Solar controller and battery type

[robbecky]

Hi folks. Getting ready to go on our first trip with our Forest River Flagstaff E-Pro E16BH. We have a solar panel on the roof and there is a solar controller on the wall in the trailer. I was fooling around with the controller to see what it could tell me and I think I changed the battery type by accident. But I don't know what kind of batteries came with the trailer.

Can someone tell me what kind I have or how to determine what kind I have?

Thanks,
Rob

[marinerjoe]

Hi Rob,

Can you look at the battery? It should say on it. Or if you could post the model number of the battery, a search will provide the information.

[robbecky]

It says Deep Cycle Roadhawk Predator RV

It has caps on top that remove and you can see the liquid in the holes. Does not appear to be maintenance free. Does that mean they are flooded batteries? I read that AGM batteries are sealed and maintenance free. Is that correct?

[boondocking]

Yes, you have flooded batteries.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by robbecky

It says Deep Cycle Roadhawk Predator RV

It has caps on top that remove and you can see the liquid in the holes. Does not appear to be maintenance free. Does that mean they are flooded batteries? I read that AGM batteries are sealed and maintenance free. Is that correct?

Batteries are a dealer-installed item on towables.
Dealers generally only install the cheapest 12v dual purpose marine battery they can get.
If it has a CCA(cold cranking amps)rating, it's not a true deep cycle battery.

[seizethebay]

I bought a solar panel and plugged it into the plug on the side of my unit. It did NOT charge the batteries. I had to connect my panel directly to the battery. That works great. I thought the trailer was "plug and play" but clearly it is not. My TT is a wildwood light.

[Flybob]

This is a common misconception with Solar Ready. It is a great marketing tool, but this is it. Solar Ready generally means you have a connector on the roof and some wires running down to where the battery is located and nothing more. You still need panels and a charge controller. Also in most cases, the wiring is not heavy enough for any serious solar system. I strongly suggest you add a charge controller and not connect directly to the battery. When buy ing a controller, get one that will handle what you think you may need in the future ie. 2-3 times what you start with. It is much less expensive than buying another one when you add panels.