Solar Question(s)

[noseoil]

Lisa, no worries about asking "too many questions" about your trailer! The time to ask is before you do the build & installation, not after. Everyone here is pulling for you & will help when they can.

If you locate the battery in the galley, it will take up quite a bit of valuable real-estate inside the build, there's just no way around that compromise. Mine was done because I have a tongue box which came with the trailer (a 50# beast of a steel box), a 35# air conditioner to mount in the front at the headboard, the propane tank on the tongue & stuff stored in the tongue box as well. That's over 100# of stuff adding to the weight at the hitch, so I chose to put the battery in the galley for ballast, once I ran the numbers for balance & tongue weight. I'm still concerned with weight, balance & trim on the road, but I'll adjust things with stowage when the time comes if necessary, so for now I'm living with the choices I've made.

Remember, depending on the tow vehicle's capacity, you want to have a minimum of about 10%-15% of the total trailer weight resting on the hitch ball. Any less than that and at freeway speeds, the trailer can get too "frisky" (tail wagging the dog syndrome), especially in high winds, with trucks passing, etc. Unfortunately, it's one of those things where the more you read, the less you know. Just keep moving forward & things will get done. tim

[Cosmo]

Quick solar Teardrop Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KbTwLJc6XA

[bdosborn]

Morningstar and other manufacturers will not cover acid fume damage under warranty. Even if the problem was not caused by that exposure they could claim it as a contributory cause and void their warranty. That sort of damage becomes obvious if there is an issue. I have seen damage that was caused by acid fume damage, to the inside of a metal enclosure.

Not everything we should do is convenient. As individuals we can choose to take chances and I am sure often come out okay. Some charge controllers are sealed but most have venting where fumes could enter.

Easily solved with a divider in the tongue box to separate the controller from the battery gases.

There is also the question of whether or not the CC will be sufficiently cooled when it is enclosed in a box. At times a CC will be producing a noticeable amount of heat. Under some charge conditions the battery itself produces heat.

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The reason a similar thermal environment is recommended with some CC is that they have a temperature sensor in the CC. That helps the CC determine what voltages to charge with as the battery temperature changes. However that presupposes that the battery is at the same temperature as the controller. That is not necessarily always true. The better CC will have a remote temperature sensor placed with the batteries so the CC itself can be in any temperature.

Open the box lid when you're charging the battery? Keep in mind that a 100 watt panel is only going to supply around 5 amps through the controller. That's hardly a problematic heat source from a quality, efficient controller (like a Sunsaver). Besides, all battery manufacturers recommend venting batteries, even sealed type batteries. Just add another vent to the divider side if you find the controller gets too warm to your liking.

I don't see any problems with installing a controller in the tongue box if you separate the controller from the battery and vent the box. That being said, would I put a high dollar Sunsaver MPPT in a tongue box? Nope, the tongue box is a challenging environment for the reasons Don has pointed out. Would I put a $45, IP67 rated Sunsaver 10 that has an operating temperature to +85C in one? Yup.

Bruce

[ROXY6997]

Thanks for the video link and the added info everyone. I think I have committed to splurging and getting the whole Trimetric set-up, battery monitor and charge controller, I can mount them both in the galley that way and don't even need to concern myself with battery fumes and explosions LOL Even though it is likely overkill for a teardrop, being able to see a display that tells you the amphours is pretty cool.
Now I am on to researching batteries some more!!!
You guys have been a great help!