A $12 voltage regulator doesn't resolve a volt drop between the alternator and the battery(s).....nor does a $120 voltage regulator, or a $1,200 voltage regulator. You'll always have a voltage drop to contend with as a function of physics. The question is "how does one minimize the voltage drop?" You can dial up the voltage to try to compensate, or try to minimize the voltage drop by selecting components and cabling that introduce as little resistance into the circuit as possible. You can try to dissipate the heat, or try not to generate heat in the first place. You can buy a well engineered RV with quality parts and pieces, or you can buy a dirt-cheap piece of sh*t RV and spend your life replacing crappy parts with more crappy parts....to each their own. I could have bought a $65 battery isolator from Harbor Freight, but I chose to spend more money on what I believed to be a much better battery isolator and so far, I'm pleased with my choice as I've had no problems and the multimeter indicates that the device does what it's supposed to do...eliminate the high voltage drop, not get hot, and keep my batteries isolated and healthy. IMHO dialing up the voltage regulator is asking for trouble as you still have a high voltage drop, and if/when the isolator fails/shorts, you may apply elevated voltage to your battery(s) and cause outgassing, overcharging, etc....so all of a sudden your $12 fix turns into the several hundred dollar battery adventure....no thanks.
sjholt wrote:
$328 for an duel 150 amp isolator. Give me a break..
14.6 volt regulator is around $12 for a Delco 22si alternator. Don't have to worry about the isolator voltage drop.
