Solar and batteries
- Thread starter wyleyrabbit
- Start date
wyleyrabbit
Well-known member
Terry,
I have no idea where this would be. I know where the fuse box is by am not sure where this line would be. Is there a picture that might save a thousand words of explanation?
Chris
I have no idea where this would be. I know where the fuse box is by am not sure where this line would be. Is there a picture that might save a thousand words of explanation?
Chris
katkens
Founding Illinios Chapter Leader-retired
I got this from THE DIESELPLACE FORUM , might help.......KENNY
Let's get the facts straight
1. We are talking about the new body style 07.5, 08, and 09 trucks, the old body style trucks are different
2. The wire to feed 12v power to the trailer connector is the one taped up to the harness under the master cylinder, you must connect it yourself and get your own metric nut to put on the stud.
3. That 12v power wire gets connected to stud #1 which is at the front of the under hood fuse box closest to the FENDER
4. If the truck is a diesel and has 2 batteries or is a gasser and has an extra battery installed from the factory the 40 amp fuse in position number 63 should already be installed, if it's not then put one in, if it's there make sure it's not blown.
5. The wire taped up between the under hood fuse box and fender is the power wire for an aftermarket brake controller and would get connected to stud #2 that is in front of the under hood fuse box and closest to the Engine, it is supplied power from fuse number 58 and is a 30 amp fuse. If you have the factory Integrated Brake Controller DO NOT connect this wire to anything.
6. There is already a wire connected to stud #2 which goes right into the wire harness in front of the fuse box, I'm not sure what it's for but I think it's the power wire for the Factory Integrated Brake Controller, maybe Heymccall can verify and if someone Doesn't have the IBC they can look and see if they have that wire hooked up. Either way leave that wire alone if it's there or not.
Now if you hooked up the wire's correctly and checked the fuses and have 12v at stud #1 but still don't have 12v power to the trailer connector then you most likely have a problem in the wiring somewhere, most likely at the trailer connector.
But there is a junction block or two under the bed of the truck that could be a problem too.
If your having problems with the trailer plug don't forget to double check the Camper wiring harness, if you have it, that should be taped up under the front of the bed or may be as far back as up on top of the spare tire. The wires are just cut blunt ends and have power to them just like the trailer connector and they maybe touching each other or touching ground and causing intermittent or constant problems.
Let's get the facts straight
1. We are talking about the new body style 07.5, 08, and 09 trucks, the old body style trucks are different
2. The wire to feed 12v power to the trailer connector is the one taped up to the harness under the master cylinder, you must connect it yourself and get your own metric nut to put on the stud.
3. That 12v power wire gets connected to stud #1 which is at the front of the under hood fuse box closest to the FENDER
4. If the truck is a diesel and has 2 batteries or is a gasser and has an extra battery installed from the factory the 40 amp fuse in position number 63 should already be installed, if it's not then put one in, if it's there make sure it's not blown.
5. The wire taped up between the under hood fuse box and fender is the power wire for an aftermarket brake controller and would get connected to stud #2 that is in front of the under hood fuse box and closest to the Engine, it is supplied power from fuse number 58 and is a 30 amp fuse. If you have the factory Integrated Brake Controller DO NOT connect this wire to anything.
6. There is already a wire connected to stud #2 which goes right into the wire harness in front of the fuse box, I'm not sure what it's for but I think it's the power wire for the Factory Integrated Brake Controller, maybe Heymccall can verify and if someone Doesn't have the IBC they can look and see if they have that wire hooked up. Either way leave that wire alone if it's there or not.
Now if you hooked up the wire's correctly and checked the fuses and have 12v at stud #1 but still don't have 12v power to the trailer connector then you most likely have a problem in the wiring somewhere, most likely at the trailer connector.
But there is a junction block or two under the bed of the truck that could be a problem too.
If your having problems with the trailer plug don't forget to double check the Camper wiring harness, if you have it, that should be taped up under the front of the bed or may be as far back as up on top of the spare tire. The wires are just cut blunt ends and have power to them just like the trailer connector and they maybe touching each other or touching ground and causing intermittent or constant problems.
wyleyrabbit
Well-known member
Ken,
Thank you very much for the detailed instructions. The fuse is installed, but the wire is not hooked up. I will have to find out, possibly by trial and error, what sized nut and washer I need for this stud post, as it looks smaller in diameter than the one beside it.
The frustrating part is that I bought the truck from the dealership and told them this truck is being purchased specifically to pull a trailer..."oh yes, everything is ready to go." Then I take the truck to trailer dealership to have hitch installed, etc..."oh yes, we do this all the time, we know what we're doing." Yeah right.
In my humble opinion, if any one factor is driving this recession, it's incompetence.
Chris
Thank you very much for the detailed instructions. The fuse is installed, but the wire is not hooked up. I will have to find out, possibly by trial and error, what sized nut and washer I need for this stud post, as it looks smaller in diameter than the one beside it.
