Dear Dave,
With solar, can your battery overcharge? I have a battery disconnect. Should I use that rather than continuously charging when in storage in between trips? Thank you. —Thomas
Watch my reply to Thomas in the video below.
Dave Solberg is a leading expert in the RV industry and author of the “RV Handbook” as well as the Managing Editor of the RV Repair Club.
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Does your reply apply to all type of batteries?
Lithium batteries charge differently. They use higher voltage to charge but drop back to the voltage Dave mentions once charged.
Use a solar charge controller with a lithium setting and you will be fine.
Not a fan of video only answers. Some RVers may only have a flip phone, slow data or low amounts of data available.
Ahh! To the point of earlier in the newsletter about video articles. I normally read everything in Dave’s columns. When I found no written content I thot I would try looking at the video for his answer. I must have only been 30 to 45 seconds in and got out of it. I do not know the answer. I guess I just can’t be distracted for the 4 min video when I could read and comprehend in under 2 min. Videos are just distracting. Just an FYI to add to your earlier questions about newsletter content. Sorry, but that is just me, I guess.
Please, no video. Simple text is far more effective and efficient. (Imagine if the 10 Commandments were handed down as a streaming video; or if the passengers on the Titanic were ordered to view a lifejacket and lifeboat instructional video before being allowed to evacuate.)
Can unregulated solar input overcharge a battery? Yes. That’s why a proper charge controller, configured correctly, is important. It’s really the heart of a solar charging system. We use solar panels to charge batteries at our backcountry vacation/hunting camp. The same panels and charge controller have been out there, keeping the batteries topped up, virtually maintenance free, for over 15 years. Sometimes the place sits vacant for a couple months at a time, particularly in winter, so I make sure to check the batteries when we get there, and top up with distilled water as needed, which isn’t very often. When we purchased solar for our travel trailer, I made sure the set up uses a highly rated charge controller. We’ve had no issues, and the freedom a properly operating solar charging system provides when boondocking is priceless.