Solar Panels to Charge Batteries

[TxGD380FL]

I purchased a lightly used 2021 Solitude 380FL last weekend that has Solar Panels installed. This is my first camper with Solar, so I am wondering how I keep the batteries charged when the camper is stored outside without electric service. The previous owner was pulling two small fuses near the batteries and where the two disconnects are located in the pass-through storage. (I do not recall why he was doing this)

After reading the Go Power website, here is what I think I need to do to charge the batteries from the panels:
1. Plug in the two fuses to connect the solar panels (??)
2. Turn off both disconnects (inverter and camper to avoid parasitic drain)
3. Turn off the Inverter
4. The Solar Controller display should remain on

The system components are as follows:
Two 190-Watt Solar Panels mounted on the roof (380 Watts)
Three Lion Energy 100-Watt Lithium Batteries
Go Power Controller
Go Power Inverter/Charger 3000 Watt

Go Power Panels in front pass-through storage


Lion Energy Batteries in front compartment


Safari UT 1300


Inverter Disconnect in pass-through storage with one of the small fuses he was pulling


Camper Battery Disconnect in pass-through storage


For those who have solar panels, please let me know if this method is correct.

[Soundsailor]

I purchased a lightly used 2021 Solitude 380FL last weekend that has Solar Panels installed. This is my first camper with Solar, so I am wondering how I keep the batteries charged when the camper is stored outside without electric service. The previous owner was pulling two small fuses near the batteries and where the two disconnects are located in the pass-through storage. (I do not recall why he was doing this)

After reading the Go Power website, here is what I think I need to do to charge the batteries from the panels:
1. Plug in the two fuses to connect the solar panels (??)
2. Turn off both disconnects (inverter and camper to avoid parasitic drain)
3. Turn off the Inverter
4. The Solar Controller display should remain on

The system components are as follows:
Two 190-Watt Solar Panels mounted on the roof (380 Watts)
Three Lion Energy 100-Watt Lithium Batteries
Go Power Controller
Go Power Inverter/Charger 3000 Watt

Go Power Panels in front pass-through storage


Lion Energy Batteries in front compartment


Safari UT 1300


Inverter Disconnect in pass-through storage with one of the small fuses he was pulling


Camper Battery Disconnect in pass-through storage


For those who have solar panels, please let me know if this method is correct.

First off, I would want to know a bit more about the fuses you mentioned. Personally, I wouldn't want to be removing fuses as a way of shutting down circuits, a breaker (such as these https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07KF35QHK) is a much better idea. For the scenario you're describing (keeping the batteries charged when the coach is stored outside), I would turn off the inverter and any other loads with a switch, leave the disconnect in the "On" position, and make sure that there is enough sun in your planned location to do the job.

[TxGD380FL]

First off, I would want to know a bit more about the fuses you mentioned. Personally, I wouldn't want to be removing fuses as a way of shutting down circuits, a breaker (such as these https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07KF35QHK) is a much better idea. For the scenario you're describing (keeping the batteries charged when the coach is stored outside), I would turn off the inverter and any other loads with a switch, leave the disconnect in the "On" position, and make sure that there is enough sun in your planned location to do the job.

Just to clarify, the previous owner was storing it in a covered parking spot, so he was not trying to keep the batteries charged with solar on a regular basis. I believe this I why he was removing the small fuses. One of them can be seen in the red holder of the 4th picture, the other one is the same kind and was next to the batteries.

The storage location I have is outside with no trees or tall buildings, so it will get full sun all day long. You mentioned the disconnect switch in the On position, did you mean the battery disconnect in picture 5 or the inverter disconnect in picture 4? I am pretty sure the previous owner said he turned them both off when he wanted to charge the batteries from solar.

[acoleman43]

The solar panels send DC power from the solar panels to the solar charge controller. Your panels will be connected directly to the Go Power solar charge controller. The solar charge controller will convert the high voltage from the panels to 12V for the batteries. The solar charge controller then sends the 12V DC electricity directly to the batteries.

So, make sure there is no break (verify cut-off switches are turned to the on position, and all fuses are present) between the solar panels and solar charge controller, and between the solar charge controller and batteries.

For the fuses, Here's my guess: One fuse was for the solar charge controller, and the other fuse was for the battery bank. He probably turned the inverter off and had the cut-off switched in the off position when he stored it. If this is the case, both fuses need to be installed and the cut-off switches need to be in the on position.

The inverter/charger is part of a separate system. it is not involved with the solar panels. It will be connected to the batteries for 2 reasons: 1- To charge the batteries from shore power (AC electricity) and 2- To use DC electricity from the batteries to invert into AC electricity for the AC electrical components of the trailer. The inverter/charger won't be connected to the solar charge controller.

I hope this helps. You got a good trailer, you'll enjoy it!

[TxGD380FL]

As a follow-up to this thread, I contacted Go-Power earlier this week and spoke with one of their tech support engineers. After listening to my explanation of the components, he went into a long discussion of how the system was designed to operate. As a summary, he said the solar panels connect to the solar controller at the bottom right of my first picture. The solar controller regulates the voltage from the panels to the batteries and provides them only what they need for charging. If the batteries are low, it provides more power to charge them faster, if they are almost full, it provides less power to keep them topped off. The solar controller uses power from the batteries to operate, so as long as it is on, he said the panels are charging the batteries.

He indicated the two 190-watt panels on the roof and the three 100A Lithium batteries was a well-balanced design. He also said they do not normally use an inverter disconnect like the one fourth picture, because turning the controller off at the panel is the same as disconnecting it externally. He said I will have to leave the fuse in the battery compartment connected for charging, but I can leave the disconnects to the camper and inverter in either position, and the small inverter fuse in or out, as they will not affect the charging status.