MPPT controller as battery monitor?

they need a clean in that pic!!

 

decision made, glue on and also put a screw in each corner where there is a handy hole. have cables coming through into the void at the back of the roof, outside the canvas, drill hole in metal roof to feed the cabkls through to the rear cupboard, basically copying what you did @theBusmonkey

 

The deed is done, glued on just letting it set a bit before I do anymore

 

YAY!!
Let's hope the sun's shining at TE so we can compare amps & SOC whilst switching on & off electrical appliances. What fun we'll have

 

I'd better get mine ordered then.

 

yes you had

 

The tails I got to go from controller to battery came with a fuse in the positive line.

Do I put the fuse closest to battery or closest to controller??

 

I'ts not massively important where pkrboo as the cables are 4mm & more than up to handling the current.
I've put mine where I can get at it in the engine bay close to the battery. It's easy to take the system off line that way as I just pull the fuse.

 

Here's an old picture. It's marginally tidier now but the main change is the fused supply from the controller.

It's the red wire going into the + bus bar with the 20amp fuse & holder in-line.

It now goes direct to the +battery terminal. I discovered that if the panels were direct to the bus-bar the panels were just running the leisure system & not topping up the battery. Now the panels go straight to the battery & the leisure system draws off this...

 

I've asked before, but how many watts do you have?

 

180 big ones!
But remember I have the most needy fridge in the known world & don't like paying for hook-up.

120 watts is ideal for most travelling to southern climes with a compressor fridge and 100 watts OK for a few days away in the wilderness with a bit of driving to get home again.

 

I'm trying to get around 150w, but the single panels are too big and with 2x smaller it's as cheap to get 2x 100w which are a bit of a jam on the roof. So just to get them to fit will cost an extra £50 and loose 50w. The best shaped ones would cost £200 for 100w. Sods law at work.

 

How would you feel about the suitcase style ones. I know storage would be a consideration but we've found that to get max input I was spending 10 minutes after we parked up with the compass working out the tracking of the afternoon sun. Then popping the roof, moving the van ,checking with the compass, moving the van...!

I exaggerate (though Mrs BM may disagree) but a consideration is that to have the van in the beating sun means it's never in the shade. Suitcase panels allow you to stick them at any angle & they can be in the sun while the van is under an almond tree (or similar).

Now this never bothered us. The sun canopy provides shade and the main problem with summer heat further south is at night in a tin box with little ventilation!

 

I see the advantage, but as you say it would be another thing rattling around in the van so best avoided.