Date:         Wed, 14 Jun 2000 18:33:30 -0400
Reply-To:     The Bus Depot <ron@netcarrier.com>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         The Bus Depot <ron@netcarrier.com>
Subject:      Re: hella 2nd battery kit
In-Reply-To:  <011101bfd630$326c5d00$e827a2d1@wd1000086onem>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

The Hella dual battery kit that I sell is one that Just Kampers in the UK
has been selling for several years for VW vans.  I brought it in based on
their recommendation, and it has become one of my most popular items. Just
Kampers has several hundred in use in customers' vans, and I've sold well
over a hundred myself, with not a single complaint.  It is specifically
designed for use in camper vans, to power the fridge, minor electricals,
etc. - in other words, precisely what most VW van owners are looking for.
Unfortunately, Hella did not see fit to include specifications, but it does
include complete wiring instructions.

Regarding one listmember's guess that it would blow a fuse right away, I
have never had a single complaint of this occurring. (It is worth noting
that his guess was not based on any direct experience with the Hella unit.)
Certainly with many hundreds sold between me and Just Kampers, if the kit
were inappropriate for the stated application or blew fuses with any
regularity whatsoever, both Just Kampers and I would have heard about it
long ago.  Hella is a well established brand, with a good reputation and
experience with both electrical systems and Volkswagens, so I tend to assume
that they know what they are doing when they design a kit specifically for
this application.

Also, I'd like to point out that even if a fuse did blow on a relay, it may
prevent you from charging your auxilliary battery until you replaced it, but
it would not keep you from starting and driving your van. On the other hand,
if you have a system using a dual battery isolator, if the diode in the
isolator fails (which happened three times on my '77 Westy, with two
different brands), it can close the connection between the two batteries,
allowing the starting battery to discharge without your knowledge while you
are camping. You will learn the hard way that your isolator failed, when you
go to leave and discover that your starting battery is dead.

So, in a nutshell, this is a simple, light duty relay kit with instructions
for under $20.  It's definately nothing fancy or heavy duty, but it is
specifically intended for use as a dual battery relay system for a
Volkswagen van (or similar European camper van).  Certainly there are
heavier duty (and pricier) alternatives, some of which may indeed be better,
but for under $20 this is a simple and inexpensive way to add a second
battery to your van.

Now you know precisely as much about the kit as I do.

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  http://www.busdepot.com