Date: Wed, 14 Jun 2000 16:18:00 -0700
Reply-To: Bill Davidson <wdavidson@thegrid.net>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Bill Davidson <wdavidson@thegrid.net>
Subject: Re: hella 2nd battery kit
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> 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.)
Ron,
It's not a guess Ron... it's fact...
A 15 amp fuse is a 15 amp fuse is a 15 amp fuse... whether it comes from
Hella or where ever... you don't need personal experience with that. Before
I designed my auxiliary battery system I reviewed the archives extensively
and there are several reports of list members blowing 30 amp fuses after
starting their van while haveing a deeply discharged auxiliary battery. And
I actually MEASURED surges to about 70 amps, a minute or two of 40+ amps,
and continual draws of over 25 amps when charging a deeply discharged Optima
deep cycle battery.
If you don't get complaints with the 15 amp Hella set up I would suggest to
you it is because either the guys don't understand what the problem is, or
they haven't deeply discharge their batteries within the time period that
they would be willing to go to the trouble to complain. Or (God forbid),
they just put in a larger fuse!...
... more below....
> 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.
For about $5 you can get an inline fuse holder at your FLAPS to hold a 15
amp fuse... that's about all I can see that the Hella system adds to the
stock set up of the fridge relay.
Or for $17 you can buy a 75 amp Bosch relay at ... www.solarelectirc.com
(or a 40 amp Bosch relay for about $8 from your local FLAPS) and maybe $6
for some #8 wire and do the job right.
Bill
>
> Now you know precisely as much about the kit as I do.
>
> - Ron Salmon
> The Bus Depot, Inc.
> http://www.busdepot.com
>
