I'm beginning to doubt what I thought I knew

[Rainwulf]

3 (soon to be 4) Flooded Lead Acid, currently 360 AH, 2/6A charger (harbor freight cheapie). No hydrometer and that was on my dang list too! Ugg. Ordering one as soon as I get up there.

You are going to need a much better charger, a multi-stage 20-30 amp one like a CTEK. Lets say you use your batteries down to 50 percent DOD, it would take at least 35-40 hours to recharge with your little charger. The CTEK's are good in that they can run in supply mode as well, which can be handy in some situations.

[Wooden Indian]

You are going to need a much better charger, a multi-stage 20-30 amp one like a CTEK. Lets say you use your batteries down to 50 percent DOD, it would take at least 35-40 hours to recharge with your little charger. The CTEK's are good in that they can run in supply mode as well, which can be handy in some situations.

I was checking out this http://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-SE-...709531&sr=1-36 but was told it was over sized for my application.

I'll check into that CTEK after work today. Maybe I can find it or an equivalent in town since shipping isn't an option right now.
Thanks!

[lkruper]

3 (soon to be 4) Flooded Lead Acid, currently 360 AH, 2/6A charger (harbor freight cheapie). No hydrometer and that was on my dang list too! Ugg. Ordering one as soon as I get up there.

I see you are now aware you need a better charger. That is the one thing that will save your batteries until you get your solar fine-tuned. In fact, you will probably need it on a regular basis. I don't recall what your geographical location is, if it has been mentioned, but likely your solar insolation numbers won't be sufficient in the Winter. I have been told that in this sort of situation, use the generator/charger in the morning to bulk the batteries and then the solar to finish them off works well.

Are; your batteries new? Also, are they installed in your RV? If so, I am interested where they are stored and how they are vented.

[Willy T]

I don't want to touch what your trying to do with Solar because your trying to build a system without any principal of your needs based on capacity of the system.

A stand alone Battery charger used in a Off Grid system powered by a generator does not have to be a fancy smart charger. Generally your only doing a bulk charge to get you through to the next available PV input. You want a charger that can replace the amps hrs to get you to 80% of capacity or so and the PV does the rest. It's also nice to have a charger that the output voltage can be raised high enough to do a Equalization Charge ( EQ ). Usually the low end chargers have a terrible PF ( power factor ) but they have a honest output of their rated amps. That means when you run the generator your batteries will bulk charge faster with less fuel even with a bad PF. Smart Chargers with digital control can rarely deal with a inverter connected to the Battery bank and see their load as a fault and their output amp is not the rated size.

The charger from Amazon would probably be a better choice for down and dirty off grid charging. I don't know anything about it, you have to test it. Basically it a 2/10/40 amp charger, the 200 amps is a emergency starting function to start a car with a dead battery.

My choice is a IOTA power supply type charger. You can get them with the IQ4 option for control and get the rated output hour after hour.

[Wooden Indian]

I see you are now aware you need a better charger. That is the one thing that will save your batteries until you get your solar fine-tuned. In fact, you will probably need it on a regular basis. I don't recall what your geographical location is, if it has been mentioned, but likely your solar insolation numbers won't be sufficient in the Winter. I have been told that in this sort of situation, use the generator/charger in the morning to bulk the batteries and then the solar to finish them off works well.

Are; your batteries new? Also, are they installed in your RV? If so, I am interested where they are stored and how they are vented.

It's up in NC more near the coast, not mountains. Batteries are new and have the lumber already cut ready to put together when we unload for a small power shed. Nothing fancy 6X6X7, tar paper roof. Will do something better once I get established and find the time, I suppose.

[Naptown]

You may want to rethink leaving Saturday.
Unless of course you like driving in hurricane conditions with up to 12 inches of rain.

[Wooden Indian]

You may want to rethink leaving Saturday.
Unless of course you like driving in hurricane conditions with up to 12 inches of rain.

Looks like it's going to be running right along the side of me on the way up too. I'm coming from FL.

Wife and I are talking about delaying until Sunday and putting a few more miles between us and it (assuming the models hold true), but yeah, I'm pretty nervous about that to be honest.

[SunEagle]

Looks like it's going to be running right along the side of me on the way up too. I'm coming from FL.

Wife and I are talking about delaying until Sunday and putting a few more miles between us and it (assuming the models hold true), but yeah, I'm pretty nervous about that to be honest.

If you have lived in Florida you know that those pesky storms sometimes have a mind of their own and can make sudden left or right hand turns. That would not be good for either N or S Carolina

[Naptown]

They are saying Maryland is in the bullseye specifically the Chesapeake bay which if it goes west we will have major flooding.
So glad I don't have a boat in the water any more.

[Wooden Indian]

If you have lived in Florida you know that those pesky storms sometimes have a mind of their own and can make sudden left or right hand turns. That would not be good for either N or S Carolina

I'm not far from you, SE. Just outside of Tampa around the Apollo Beach area. We had a really calm hurricane season, I gotta drive out of state in an RV (or the first time)... and BAM, following a hurricane all the way up. Good times.

[SunEagle]

I'm not far from you, SE. Just outside of Tampa around the Apollo Beach area. We had a really calm hurricane season, I gotta drive out of state in an RV (or the first time)... and BAM, following a hurricane all the way up. Good times.

Just make sure your generator works and then you can at least park in a Walmart lot and "dry camp" with some comfort.

[SunEagle]

They are saying Maryland is in the bullseye specifically the Chesapeake bay which if it goes west we will have major flooding.
So glad I don't have a boat in the water any more.

You may wish you had a small john boat to get around if the tide comes in like it did in recently in some of the East Coast states.

Some of the videos being shown on the news show a lot of cars being flooded out in parking lots. Those cities have to clean out their storm drains every once in a while for that potential 4 inch per hour down pour.

[Wooden Indian]

Yup. And just watch, when I get there, the field where I'm parking will be flooded too and I won't be able to get back in it. Shoot, my dirt road might be flooded, that just dawned on me. Unbelievable. What a way to start the off-grid lifestyle, huh? Head first into trials and tribulations. No honeymoon period for this family. LOL

[SunEagle]

Yup. And just watch, when I get there, the field where I'm parking will be flooded too and I won't be able to get back in it. Shoot, my dirt road might be flooded, that just dawned on me. Unbelievable. What a way to start the off-grid lifestyle, huh? Head first into trials and tribulations. No honeymoon period for this family. LOL

Well I think there is a saying like "he who goes off grid into the wilds then lives or dies in the wilds" or something uncomfortable like that.

I wish you luck and safe driving (and parking).

[Naptown]

You may wish you had a small john boat to get around if the tide comes in like it did in recently in some of the East Coast states.

Some of the videos being shown on the news show a lot of cars being flooded out in parking lots. Those cities have to clean out their storm drains every once in a while for that potential 4 inch per hour down pour.

The last event we had with major flooding was Isabel.
I did have a Jon boat and spent the day ferrying folks from the upper parking lot (about 7 feet above normal high tide.) to their boats that had floated over top of the piers.
It was interesting to say the least.