Solarman:
I hate to admit it, but I am basically lazy.
I just want to be able to set it and forget it.
I only run my solar when I am actually using the trailer. When the unit is at home, I plug it in and let the progressive dynamics charger keep the batteries up. As someone else has already mentioned, the PD charger is generally easy on batteries.
At the moment, we are in Southern Arizona and/or Southern California, so I am using the solar charging regularly. Having a 15.2 volt threshold to go to absorb does not seem to be working the batteries too heavily (Interstate actually recommends 15.4!). There is no sulfur smell, and no excessive gassing that I am able to detect. I'll check the water again in a few weeks. At the moment, there is no appreciable consumption.
I am glad that I did as you suggested and adjusted my Outback controller to switch from absorb to float based on the current draw of the battery bank. As you state, this is not a timed event, but depends on the state of the batteries themselves. The only reason that I ever set it up as a timed event to begin with is because some of the information on the Interstate batteries suggested a time window for the absorb cycle, and I did not know that I could adjust the switch from absorb to float based on current.
In any case, my solar installation continues to please me greatly! It does all I wanted, and more.
I popped four batches of popcorn in our 1kw hot air corn popper today. Two batches for me (the first batch blew off the picnic table because it is windy here today), and two batches for the ducks here on the lake.
My wife also ran the microwave for well over 15 minutes to cook a squash. Neither event bothered the system in the least bit. I'm still going to have a full charge before 3 pm.
The only downside is the people beside us at various locations that do not have solar, and instead use those noisy, stinkin' generators! LOL!