Date:         Thu, 11 Oct 2001 09:36:44 -0700
Reply-To:     Charles McGehee <chasm@ELLTEL.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Charles McGehee <chasm@ELLTEL.NET>
Subject:      Re: travel to libby montana
Comments: To: gary hradek <hradek@YAHOO.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <20011011155225.86826.qmail@web13908.mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

Unless there's a special reason for carrying water in your tank, I'd drain
it.  You're going to be around water anyway (you said you'd be hooking up),
so it's added weight and trouble.  Actually, we almost never use the water
tank regardless of the weather, carrying instead a few gallons in
jugs.  Water in the tank is not only unnecessary weight, it also tends to
get stale.  Unless we're going to be in the boonies for an extended time,
we don't bother with the tank at all

You didn't mention what year your rig is.  Dual batteries started with '86,
if I'm not mistaken.  I put an isolated dual system in my '85 and built a
charger into the system.  It's a deep-cycle RV battery which can last for
days without recharging.  If yours is a newer model with factory installed
dual batteries, I'd think any trickle charger would work, but someone with
more experience should speak to that.  Are you sure you are drawing down
your engine battery by using interior lights?  I thought there was a relay
in newer rigs that separated the systems.

Charles
'85 Westy

At 08:52 AM 10/11/01 -0700, gary hradek wrote:
>We will be taking a trip to Libby, Montana in late
>October.   Would it be safe to travel with water in
>the storage tank?   I have thought to add a 10%
>ethanol solution to the tank to prevent freezing.
>We will be hooking up an electrical connection each
>night.   Has anyone used a trickle charger to keep a
>charge on the battery?   If so, what kind of charger
>works best and can I run the charger while I use the
>lights and radio in these very  long Montana nights.
>Thanks gary
>
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