The frustrating part is that I bought the truck from the dealership and told them this truck is being purchased specifically to pull a trailer..."oh yes, everything is ready to go." Then I take the truck to trailer dealership to have hitch installed, etc..."oh yes, we do this all the time, we know what we're doing." Yeah right.
In my humble opinion, if any one factor is driving this recession, it's incompetence.
Chris
jmgratz
Original Owners Club Member
The whole world is ate up with incompetence. That is one of my pet peeves. You pay good money for something and it is not done correctly or it is done half a.. because of incompetence. I agree that is the biggest problem today....incompetence....WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!
wyleyrabbit
Well-known member
And that goes for Canada too!!!
wyleyrabbit
Well-known member
Ken,
Thanks for the excellent instructions. Went to Home Depot today and bought a couple of sizes of nuts and washers. For anyone else that needs to do this, the entire operation took about 5 mins, and the correct nut size is "M6" and the washer is 6mm.
Chris
Thanks for the excellent instructions. Went to Home Depot today and bought a couple of sizes of nuts and washers. For anyone else that needs to do this, the entire operation took about 5 mins, and the correct nut size is "M6" and the washer is 6mm.
Chris
katkens
Founding Illinios Chapter Leader-retired
Your welcome Chris glad I could help , was surprised yours was different than mine. I just had to add the fuse ,really don't understand why they are not ready to go from the factory. Glad I could help but most of the credit goes to www.dieselplace.com where I got the info, might consider joining great place for picking tidbits up.....Kenny
Don't know if this is to late or not but we just got back from the Vegas Nascar race and while there one of our buddy's 6 VDC batterys failed the first day. It was only 1.5 years old. I checked the charging system and all was fine and then looked for a dead short and couldn't find a thing. What finally tipped me off was the full charge would come right back up from the genny but after 10 minutes use the battery bank was back down to 11.7 - 11.9 which is only 40% charge. I disconnected the two from each other and sure enough one was at 6.6 VDC and the other at 4.6VDC. Problem solved!!
wyleyrabbit
Well-known member
Yesterday, I disconnected the batteries from the trailer completely, then let them sit for about 5 minutes or so. Battery #1 measured 6.33 V, and battery #2 measured 6.28 V. Not sure if this tells us anything.
SmokeyBare
Well-known member
WyleyRabbit,
Look at your Charge Controller book.... see if there is a Equalizer setting that you may want to use. Batteries can charge differently... can draw down un-equal as well. Some Charge controllers have a setting that allows the battery bank to be equalized... to be over charged to the point that all are at their highest settings.
Our Inverter also has this feature... that allows the battery bank to be equalized... as I understand what's happening with Equalizing... it in fact boils the batteries with a higher charge so they all Top off....
Not so sure I've explained it as well as I should have... do your research on the charge controller as well as your Inverter... to see what they say about charging features.
Marv
Look at your Charge Controller book.... see if there is a Equalizer setting that you may want to use. Batteries can charge differently... can draw down un-equal as well. Some Charge controllers have a setting that allows the battery bank to be equalized... to be over charged to the point that all are at their highest settings.
Our Inverter also has this feature... that allows the battery bank to be equalized... as I understand what's happening with Equalizing... it in fact boils the batteries with a higher charge so they all Top off....
Not so sure I've explained it as well as I should have... do your research on the charge controller as well as your Inverter... to see what they say about charging features.
Marv
wyleyrabbit
Well-known member
Marv,
When you say "charge controller" do you mean the "Go Power! solar regulator" or the "Progressive Dynamics converter with charge wizard"?
Chris
When you say "charge controller" do you mean the "Go Power! solar regulator" or the "Progressive Dynamics converter with charge wizard"?
Chris
SmokeyBare
Well-known member
Wyley,
I mean what is between the solar panels and the Bank of batteries. That component controls the amount of charge the batteries take from the solar panels. Like a plug in battery charger... once the battery is charged... it goes to trickle charge so as not to over charge... or over charge the battery so much the water boils the cell dry.
The " INVERTER " is the electrical component that uses the battery bank's power of 12 DC volts... Inverting it into 110 AC Volt. Those 110 AC Volts are then sent to your RV's electrical system...
On my Inverter... I also have a built in battery charger... that when switched on, can charge my bank batteries.... BUT it charges Only when I am connected to the Campgrounds Power supply. That was what I meant by using the Inverter to Equalize the batteries.
I mean what is between the solar panels and the Bank of batteries. That component controls the amount of charge the batteries take from the solar panels. Like a plug in battery charger... once the battery is charged... it goes to trickle charge so as not to over charge... or over charge the battery so much the water boils the cell dry.
