Running this by the experts on here

[ROBRIOS]

I have a Zigg cf6 in my viking van and it work as it should. 3 switches mains- on /off, charging- car/mains, 12v- on/off.

on the road with the charging switch set to car all batteries are linked and charged, if I forget to switch back after camping and its left on mains then only the starter battery is charged.

when camping the charging switch is set to mains disconnecting the starter battery from the zigg to avoid draining the starter battery. if I forget to switch over on site then the starter battery gets drained

if we are hooked up with mains on and charging set to mains then the zigg charges the leisure batteries as they are drained

I have 2 leisure batteries wired to the back of the Zigg both protected by in line 25 amp fuses, one battery can be isolated from the system through an in line switch on the positive side. (we tend to use this battery as a back up when we are off grid and charge it at home through a smart charger prior to any trips away.)

what i want to do is set up a 12v socket for my electric cooler that is only live whilst the engine is running.(fridge was removed due to rotted internals)

my consideration was to fit a smart relay to feed the 12v socket but it seems a shame not to use the other 12v terminal on it to control charging current flowing to the zigg from the alternator.

if i do this I would no longer need to switch from car to mains when camping as the starter battery would be disconnected by the smart relay.

But would the zigg still provide a charging current to the leisure batteries and 12v circuits when on hook up or would I need to switch to mains on the charging switch ? if so then if I forgot to switch back the leisure batteries would not be charged from the alternator whilst travelling right ?

this would negate the relay as I would still need to remember to switch between charging mains/car although the starter battery could never be drained which is an advantage.

if all this is correct is there a way round it ?

sorry for long post but input gratefully received

Rob

[MidLifeCrisis]

So, your 'smart relay' (or a normal relay triggered by the alternator signal wire - either option works) (also called a 'Split Charge Relay') should be used to connect your starter battery to your leisure battery when the engine is running (you can also use the same relay system to connect the starter battery to your fridge (so the fridge is powered by the starter battery/alternator when the engine is running).

Once you have a Split Charge in place, you can then leave your Zig 'Charging' switch set to 'Mains' all the time - this would mean that when on 'hook up' the mains voltage would power the lights etc in the van and also charge the Leisure battery; when not on hook up, the Leisure battery will power the lights - exactly how you want it.

Some people also go a step further and disconnect the connection from the starter battery to the Zig unit completely (as it is not needed when you have the Split Charge system) - this prevents you ever flattening your starter battery if you ever mistakenly flick that 'Charging' switch on the Zig.

Lots of info on the Split Charge system on the Wiki -
https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/Ca ... it_charger

[ROBRIOS]

cheers for the reply

I understand the split charge relay / smart self switching relay set up, its the grafting of it on to the zigg I am considering.

my intention was to fit the relay in line to the +ve cable currently connecting the the zigg to the starter battery, this was more for simplicity than for any other reason.

if i disconnect this feed from the starter battery and the back of the zigg then install the relayed feed to the leisure battery input terminals on the back of the zigg that will bypass the charging mains/car switch on the zigg panel correct ?

this would still allow mains charging of the leisure batteries from the zigg regardless of charging switch position ?

thanks again

will consider my options

Rob

[ROBRIOS]

Now thinking I will just piggybacking off the back of the 12v socket in the dash and leave zigg as it is .

Cheers Rob

[MidLifeCrisis]

Fair enough - if you do go for the split charger (and most would recommend this approach rather than charging the leisure batt via the Zig) then bear the following in mind ...

If you're thinking of mounting the split charge relay near to the Zig - I would not suggest this approach.
From my experience the wiring from the batteries to the Zig is not usually of a sufficient thickness to handle the potentially quite high current that can flow when the batteries are charging.

I'm not sure where your batteries are located but I think most folks on here would recommend that the split charge relay is located so that there is the shortest run possible of cable between the two batteries and that the wire (and relay) is of sufficient capacity to handle the large current that can flow when the leisure battery is initially charging - something in the range of 30/40 amps has been quoted as being possible so you need to design for that possibility. (and also have appropriate fuses at each battery to protect)

[Hacksawbob]

potentially quite high current that can flow when the batteries are charging.

when starting the van there can be quite a spike through the charging system as well, depending on the relative charged states of the leisure/starter batteries. the westfalia has a quirky design which prevents this. The zig is a pretty poor charging system tbh. I added a 2nd battery to battery relay with alternator activation in my last petrol van. The batteries are closer together in a petrol van so it is easier. On a diesel there is a longer run so dont skimp on the wire thickness. The durite voltage sensitive relay is dead easy to fit and will cover you for 80 amps and wont connect the batteries until the starter battery is up to 12.8 V negating the need for an alternator activated relay.

http://www.autoelectricalpartsuk.co.uk/ ... tAodATwAOg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ROBRIOS]

fitted the relay on the weekend, the charging current from the relay goes to the zigg then to the leisure batteries as before but I no longer run the risk of discharging the starter battery.
the other feed from the relay goes to a 12v socket to power my 3 way cool box whilst on the move.
cheers