ZIG CP400 - Newbie Question

[aronadams]

Hello everyone again!

SO... I have my nice new camper van and I and a little confused as to how to work the Zig CP400 that I have.

Will this automatically charge the leisure battery when the van is started and when I am plugged into a 240v OR do I have to do something to it!!!

The selector switches are OFF - VAN - CAR, then I have 3 fused switches for Lights/AUX/Pump.

Also - how far do I have to drive to charge the leisure battery and/or plug it in to 240v at home.

I am sure I will get the hang of this camper thing but unless I sort this out before I go anywhere, there is a strong chance that I will end up with flat batteries!

Thanks for your time and help.

Aron & Katherine

[1664]

I hate to burst your bubble but the Zig CP400 is just a distribution panel for the camper 12v equipment - there is no built in charger. The fuses will be for things like lights, fresh water pump, fridge ignition (if you have an electronic fridge gas igniter) etc. The selector switch dictates which battery you want to use to power the camper equipment; starter or leisure battery (if fitted). I'm pretty sure that 'CAR' is the starter battery and 'VAN' the leisure battery. Only use the starter battery in an emergency as you don't want to flatten it to the point it won't start the van.

Your 240v mains hook-up equipment will (should) be totally seperate from your 12v system and will have no connection to the Zig. The leisure battery should only charge off the alternator via a 'split charge' relay when the engine is running.

[aronadams]

Hi 1664,

Thanks for the info - to clarify, what methods are available to me to charge the leisure battery...

Aron

[1664]

As I said, you should have a split charge relay so both batteries are charged by the alternator whilst driving. If you want to charge the battery from a hook-up while camped, you'll have to buy a battery charger and plug it into one of your mains sockets.

[aronadams]

ah.. I get it now!

Thanks for your patience!