Need Solar Assistance

[Success101]

Good Evening everyone!!!!

I am in need of some help & don't know where to even start looking. Have an 86 Soverign (sp) that has solar panels on the roof of the Airstream. Went camping a couple of weeks ago & now the airstream is parked in the backyard. Went out to airstream yesterday & the solar panels are not working. Batteries are dead. I am guessing the batteries killed the panels???? Had a severe thunderstorn on Saturday, but sun was shining bright as could be on Sunday. Does anyone have any ideas of what might could have happened or what I need to do to repair them?

Please advise
Thank you so much for any help anyone can give me

[JimmyT]

Hmmm....if it were me, I'd look at the inline fuse first. Should be between the charge controller and the battery, I'd guess.
Then check the solar's charge controller. Is it working (lights on?).
If it's working, then start looking at wires. Maybe hail knocked out the connection at the solar panel? But given the "severe thunderstorm" I'd bet the fuse got popped.

Good luck

[Jim Foster]

I would vote for the fuse.

[lewster]

First: check the output voltage at the panels and see what they are giving you for when exposed to direct sunlight

Second: trace the wires from the roof and locate the charge controller (hopefully, you have one). Check the input and output voltages to verify that the controller is functioning properly.

Third, find the wires at the batteries and see if the output voltage from the controller matches the charging voltage present at the batteries. If there is no voltage from the controller, you probably have a fuse/circuit breaker that is tripped and not allowing the controller's output voltage to reach the batteries. Another possibility is an interruption in the circuit like a bad wire or corroded connection.

This will allow you to trace the voltage path and locate the problem.

[Success101]

Thank you so very much for the help. I will check them out!
Again, many thanks to each of you!
Carole