Upgrade Your Electrical System

Available for Sojourn & Peregrine Gen 2 caravans.

Disclaimer: Each of the three chargers has a capacity of up to 30A, 50A, and 50A, respectively. However, the actual output of these chargers depends on the input they receive. They will only achieve their maximum charging capacity if the power source is sufficient and ideal conditions are met.

 

If you're a Sojourn or Peregrine owner seeking to gain extra charge into your 12v electrical system, we will explain exactly how you can achieve this in this article. Today, we will guide you through a straightforward modification that will optimise your electrical setup without voiding your warranty. This modification focuses on integrating a second REDARC BCDC1250D charger into your current system, giving you up to 100 amps of total charge!

Your current electrical system will have a REDARC Manager 30 and a BCDC1250D charger, allowing you to charge up to 80 amps into your lithium battery bank in your ZONE RV. After some successful testing, we are excited to share that you can add an extra BCDC1250D REDARC charger to have a cumulative total of 100 amps coming into your lithium system. 

How does this work?

From the factory, your Sojourn or Peregrine 12v electrical system will have a total combined charge output of up to 80 amps using the Manager 30 and the BCDC1250D. The solar panels from the factory are split between the Manager 30 and the BCDC1250D charger and when your car is running (and connected via the grey Anderson plug on the drawbar) or you are plugged into mains power, it will also charge your caravan battery pack through the Manager 30.

2 x BCDC1250D Chargers

When adding the extra BCDC1250D charger, the solar input to the Manager 30 is removed and instead routed to the second BCDC1250D charger. The external solar input, via the red Anderson plug at the rear of your van, is also routed to the second BCDC1250D so that any additional solar from solar blankets etc is able to be captured.

An added benefit of this configuration is that, with the solar being split between two chargers, the heat generated by a single charger is minimised and lessens the chances of charging efficiency being reduced due to overheating.

Manager 30

The Manager 30 will still offer you charging capacity but will primarily charge via an input from your tow vehicle (when connected) or from an external 240VAC mains supply. This means that when you are driving or parked up with access to mains power or a generator, you will have up to an extra 30 amps of charge available. If desired, you can use your vehicle like a generator if you ever need a quick top-up when camping off the grid for extended periods. 

Video Explanation 

Brad from Our Australia Trip has had this system in place for a few months now and has experienced some incredible results, including over 100 amps going into his system at once. Brad explains the system and how it works in the video below. 

Sourcing Redarc BCDC1250D charger

To make this upgrade to your Sojourn or Peregrine, you will need to source an extra charger from REDARC. Purchase your BCDC1250D below. Additional cabling or modifications to existing cables may be required. It is best to engage a qualified auto electrician to complete the installation.

REDARC DUAL INPUT 50A

Disclaimer: Each of the three chargers has a capacity of up to 30A, 50A, and 50A, respectively. However, the actual output of these chargers depends on the input they receive. They will only achieve their maximum charging capacity if the power source is sufficient and ideal conditions are met.