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Hi everyone,
I’m currently working on my 2005 Fiat Ducato camper (55‑reg, 2.2 L diesel manual) and I’m planning to upgrade the leisure battery system. My van is set up with:
Leisure battery in a side locker (tool-free clip terminals, ~L85 type, looks small for the van)
COE 12 V distribution / Quadro di Distribuzione — has breakers and fuses, currently handles mains charging
VecLion PWM solar controller (old/flooded profile)
Mains hook-up cable goes to breaker panel, then COE, then battery
From what I’ve worked out so far:
The COE box acts as a flooded-only battery charger, so not suitable for AGM or lithium.
Solar controller is PWM and also flooded-only — not ideal for AGM/Li or lithium.
The leisure battery is tool-free clip type, accessible, probably the only leisure battery (forums mention some vans have one under the driver’s seat, but I’m reluctant to dismantle that seat).
Wiring looks adequate for 100–120 Ah battery upgrades; existing breakers probably fine.
My plan / questions:
Charger: I’m thinking of bypassing COE for mains charging entirely, running a Victron / CTEK / NOCO AGM/Li compatible charger directly to the battery terminals. Keep COE for fuses/loads only. Does that make sense?
Solar: Planning to replace PWM with a Victron MPPT AGM/Li compatible unit, connect output directly to battery.
Battery: Considering 100–115 Ah AGM as a first upgrade, potentially LiFePO₄ in the future. Any recommendations?
Multiple batteries: Currently looks like just one leisure battery + engine battery. Has anyone successfully upgraded single leisure battery setups to AGM/Li without adding a second battery?
General advice: Any tips, gotchas, or wiring tricks for safely upgrading from flooded → AGM → lithium while keeping existing loads and COE distribution intact?
I’d love to hear if anyone’s completed a similar upgrade, particularly on the 2005/early 2000s Ducato conversions, and what setup worked for them.
Thanks in advance for any tips!
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Topic: Flooded to AGM/Lithium Upgrade
