Solar time!!!

This looks awesome! So you are currently charging 4 batteries with a single controller?

How does the secondary charging from the solar on the house (primary) battery affect the alternator charging the same battery? Can batteries absorb multiple charging inputs?

I hate electricity with a passion. So forgive my knowledge and basic questions.

 

I am charging two batteries on my Tundra. A pair of Odyssey AGM with a Genesis Offroad package.

The solar controller is somewhat smart. It’ll only charge if the batteries need it, and works fine combined with the stock charging system. Power is power. It’s nothing more than whatever voltage the controller is set to charge, and however many amps you have available from the panels at that time. Watts/volts=amps.


I have two systems, if you’re spotting four batteries. Two in the truck, and two in the travel trailer. I use the same brand Solar parts for both.

 

Thanks for the explanation! Im going to follow this thread, I have been trying to figure out how to design the system, I think this thread answers it!

 

I ended up with a leaky gut a few years ago and I am not supposed to eat anything with wheat, malt or barley (along with a long list of other things) but that kind of narrows things down as far as beer is concerned. Yep, that crushed me as I am a huge fan of Kilt Lifter (Local brewery bought by Budweiser years back) and I can no longer enjoy. Poking around looking at things the ciders are close enough for me thumbsup so I have been drinking them when I can find them. I am a mess...

 

love the setup, thin filmed panels would never work in NV, they delaminate way too quicky due to the harshness of the high desert. maybe in 20 years they will have a better more bulletproof, lighter weight panel for us to use. solar is the way to go.

 

Another three months in, so about 6 months of total use.
Not one single issue and still operating perfectly. For anyone on the fence about a strong solar system, I’d recommend something along this line. Most days, I completely forget it’s even there!

 

Solar would be fun, but for far too much of the year where I live, if you blink, you miss the sunlight hours. I'd really like it on my travel trailer though, someday. First, insulate it and install an RV escape window, then panel the inside and bedliner the floor, then solar. I run things off a small 12V battery as it is that does charge off the truck when driving, but it only supports the lights in the trailer for like, a night, plus a couple cell phones charge.

 

Where are you at? We’ve got pretty short days in the winter where I live, and more overcast and rainy days than I like to think about, but I still get plenty of light on the panels to make a huge difference. Might only see 30-40 watts on some days, but it adds up fast.

 

Hello, looking at adding a similar setup to our Tundra. Do you have an isolator between your starting and aux battery? If so, does it need to be dual sensing in order to "back feed/charge" the starting battery should it be isolated already when receiving solar charge? Hope that makes sense.

Thanks in advance for any input.

 

I have an earlier version of this Genesis Offroad kit.

https://www.genesisoffroad.com/gen3-tundra-dual-battery-kit

My solar dumps power into my house battery. Once it’s full, the solenoid closes and solar charges the starting battery. Effectively, it’s a big single battery at this point. When I start the truck, it works the same except the start battery gets charged first.

System is still working great and the batteries are still quite happy. Zero regrets.


A similar system could be home built using a Blue Seas ACR.

https://www.bluesea.com/products/7611/BatteryLink_Automatic_Charging_Relay_-_12V_24V_DC_120A

Only thing I don’t like about the ACR is it’s only rated for 120A.

 

Thank you for the reply and information. I believe we are describing the same scenario. We just weren't sure if the isolator would close from solar in the "opposite" way of how it's purposed to work (i.e. make sure you have sufficient alternator charge/running voltage on the starting battery before closing to charge aux). Figured that might be the "dual sensing" feature in that it will sense a charge from either side. We have a Blue Sea ML-ACR we planned to use but if it wouldn't let solar charge through to the starting battery we'd opt for something else. Any chance you could post pictures of your battery setup or a crude wiring diagram? Would love to see it since you've have such success with it. Thanks again.

 

It’s really simple since I used the Genesis setup. The top of the apparatus (the lid) connects both batteries to the system and your OEM battery leads tie into it without modification. All house loads connect to a pair of buss bars.

The power leads from my solar charge controller got to these buss bars. Easy peasy.

 

Got it. Thank you again for the information.