Add a Zig X70 or get a CF8? help please

[garry247]

I have a CP400 but want to add 240v. Whats the best way to add 240v hookup and charging capability to the van. I appreciate i need an RCD and sockets etc, just asking about the ZIG part?

I have seen an X70 but the CF8 does it all for the same price.

cheers,


Garry

[CJH]

Garry

I can only speak about the CF8. The main features are:
1) To provide some fused 12V circuits, normally supplied by the leisure battery, but in the 'Touring' position both batteries are linked
2) To provide a split charge system - i.e. when the batteries are linked by the 'Touring' switch the alternator current reaches the leisure battery too
3) To provide mains charging of the leisure battery (not in the 'Touring' position). It cannot charge the starter battery from the mains

The mains charger is quite basic, and I did not feel happy to leave it connected permanently. I may have been worrying needlessly, but the manual advises against leaving it on for long periods when the van is not in use. For this reason I have recently bypassed the Zig's charger and installed a CTEK MXS10. There are cheaper intelligent chargers (eg from Numax), but this one integrated well with my other equipment. I'm much happier to leave it powered by the hook-up for long periods now.

Until I changed my setup completely, I had also fitted a separate split charge system, because it was too easy to forget to put the Zig's switch into the 'Touring' position before driving off, which would mean that the leisure battery would not be charged by the alternator.

Your CP400 already does the first of the CF8's functions. If you already have a split charge system then you don't need the second function. And the mains charging function isn't anything special. In your position I'd get a good quality 'fit-and-forget' intelligent charger, and if not already present I'd add a simple split charge relay.

[CJH]

Oh yes, one more thing the CF8 does - it will provide 12V to the fused circuits from the mains hook-up, even if there's no leisure battery installed. Not all intelligent chargers will do this I think. The CTEK MXS10 has a 'supply' mode, so it will run the 12V circuits even with no batteries in the van. Not sure about the Numax range.

In the case of your CP400, it looks like the switch that selects which battery to use is a simple SPDT switch, so I'd imagine that you could connect a charger to the centre COM terminal so that you could also use that switch to select which battery will receive the charge. Plus, if the charger provides an output without a battery connected it could also be your 12V supply from the mains even with no batteries installed, and regardless of the position of that battery switch.

[garry247]

So my current setup is. Relay switch to both battery's from alternator. The zig connects to the leisure battery via crocodile clips. That in turn powers three switch outputs.

1. Lights
2. Water pump
3. I'm going to put a 12v to 240v transformer.

If I add an intelegent charger will that cover the 240v sockets as well or should I add an additional RCD to 240 socket.

The whole power thing is quite confusing.

Thanks.

[CJH]

Ah, ok, I must have misunderstood your original post. The ZIG CF8 does NOT look after your mains setup, as far as the RCD goes. It just takes a mains feed from your mains supply. So even with a CF8 you'd have to add an RCD and wire up some mains sockets. My van came with a CF8 but no RCD, so I added an RCD between the hook-up and the ZIG - I posted about it here.

So to add mains sockets and mains charging to your setup you'll need to add an external hook-up socket, route that directly to an RCD, run some sockets from one of the MCBs, plug an intelligent charger into one of the sockets (or wire it into one of the MCBs on the RCD if the charger has its own power switch), and then, if it was me doing it I think I'd connect the output of the charger to the middle pin of the CP400's battery selector switch.

[garry247]

Thanks,

Also my Zig is a CF3G not a CP400.

Any idea if these are the same?

they look very similar. I will be looking at it this weekend.

cheers,

G.

[CJH]

Also my Zig is a CF3G not a CP400.

CF3G or CP3G? I can't find anything on a CF3G, but the CP3G does look the same, I agree.

I found this image of the guts of a CP3G:


To connect a suitable charger I think I'd solder a short fly lead onto the centre pin of the switch on the right in that image, and route it outside through the back panel. That way, once the Zig is fully assembled and mounted back in the van, you'll have access to that fly lead to connect up the charger. Make sure it's properly insulated, since it'll be directly connected to whichever battery is selected by the switch on the front panel.

And just to be clear - the only reason for doing this would be to give you a convenient way of selecting which battery will get the charge from your charger. If you feel you only need to charge the leisure battery from the mains, then by all means just connect the charger directly to that battery.