Solar / battery advise.

[Obanboy666]

I recently bought a new Pilote motorhome which came with a factory fitted 120 watt solar panel.
I am presently parked up at Melon Udrigle with my grandson after spending last night at Loch Tulla viewpoint.
When I hit the sack last night after watching 3 hours tv the Pilote battery display was showing 12.7 volts so more or less full, I have 2 x 105 amp batteries.
This morning the display was showing 12.4 volts. I have just parked up after 4 hours driving and the display is showing 13.0 volts and the solar panel is putting charge in.
Curious as to why I’m losing amps overnight when nothing is on ? Could the charge be going back out through the solar panel ? I’m well aware you only get a true battery reading after they have been at rest for a few hours but I’ve always noticed the reading goes up not down once they are off load.
Looking at the manual the electrical unit is a combined charger, transformer ( 12volt distribution ) and a solar controller.
No fuse on the controller for the solar panel but there is a multi pin connector. Would it be ok to disconnect this tonight before dark to determine if it is a solar panel fault ?
Obviously I will be contacting the dealer on my return home but any info I can give them would be beneficial.
I could also turn the control / display unit off but this doesn’t disconnect the solar panel.

 

[harrow]

showing 12.7 volts so more or less full, I have 2 x 105 amp batteries.
This morning the display was showing 12.4 volts. I have just parked up after 4 hours driving and the display is showing 13.0 volts and the solar panel is putting charge in.

Lots of unknowns here but after 4 hours driving and the display is showing 13.0 volts and the solar panel is putting charge in


During the 4 hours of driving the engines alternator show be charging the leisure battery and I would expect the starter and leisure batteries to be a similar voltage?

 

[colinm]

The panel should have a blocking diode so shouldn't discharge, also it will start charging the battery quite early in morning this time of year unless it was very dark and overcast, so shouldn't be lower in morning than when last used at night.

 

[Obanboy666]

Had a quick look for the solar panel connector on the electrical block and cannot locate it.
Going to leave as is apart from switching everything off tonight and let dealer sort it out when I get home.

 

[hotrats]

I recently bought a new Pilote motorhome which came with a factory fitted 120 watt solar panel.
I am presently parked up at Melon Udrigle with my grandson after spending last night at Loch Tulla viewpoint.
When I hit the sack last night after watching 3 hours tv the Pilote battery display was showing 12.7 volts so more or less full, I have 2 x 105 amp batteries.
This morning the display was showing 12.4 volts. I have just parked up after 4 hours driving and the display is showing 13.0 volts and the solar panel is putting charge in.
Curious as to why I’m losing amps overnight when nothing is on ? Could the charge be going back out through the solar panel ? I’m well aware you only get a true battery reading after they have been at rest for a few hours but I’ve always noticed the reading goes up not down once they are off load.
Looking at the manual the electrical unit is a combined charger, transformer ( 12volt distribution ) and a solar controller.
No fuse on the controller for the solar panel but there is a multi pin connector. Would it be ok to disconnect this tonight before dark to determine if it is a solar panel fault ?
Obviously I will be contacting the dealer on my return home but any info I can give them would be beneficial.
I could also turn the control / display unit off but this doesn’t disconnect the solar panel.

I have baught a new to me pilote so i will be interested to see how the panel connects,is there not a mppi or pwm controler? will chech mine when i pick this up,kooks like it could be a pain adding more solar.

 

[Obanboy666]

I have baught a new to me pilote so i will be interested to see how the panel connects,is there not a mppi or pwm controler? will chech mine when i pick this up,kooks like it could be a pain adding more solar.

Reading the manual it’s built into the controller. Yours being a slightly older model may well be different as they made many changes for 2019. This morning when I got up and switched the panel on it was showing 12.7 volts. When I put the aux usb sockets on and started charging my iPad it started to drop to under 12 volts. Exactly the same as I had with my previous van and it was a kaput battery that also knackered the other battery.
Anyway booked into dealer next week and presently running my EU10i generator
Wouldn’t travel without it !

 

[Obanboy666]

All sorted, dealer found a failed cell in one battery. Fitter agreed with me in that the second battery would be suspect due to the failed cell in other battery so fitted 2 new batteries.
So all being well heading out somewhere Sat / Sun for a few nights to check everything is working ok.

 

[mikal83]

All sorted, dealer found a failed cell in one battery. Fitter agreed with me in that the second battery would be suspect due to the failed cell in other battery so fitted 2 new batteries.
So all being well heading out somewhere Sat / Sun for a few nights to check everything is working ok.

12.7 volts in a battery is a dead battery.

 

[Obanboy666]

12.7 volts in a battery is a dead battery.

Is it ?

 

[trevskoda]

First of all most of them so called charger power supply units are poor to say the least,better to have a proper multi stage and float charger ,as for the panel again a sep unit mppt which will charge both van and starter battery.
You should be getting 14.4 volts from panel and same from eng alt,once you stop should stay at that voltage with the s/panels,at night it will slowly drop to 12.7 or as low as 12.2 if using lights etc.
You should fit a volt meter to dash or one that plugs into cigy socket so you can keep an eye on it when driving.
I do take it that all internal lights are led and if a tv is in use its a 12v one.

 

[Obanboy666]

First of all most of them so called charger power supply units are poor to say the least,better to have a proper multi stage and float charger ,as for the panel again a sep unit mppt which will charge both van and starter battery.
You should be getting 14.4 volts from panel and same from eng alt,once you stop should stay at that voltage with the s/panels,at night it will slowly drop to 12.7 or as low as 12.2 if using lights etc.
You should fit a volt meter to dash or one that plugs into cigy socket so you can keep an eye on it when driving.
I do take it that all internal lights are led and if a tv is in use its a 12v one.

100% agree !
Both the onboard charger & alternator put out 14.4 volts so not bothering to hard wire in my Ctek charger.
Not sure about the solar panel which charges both the leisure and vehicle batteries, the charge controller is built into the Elktroblock unit so will check tomoss after I collect it from dealer.
I use a couple of them plug in jobbies, one in the dash and one in the hab end. The hab one gives the same reading as the Pilote tablet display but as it’s on permanently its easier to view.

 

[jagmanx]

Cheap as chinese chips voltmeters..

I only have 1 on my LB.
Shows 14.4 in thr bright sun.
Down to 13.3 or so when it is dull.
Now at gone 10pm 12.9
Might go down to 12.6 at 3am.
Up at 13.5 or more at 9am.
1 LB at 90 ah
1 solar p at 120 watts.
The digital chinese voltmeter is consistent with my onboard control panel which is displaying green with 4 out of 5 lights on.

 

[hotrats]

They are fitting a additional 110 watt panel and a new mppt controller to my van ,so it will be interesting to see the results when i pick it up and start faffing about with it,just when my old vantana was on song i go and change.Oh and a second leasure battery so i hope there`s no messing with the 120 panel.

 

[trevskoda]

They are fitting a additional 110 watt panel and a new mppt controller to my van ,so it will be interesting to see the results when i pick it up and start faffing about with it,just when my old vantana was on song i go and change.Oh and a second leasure battery so i hope there`s no messing with the 120 panel.

I would ask them to fit the solar regulator i put on here as it has a 1ah trickle to starter battery,all others do not.