Can you have two battery banks on one solar controller?

[twotwinpeaks]

I have and 21 and have installed 4 6 volt agm. 2 sets of 2 with each pair hooked in series to give 12 volts and then each pair hooked in parallel giving 448 amp hours all hooked to a 160 watt 160 solar installed at purchase and a separate 130 watt suitcase solar.

I have each pair hooked to a heavy duty switch to have both banks working or either one of the single banks.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by twotwinpeaks

I have and 21 and have installed 4 6 volt agm. 2 sets of 2 with each pair hooked in series to give 12 volts and then each pair hooked in parallel giving 448 amp hours all hooked to a 160 watt 160 solar installed at purchase and a separate 130 watt suitcase solar.

I have each pair hooked to a heavy duty switch to have both banks working or either one of the single banks.

Nice, always a bank in reserve and lots of power.

Ron

[John in Santa Cruz]

phew, 4 premium GC2's is like 280. thats a big chunk of the total payload capacity of a E21 classic.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by twotwinpeaks

I have and 21 and have installed 4 6 volt agm. 2 sets of 2 with each pair hooked in series to give 12 volts and then each pair hooked in parallel giving 448 amp hours all hooked to a 160 watt 160 solar installed at purchase and a separate 130 watt suitcase solar.

I have each pair hooked to a heavy duty switch to have both banks working or either one of the single banks.

if you've used one bank by itself, do NOT connect both banks until both banks are equally charged, or the bank with the higher charge will get dragged down by the more discharged battery.

[twotwinpeaks]

Yes I can attest to the weight personally and the extra weight over the stock 2 batteries was a concern so I now travel with less than 1/2 tank of fresh water to compensate

[twotwinpeaks]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

if you've used one bank by itself, do NOT connect both banks until both banks are equally charged, or the bank with the higher charge will get dragged down by the more discharged battery.

The batteries were equally charged when I installed them and other than to test I have never run with just on bank. The option is there strictly for emergency should one of the batteries fail.