There is an option to buy this same VSR with a kit, but I opted not to buy the kit because I needed higher gauge wire, and I could get it at a lower overall cost. Because of the thicker wire, I had to modify the wire inlets a little, but it was easy. I would recommend this product to anyone looking to isolate a battery.
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I am using this in a Ford e350 van, converted to a camper, to maintain the truck battery under the hood and maintain 2 deep cell marrine batteries in the back, which i run a fridge/micro, etc. with using a 1500 watt inverter. I was told by many old school camper guys this setup wouldn't work, but it works great! The VSR is small and lightweight, and simple to hookup and use. It has one simple LED light letting you know where it's sending voltage. Proper gauge wire is imperative, i have 6 gauge run to all batteries, with a 150 amp ANL fuse, and have had no trouble at all with this unit. I returned a much larger, heat synced Northern tool unit after i saw the difference in size. This one is great under the hood of a van or any tight space.Word of note: I did have to trim some of the plastic away where my wires run in and out of the unit. It's 2 pieces and you have to trim away part of the cover if you're using proper gauge wire to get it to sit on the base correctly. This will make sense when you see the unit in person, and it's pretty obvious the manufacturer intended for you to cut or drill depending on your application.
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Worked as descripted for six months without any problem charging auxilary battery when depleted and protecting the main one from discharging during stationnary period.Seem to be a good and reliable product..
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For it being 2 simple voltage sensitive relays it is a little pricey at $75 bucks. But it works as advertised and does keep the batteries properly charged.The only issue I see is that till all batteries in the system drop to about 12.7 volts it does keep them connected. I have mine on a diesel pick-up. I will have to place a heavy diode in the wire somewhere or a switch of some type in the winter due to the truck really needing the 13.3 volts the start batteries have without this slight issue.
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This is not your father's isolator. This is a smart device which senses both batteries and if either one is receiving a charge, it will enable charging of both.Most importantly if you park your tow vehicle and shut down the motor so it is no longer providing current to charge both batteries, it will isolate them and protect your starting battery. Without the isolation, devices in your boat/camper can discharge both batteries and you will be unable to start in the morning when you are ready to get the day going. I have had this happen to me.
This is not just an old fashioned isolator which uses diodes and actually reduces the amount of current available to charge the batteries. That is why those older style isolators have such a large heat sink (the finned aluminum base) to dissipate the wasted energy. Notice that this isolator does not have, and does not require, a heat sink because it uses a relay that it closes or opens and has no energy loss due to internal resistance.
So yes, it is a little more costly than the older "diode" isolators, but it will do a much better job protecting your batteries!
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