split charge relay location on ducato 2.8jtd timberland

[TheDrummer]

If your engine battery & leisure battery are showing a 1V difference while the engine is running, I'd say you are correct that your main problem is voltage drop due to corroded contacts and/or wiring not large enough for the cable length.

 

So renewing the wiring & the relays could be a relatively cheap way of making a significant improvement.

 

You won't get the leisure battery fully charged from alternator charging without some sort of battery-to-battery charger that boosts the voltage to the sort of levels produced by multi-stage mains chargers. As shown by the link to the Sterling product, these are expensive, but in the long term, a cheaper option than adding another battery. Properly charged batteries last longer too, so a double saving.

 

A cheaper option than the Sterling is the CTEK equivalent. Roadpro is one source.

 

But these chargers introduce an additional problem & you need to be aware of the same problem when charging with multi-stage mains chargers & with some solar panels as well. Voltages in excess of 14v are great for getting your battery fully charged & quickly, but they can stress some sensitive electronics if you have them switched on at the same time. Some LED lights are particularly sensitive to over-voltage.

 

Some 12v systems are designed to switch off the habitation supply the minute you start the engine. Another option it to regulate the battery voltage back down again for the habitation supply. The reason I linked to the page I did on the Roadpro site is that it also shows the CTEK SmartPass, which among other things, does just that. They are designed to work as a pair, but now you are back to spending serious money.

 

My impression is that most UK built conversions more than a few years old (& some current ones) have very basic & pretty rubbish charging systems - nothing more than a very basic split charge system. The basic Zig unit doesn't even do that - you have to manually switch your leisure battery so that it's either in parallel with your engine battery, or isolated.

 

Continental manufacturers seem to have fitted more sophisticated units from an earlier stage, with the Schaudt Elektroblock being a typical fitting.

 

So I think you are on the right lines if you don't want to spend a fortune - concentrate on at least getting (almost) the same voltage at the leisure battery as the engine battery. As you say - you've done it before.