Date: Sun, 13 Aug 2000 12:59:02 -0700
Reply-To: Bill Davidson <wdavidson@thegrid.net>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Bill Davidson <wdavidson@thegrid.net>
Subject: Re: Aux. Battery Installation kit
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> I purchased the Hella single relay kit to charge an auxiliary battery
> from The Bus Depot the other day and would like some tips from people
> that have done this before.
> I have an '87 Westy.
> 1) I am guessing I should use a deep cycle for this job. Anyone have a
> part number for a good fitting candidate I can buy from Sears or ??? I
> am having trouble finding one because the under seat box is so shallow
> (approx. 6 3/4").
The Optima Deep Cycle is the battery of choice... fits the battery box with
slight modifications... see my post on the subject just a week or so ago...
>
> 2) Can anyone tell me what that relay is that is already mounted in the
> aux. battery box? It looks very much like the Hella unit I just bought
> and it is taking up valuable battery storage space. Any suggestions?
That is the fridge relay... actually you could send your hella kit back
since it is unnecessary... the fridge relay is adequate... see
www.vanagon.com for directions on how to utilize it to hook up auxiliary
battery.
> 3) On the Hella kit - if I understand the instructions correctly, I use
> the Blue/Red to go to the positive terminal of the aux. battery and that
> is what is doing the charging while the Bus is running? - seems like a
> very small diameter wire - I guess I expected some heavy duty wires to
> charge a battery.
The wires are small, but probably safe... guaranteed to give a slow
charge... see Beckett Cantell (sp) post in the archives... June 15th I
think... he explained how the small wires will limit the flow of amp to the
auxiliary battery...
The instructions show this Blue/Red wire can also go
> to a 12/7S socket - What the heck is that?
Dunno
> Also instructions say "connect to pin 2 for aux. battery charging or pin
> 6 for refrig but it doesn't say pin 2 or 6 of what? or which wire goes
> to 2 / 6.
NOt sure... but look on the relay that came with the kit... there may be
numbers on it...
Isn't it great you paid for the Hella Kit because the instructions would
make the job simple??? But you still have to understand how to hook up a 2nd
battery whether it is a Kella Kit with unitelligible instructions or you do
the job from scratch... this is, and the fact that you don't need the kit if
you just go to www.vanagon.com , is the reason I don't recommend the kit.
Bill
>
> Anyway, if anyone can give me some pointers, I would appreciate it.
>
> Thanks,
> Al
> aferguso@brazosport.cc.tx.us
>
