How to determine if Solar is working

[Datsdad]

Have 2024 Dynamax Isata 3, Freedom Series (no propane). Has 2 lithium batteries with 590W of solar panels. I'm not mechanically inclined. I've had reason to believe solar panels aren't charging batteries - purely off my experience with previously owned travel trailer. Ran "experiment". It's in storage, each day for 10 days checked battery level. Everything in unit was "turned off". Checked battery level every day for 10 days. Each day the batteries were going down by 5% even though nothing was on and the solar panels should have been charging the batteries. Where parked get sun, except for couple hours in am. Sunny weather, no rain and/or heavy cloud cover during this time period.
How can I more definitively check if solar panels working without taking back to dealer?

Thanks for the help,
David (mechanically challenged RVer).

[tomkatb]

A voltmeter on the battery bank will tell you.

Batteries are about 13.4 typically fully charged. Therefor the solar should provide well over 14 volts to charge them. The converter should as well.

You should have some method of reading voltage on some device, in the rv.

[bikendan]

Moved thread from the Tech and Repair section to the Dynamax sub-forum for better help from other Dynamax owners and possible factory support.

[Aussieguy]

make sure there is no solar disconnect switches
you might have one between the panels and the controller

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multimeter.... must have one and learn basic usage

Discharge some power from the battery overnight...
measure voltage on:
1) roof at the panels
2) at the input to solar controller
3) output of solar controller
4) at battery cable

Those simple measurements will tell you all that is needed
You can skip the roof measurement as long as you can read good voltage at the controller input...
no panel voltage at the controller input = a trip on the roof

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lots of good video tutorials on how to use a multimeter
search youtube for testing solar panels

[PhilFromMaine]

Originally Posted by Datsdad

Have 2024 Dynamax Isata 3, Freedom Series (no propane). Has 2 lithium batteries with 590W of solar panels. I'm not mechanically inclined. I've had reason to believe solar panels aren't charging batteries - purely off my experience with previously owned travel trailer. Ran "experiment". It's in storage, each day for 10 days checked battery level. Everything in unit was "turned off". Checked battery level every day for 10 days. Each day the batteries were going down by 5% even though nothing was on and the solar panels should have been charging the batteries. Where parked get sun, except for couple hours in am. Sunny weather, no rain and/or heavy cloud cover during this time period.
How can I more definitively check if solar panels working without taking back to dealer?

Thanks for the help,
David (mechanically challenged RVer).

Your solar charge controller, battery monitor, or bluetooth battery monitor should all indicate amps going into the batteries. One of my favorite play tools is a clamp meter. Put it around a positive wire and it will tell you how much amperage is flowing in that wire.


For 590W panels you should get more than 30 amps at peak on a good day and the panels facing the sun. On a brand new motor home I would assume they installed a way for you to see the solar amperage coming in.


If you aren't getting anything it is obvious that something isn't connected correctly or something is disconnected.

[bclemens]

If you want to check solar....you will need to get the Victron app. That app, will pair with the MPPT controller that we use from Victron. It will tell you exactly how much solar you are getting each day.

[Giboneys]

Originally Posted by Datsdad

Have 2024 Dynamax Isata 3, Freedom Series (no propane). Has 2 lithium batteries with 590W of solar panels. I'm not mechanically inclined. I've had reason to believe solar panels aren't charging batteries - purely off my experience with previously owned travel trailer. Ran "experiment". It's in storage, each day for 10 days checked battery level. Everything in unit was "turned off". Checked battery level every day for 10 days. Each day the batteries were going down by 5% even though nothing was on and the solar panels should have been charging the batteries. Where parked get sun, except for couple hours in am. Sunny weather, no rain and/or heavy cloud cover during this time period.
How can I more definitively check if solar panels working without taking back to dealer?

Thanks for the help,
David (mechanically challenged RVer).

Get you one of the following, you will need to get on the roof and test each panel, I did this when the TT was and took pictures for future comparison like after a recent hail storm

https://a.co/d/0gnttkGP

[tewasch]

The easiest thing to do will be to follow bclemens' advice and download the Victron App. I have one too and it tells you both the voltage in/out and the current flow. Pairing your phone to the device might cause a little hiccup for you, but you'll figure it out.

That being said, the other excellent advice was a clip-on current meter. MAKE SURE THAT THE ONE YOU BUY CAN MEASURE DC-CURRENT. Most do not--they measure only AC current. Make sure the advertisement says is measures DC current. Good luck. Tom.