The " INVERTER " is the electrical component that uses the battery bank's power of 12 DC volts... Inverting it into 110 AC Volt. Those 110 AC Volts are then sent to your RV's electrical system...
On my Inverter... I also have a built in battery charger... that when switched on, can charge my bank batteries.... BUT it charges Only when I am connected to the Campgrounds Power supply. That was what I meant by using the Inverter to Equalize the batteries.
grizzlygiant
Well-known member
My charge controller has dual battery equalizing. The solar power goes in one end and the two batteries are connected to separate terminals on the other end. The "smart" controller charges each battery to full power as individually needed.
ChopperBill
Well-known member
Long.
Oops! I just started reading this post. I may be of some help. I have the same Go Power as you.(we both should have got an MTTP controller but thats a different story) And I think I have the same 110 panel. It has been a pretty popular kit. I bought my 110 panel and controller from Solar Bill in Quartzite (I have another unprintable name for them but that is also a different story.) The "salesman" told me where to hook up the wires to the panel. There is more than just a pair. No power. With a call I found out the "salesman" was wrong. With a tester I found the right terminals. Hooked it up and still no charge to the batteries. Made the 80 mile trip back to them and found my controller was no good. (he said I didnt by the controller from him because it had a hook up that he had never seen!) The fight started. After he insulted us and even got Renee crying his wife told him to check their stock of other controllers. He came back, red faced, and found that there were a few more in stock that had the new terminals. He tested the our controller and IT DID NOT WORK! Got a new controller and with the proper wiring instructions I got my set up to work. I would check to see if the "technicians" wire your panel correctlly and if you controller is not defective like mine was. I have run over a week with ONE 110 panel and 4 6v batteries and only used the generator to run Renee's hair drier.
Oops! I just started reading this post. I may be of some help. I have the same Go Power as you.(we both should have got an MTTP controller but thats a different story) And I think I have the same 110 panel. It has been a pretty popular kit. I bought my 110 panel and controller from Solar Bill in Quartzite (I have another unprintable name for them but that is also a different story.) The "salesman" told me where to hook up the wires to the panel. There is more than just a pair. No power. With a call I found out the "salesman" was wrong. With a tester I found the right terminals. Hooked it up and still no charge to the batteries. Made the 80 mile trip back to them and found my controller was no good. (he said I didnt by the controller from him because it had a hook up that he had never seen!) The fight started. After he insulted us and even got Renee crying his wife told him to check their stock of other controllers. He came back, red faced, and found that there were a few more in stock that had the new terminals. He tested the our controller and IT DID NOT WORK! Got a new controller and with the proper wiring instructions I got my set up to work. I would check to see if the "technicians" wire your panel correctlly and if you controller is not defective like mine was. I have run over a week with ONE 110 panel and 4 6v batteries and only used the generator to run Renee's hair drier.
Bill, I'm sure you've been told this before but next time, go a couple blocks further to discount solar and rest easy. Those guys at Bill's are something else, almost had me baffled but the wife saw right thru them. Discount people are wonderful and talk about professional!!! All our stuff worked right out of the box with narry a problem.
Gary
Gary
ChopperBill
Well-known member
Thanks for the heads up. Yep ole Bill was about the biggest jerk I ever ran into. Accused us of buying the controller somewhere else and bringing it back. I had the receipt dated less than 24 hours before. Made no difference to him and he got screaming mad about. This went on for 10-15 minutes before his wife came and took over and told him to just stay away because he was upsetting the other customers. When his wife traded us out for a good one I had her put their sticker inside of the new controller and initial it. I was a rookie at solar when I went there but I heard about MTTP controllers but could not remember the name. The "salesman" said the Go Power was what I was looking for. NOT. Between Bill and the "salesman" I wont step foot in that place again!
I have one 125 Watt solar panel, a Prosine 2000 Watt pure sine wave inverter and 4 6V golf cart batteries. my solar panel is mounted flat on the roof and I use the Prosine to monitor the system, and control the charging on the batteries as it is an excellent system and allows me to monitor battery condition, shore power and inverter and battery charging. On a sunny day, my panel will put 5.5 amps into the system if needed and even on a cloudy day 3.5 is average. If the batteries are only at 60%, I would charge them fully and then check them with a load test to see how they recover. I like the golf cart batteries because they still have filler caps and so can be checked with a hydrometer which gives indicators of battery condition.
Even when running the TV, computer and kitchen appliances, my batteries recover in about 4 hour of solar charging the next morning. Either your batteries are weak or there is a draw on the system somewhere.
Even when running the TV, computer and kitchen appliances, my batteries recover in about 4 hour of solar charging the next morning. Either your batteries are weak or there is a draw on the system somewhere.
RVerFulltime
Fulltiming Since 2004
We have had GREAT luck with http://www.blueskyenergyinc.com/ controllers. They are the Industry Leaders in Solar Boost™ Charge Controllers Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) technology.
