little about them and what about your battery bank? Do you have more than to two coach batteries most of us have and if so where are they? Also can I be nosey, what is the metal box you have attached to the side of the coach?

They are not really all that huge. One is 65 watts and the other is 100 watts. I use a Trace C12 solar controller, but will soon replace it with a higher amperage Solar Boost MPPT controller. I have two Trojan T125 golf cart batts which are in their fifth year and still strong. As previously discussed, I never add water due to the layer of mineral oil floating on top of the electrolyte. I use a Trimetric panel to monitor battery use, and it usually reads that I am down to 60 percent at bedtime and the solar cells bring it up to 80 percent at cocktail time. I should note that charging above 80 percent is a waste of energy, due to internal resistance and Pueckert factors and the phase of the moon. If the coach sits for a day or two without usage, the batts go back to 100 percent, though, and stays there. My two gc batts and the chassis batt are in a sliding compartment just aft of the pass wheel well. We are pretty frugal with electricity, preferring to read or listen to coyotes than watch TV. Our reading lights are LEDs, and wife loves candles, so we don't use much batt power. I do use a CPAP, though. One of the rules of thumb out there is two solar panels and two gc batteries for a minimum system. I may go one more panel so we can make our own ice, which will probably necessitate going to four gc batteries. If I go to four gc batts in the compartment, I will have to relocate the chassis batt. Probably use a sealed one in the baggage comp or behind the right headlamps. If we have several cloudy days in a row, or are parked under trees, we run the Kohler Klanker. We also run it for the blender at cocktail time, and our Iota DLS 75IQ pumps a lot of amps into the batts for the duration of the clanking. Honda EV 6010 going in sometime.

The aluminum box you are seeing in the picture is not really a box and is not attached to the coach. It is a folding barbecue wind shield made of aluminum sheet and piano hinges. It sits on my barbecue table which seems to be invisible in the picture. I made it a couple of years ago, and was surprised to see a guy selling almost exact copies at the Quartzsite RV show. As we boondock exclusively, I am amazed anyone saw it to copy it. But it shelters one or two gas barbecues on three sides pretty well, allowing low and slow cooking of things like ribs.



[This message has been edited by bill h (edited February 20, 2005).]

Bill,please share more info on your battery care.( I never add water due to the layer of mineral oil floating on top of the electrolyte.) Thanks BRES.

Here is a link to the oil in battery discussion of last year:

http://barthmobile.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3631087061/m/...431048061#8431048061

Gad! I learn somthin new (and important) on this site every day. Gotta try the mineral oil trick.
What about simply leaving the coach plugged in all winter if you live in frigid climes? Thats what I've been doing. I have only had to add water to the sob's house batt twice in the last 2years. It never seems to go down while plugged in but after several days of long runs while on the road I did need to top up. Maybe the alternator doesn't regulate the charge as well as the converter?
Our only long trip has been the Lake Superior Circle Route back in July and that's when the sob's (1990 Pleasure-Way B class)house batt needed a top up.
REgards,
Don
>

quote:

Originally posted by bill h:
Here is a link to the oil in battery discussion of last year:

https://www.barthmobile.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/000525.html

quote:

Originally posted by Don in Niagara:
Gad! I learn somthin new (and important) on this site every day. Gotta try the mineral oil trick.
What about simply leaving the coach plugged in all winter if you live in frigid climes? Thats what I've been doing. I have only had to add water to the sob's house batt twice in the last 2 years. It never seems to go down while plugged in but after several days of long runs while on the road I did need to top up. Maybe the alternator doesn't regulate the charge as well as the converter?
Our only long trip has been the Lake Superior Circle Route back in July and that's when the sob's (1990 Pleasure-Way B class)house batt needed a top up.
REgards,
Don
>

Well, Don, if it never seems to go down when it is plugged in, you are probably OK. All converters are different. Some actually charge the battery, and some just supply 12 volts. Your voltage should be 13.2 volts while it sits plugged in. That is the ideal "float" charge. Or your hydrometer should read around 1265 or so. A hydrometer reading is the best way to know how happy your battery is. These are optimum figures, and it is possible to do pretty well with less than optimum.

Of course, I know people who ignore their boat battery all winter and it starts in the spring, too. My boat sits with a trickle charger on a timer, and gets an hour or so a day. That keeps it up pretty well.

I would suspect that your alternator puts out more amps than your converter, so there would be more gassing and bubbling, with the resultant loss of water.