Batteries continually die

[Hank Waconda]

I purchased a Skoolie a couple months back that was already converted into an RV. It only had a single gel battery and a 2,000w inverter and we noticed things were dying quickly. I upgraded to 3-12v 100AH battle born batteries (so 300AH altogether). They still die very easily with very little apparent drain on them. I then replaced the inverter with a 3000w Renogy inverter. Again. They die quickly despite reading 100% at the beginning of the day and die while the sun is still up. I do have 300w of solar panels on the roof which I intend to upgrade but it seems like there’s still a mystery parasitic drain happening somewhere. The only things that are running are my RCA side by side mini fridge which consumes 100kwh annually. And my Dyson vacuum that’s plugged in. There’s also a propane hot water heater. I leave my water pump turned off. I understand this is like searching for a needle in a haystack of possible issues but any ideas are appreciated. It’s crossed my mind that my charge controller might also need to be upgraded. It’s just a 20A Renogy Rover. When responding please keep in mind that I’m a complete novice so layman’s terms are AWESOME! Thanks for your help in advance.

I agree, I would put a battery monitor/ shunt in and then work backwards to figure out where the power is going and how much charge your putting back onto battery bank.

 

[740GLE]

IMO a shunt doesn’t generate any energy, I’d first max out PV roof space first.

Do the current panels have any tilting ability? A modification to current mounting to allow the panels to tilt should pay dividends during the winter low production months.

That and adding more panels will give you the best bet in allowing you to use your set up as you see fit then you can monitor each watt and where it goes.