Date:         Thu, 15 Jun 2000 09:12:48 -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:  <004501bfd656$c928f7a0$6c16a2d1@wd1000086onem>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

> It's not a guess Ron... it's fact...
> A 15 amp fuse is a 15 amp fuse is a 15 amp fuse...
> there are several reports of list members blowing 30 amp fuses after
> starting their van while haveing a deeply discharged auxiliary 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!...


I'm not arguing that the aux battery could not possibly draw more than 15
amps - only that it must not happen very often at all.  With hundreds of
these units installed, if the fuse were blowing even somewhat frequently,
then yes, I would _absolutely_ be getting complaints, and so would Just
Kampers.  People are very quick to complain, even over a $20 part, and even
long after the purchase date. They might not complain the first time a fuse
blew, but they'd certainly contact me the second or third time. The fact
that not ONE single person has reported any sort of problem (after the kits
have been sold for over a year here, and several years in Europe), leads me
to deduce that the condition which could cause the draw to exceed the fuse's
rating is a very rare occurrance.  Perhaps it is simply that people are not
completely discharging their aux batteries.

I still feel that the risk of a blown fuse (thus preventing the aux battery
from recharging) is one of relatively minor consequence, and far preferable
to an isolator, which instead discharges your starting battery in the event
of failure.  This is why I prefer the relay solution (whether via the Hella
kit or separately purchased parts).

Of course, it bears repeating that replacing the fuse with a larger one
would be really dumb.  I hope that list members know better than to replace
_any_ fuse with one above the manufacturer's recommended rating.


- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  http://www.busdepot.com
  (215) 234-VWVW