Davvygolf replied on 04/02/2023 16:42
Posted on 04/02/2023 16:42
I have seen the previous discussions about batteries and would appreciate some advice.
I have a 2019 Bailey Brindisi with a 100w Truma solar panel and the Truma i net system for heating etc. It is fitted with a Numax 105ah deep cycle battery(new in 2019)
The van is on a seasonal pitch & for the last 2 years we have been able to leave it on site during the close season (from 31 October to 1st March) with a cover but not connected to mains .My Protec cover has a transparent PVC type cut out over the solar panel. With the i net system I can message from home to check the status of the battery and up to mid December it reported the battery at 12.2 volts. On 11 January it showed 11.2v. Last Saturday ,28 Jan, i received a message saying that there was no 12v power supply and when I messaged it reported the battery at 6.9 v. After that I could get no response .
On Wednesday I drove down and there was no pwer to switch on the 12 v lights so I removed the battery and brought it home.
I put it on my Smart Charger and it came back to 13.3 volts fairly quickly. After removal from the charger it went down to 12.8v but since then has only lost about 0.3 v per day so I assume that it is okay.
I have 2 questions-
Is it likely that the Truma i net is using power even though the heating and hot water system is off. I assume it must use some when it receives or transmits a SMS message but I would not expect it to be significant. I asked the question of Truma but the reply was not clear.
Am I being unrealistic to expect my Solar panel to keep the battery charged over the period from October to February, particularly when the panel is covered (albeit transparent), and should I just remove the battery and bring it home for that period?
Davvygolf