Solar charging of primary battery

[Dawid Potgieter]

I need some help with my battery setup. I have a Trialmaster with the Ineos factory dual battery system. I have a Victron MPPT connected to the secondary battery. My fridge is connected to run directly off the secondary battery. My roof outlets powering my camp lights still run off the primary battery. The guy who did the installation for me told me that once the secondary battery is fully charged via solar, it will also charge the primary battery via the solar input. I don't see any charge going into my primary battery even though the second battery is full. From what I can see on the Internet, the Smartpass completely disconnects the 2 batteries when the engine is off. So it seems unlikely that primary battery will get charged. When I connect my AC charger to the primary battery however, it does look like the Smartpass allows charging of the secondary battery. Is that correct? I don't have much time before my next trip, and is looking for a quick and simple solution to allow charging of my primary battery as well with solar while in the bush, as the camp lights draw a lot of power from my primary battery.

 

[Quartermaster]

The primary battery will be trickle charged when its voltage is under a certain value, roughly 12,3 V from my experience.

 

[Lollo050968]

If you charge via the charging point under the bonnet, both batteries are charged. From my experience at first the auxiliary and after full charged, the starter battery is going to be charged.
My Fridge is connected via the compressor connection under the backseat (directly to the starter?)
Last summer auxiliary battery was low on 0% and the starter stopped delivering power at 7%. The engine started without any problems at first attempt.
Now with 240W mobile panel, the batteries are throughout the day 100%, and still additional power over the load connection of the Victron MPPT.

P.S: I „burned“ one 25A fuse, at the attempt to charge over the roof connection. This way should be oneway…..

 

[Dawid Potgieter]

I

If you charge via the charging point under the bonnet, both batteries are charged. From my experience at first the auxiliary and after full charged, the starter battery is going to be charged.
My Fridge is connected via the compressor connection under the backseat (directly to the starter?)
Last summer auxiliary battery was low on 0% and the starter stopped delivering power at 7%. The engine started without any problems at first attempt.
Now with 240W mobile panel, the batteries are throughout the day 100%, and still additional power over the load connection of the Victron MPPT.

P.S: I „burned“ one 25A fuse, at the attempt to charge over the roof connection. This way should be oneway…..

I don't understand exactly what you mean. You talk about charging from the charging point under the bonnet, but also about your solar panel and mppt. So where do you connect your solar panel to?

 

[Logsplitter]

When I camp I have 2 x 100watt suitcase style solar panels. These have inbuilt mppt controllers and I charge the Grenadier via the jump start post under the bonnet. This seems to charge both batteries and I have an ARB 47l fridge running constantly. The mppt controllers regularly indicate that the battery is at the float stage so all seems fine. When at powered campsites I plug into the mains and trickle charge the batteries with a Victron smart charger.
Hope this helps.