[kaptain]

@SouthernDevGirl @jumpshowhigh @bestgenman @richard

Thanks to all of you shared your valuable insights. A few things I'd like to clarify:

Furthermore, a Newell uses an alternator that is designed to run at 24v, producing half the amperage for the same amount of current (watts).

 I have a DN50 alternator (part#  1117860), it is oil-cooled. It's a 12v version, not a 24v version.

 What kind of alternator is on your coach? a 24V alternator running at half power or half output voltage? 

I really can't see a scenario where a VSR isn't better for your situation; none of the issues you're concerned with should be an issue with a quality VSR.

 The "Blue Sea 7620 ML-ACR Automatic Battery Separator for Auxiliary Batteries 12V/500 Amps" does look attractive. 
 I had browsed their product line, and I was looking for similar or identical products at different product pages, https://www.bluesea.com/products/7622/ML...2V_DC_500A

 These were the thoughts that made me choose Victron ArgoFET over an electronic-driven but mechanically energized switch:

1) While BlueSea Automatic Charging Switches (ACR) show low operating amperage (low power consumption), but when activated, it consumes ~7 amp electricity to keep energized, that's nearly 100 watts of power consumption at 14v. That's nearly the same power consumption compared to a traditional diode-based isolator at 150 amp, assuming diode voltage drop 0.7v x 150 amp = 105 watt.

2) BlueSea ACRs are dual-sensing, which means it activates whichever side of the battery reaches the triggering value. This could potentially overload the inverter/charger when the coach is on shore power without the alternator is not running because the original design was to let the inverter/charger connected to the house battery only and let an Echo Charger draw a small amp when the house battery voltage reaches 13v or more. Using the ACR will make the Echo Charge redundant.

   

To reach TRUE isolation between two battery groups, you'll have to use more than just one such switch:

   
   

Amazon's review on the BlueSea switch is pretty good, although most feedback seems to be with boats/marine applications.
https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-...001VIXLRO/

 You'll never drain your chassis-batteries into your house-batteries, or overload your alternator.....

BlueSea 7620 ACR, being a dual-sensing switch, whenever one side voltage is over 13.1, the relay will close, and one side will charge the other side when the alternator is off, provided that you go with the 3-relay setup.
 
   

...if you have some posts you can share that will help me investigate the equipment/situations where people with DP's have burnt-out their alternators due to charging battery banks, please share those and I'll investigate further.

Dead Battery burns alternator. I believe this can happen. See what someone who has been in the selling alternator business for 15 years has to say on the topic, "Can a weak battery destroy an alternator?":

Absolutely yes. I sell alternators all day every day - and a poor battery is often the root cause of alternator failure.

A battery with a short in it will cause the alternator to run at full output for extended periods of time, if not continuously - and they are not built to do this. Alternators the world over are built to supply an initial high current, tapering back as the current used to start the vehicle is replenished. Constant running at full output simply overheats them and the rectifiers fail. *See edit below

If your battery is 'Open Circuit' the alternator will either not start charging at all or will erratically bounce from low to high voltage. This causes the regulator to fail prematurely (or immediately!)


A battery that simply will not accept charge won't necessarily cause premature failure of the alternator unless it is permanently at a low voltage, in which case see the 'shorted' section above.

Hope that helps?

*EDIT: Some bigger commercial and marine alternators are designed to run at full output constantly, but I don't get the feeling you're talking about those :) In 16 years of selling parts for alternators I've never heard of the brushes and slipring wearing and the grease in the bearings overheating from high charge current at idle. These issues are caused by other problems not in scope of this question.





source: https://mechanics.stackexchange.com/ques...alternator