AusVarmint

DSD wrote:Have you ever considered a dc-dc battery charger instead of a solenoid?
If you go with air to air intercooler, infront of the radiator is more efficient than under the bonnet

Hey mate, yeah I have, except it came with a red-arc already installed, and I don't want to shell out for a redarc dc-dc, do you know of any reasonably cost effective units?

and yes mate, well aware thanks the only thing I would have to weigh up, is the size of the second radiator, taking away from the airflow of the main radiator. It's still up in the air, whether to go with a water setup, or air setup, choices

Dont know about cost effective if you already own a solenoid, but cheaper than a red arc and never had any problems with mine. Mine is in a trailer though and runs off the dual battery (non starting)side of my old pirahna electric diode dual battery system or straight of my partners starting battery in her navara with smart alternator, This is were dc-dc chargers excell as conventional dual battery systems do not really work that well with smart alternators. Also negates the need for a solar regulator.

http://store.rvtek.com.au/ctek-d250s-du ... charger-12

DSD wrote:Dont know about cost effective if you already own a solenoid, but cheaper than a red arc and never had any problems with mine. Mine is in a trailer though and runs off the dual battery (non starting)side of my old pirahna electric diode dual battery system or straight of my partners starting battery in her navara with smart alternator, This is were dc-dc chargers excell as conventional dual battery systems do not really work that well with smart alternators. Also negates the need for a solar regulator.

http://store.rvtek.com.au/ctek-d250s-du ... charger-12

Is there even a need to keep the solenoid in place if there is one of these in there? My second battery is a marine battery if it makes any difference? as these seem to be a pretty reasonable dual purpose battery.

You would put this in instead of a solenoid. If you already have the solenoid though it is money you do not need to spend and could spend elsewhere.
Does not matter if it is marine battery, lead acid,agm or gel the ctek unit does not care and I think is good to a 300amp/hr capacity

I'll be honest, I did toy with the idea of DC-DC chargers once before, mainly because of solar. I will wait & see what my brother does, but if he is interested in the solenoid for his lux, I'd prefer the dc-dc, because I am building a dog box, which has been a long term, after work bored thing, with a solar panel in the roof to add into the system!

I think it'll also just end up with an air-air intercooler for the simplicity of design, and hopefully, less things going wrong.

Jacko the marine battery is great as a second battery in a vehicle. As is the redarc solenoid, it's a bloody good reliable unit also. With the inter cooler my preference is air to air, simply due to the less complex design and better reliability. If you haven't already check out ARE, ASE and Cross-country make very good inter coolers

Tim

Timmo84 wrote:Jacko the marine battery is great as a second battery in a vehicle. As is the redarc solenoid, it's a bloody good reliable unit also. With the inter cooler my preference is air to air, simply due to the less complex design and better reliability. If you haven't already check out ARE, ASE and Cross-country make very good inter coolers

Tim

Hey mate thanks for taking the time to reply. Yeah I thought the same about the marine battery, because if need be, I can crank with it, hopefully without wrecking it like a proper deep cycle, because I read they really don't like being utilised as a cranker!

Much the same train of thought as me then mate, at the end of the day, it's still an older non common rail engine, never going to be a powerhouse, so I'd prefer not compromise one of its best benefits, being reliability with an air-water system! Plus going with an air-air, allows me to spend more money on a good radiator for the intercooler, as I can mandrel bend up all the pipe work myself, so it's really only the radiator and some silicone hoses to buy to do it....

As per DSD has mentioned.

I installed a D250S Ctek in my patrol and one in the missus pajero now can get the deep cycle fully charged. As most modern day stuff the alternaters are temp compensated meaning as the temp rises the alternators output drops.
This is ok as a cranking battery will still fully charge at low voltage but with a deep cycle you will not get the battery fully charged which can lead to the plates sulphation.
A deep cycle likes to be charged around 14.4V and some of the calcium high breads at around 14.7V and most alternators don't produce that voltage.
The other advantage the Ctek has also a MPPT solar controller build in as well. So while drive the Ctek can take charge from either the alternator or solar panel or both at the same time. And when stopped for the day it will take charge from the solar panel.
I haven't used the redarc dc-dc charger but from all reports I have heard have been positive.