Date:         Tue, 3 Dec 2002 08:06:10 -0800
Reply-To:     gary hradek <hradek@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         gary hradek <hradek@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Camping in cold & battery
Comments: To: firebaugh@RAINCITY.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Steve,
     Several suggestion,
 1) bad ground strap or battery connection
 2) old battery
 3) old starter
 4) alternator
   Since your alternator light did not come on I put
that last.   When you had to push start did you notice
if the LED lights for the camper were red or green for
the power next to the fridge?
   How was the weather?   We are headed to Sunset Bay
for christmas.   Any chance you can give us some
suggestions for camping gear.   I figure they call
them oregon ducks for a reason up there so bringing
rain gear eh?   gary

Date:    Mon, 2 Dec 2002 19:47:02 -0800
From:    Steve Firebaugh <firebaugh@RAINCITY.COM>
Subject: Camping in cold & battery

I was out this past weekend to Eastern Oregon, in 87
Westy with Tiico
conversion with 2500 miles. Lows at night were 15 to
20. One morning,
in
order to start melting the frost off the windows, I
started her up, and
let her idle for 30 minutes or so, with heaters going,
then turned her
off after the windows were clear and interior warm.

An hour later, when we were ready to go, the battery
was dead. A push
start was needed. Clearly the alternator at idle rate
was not charging
the battery while running the heaters (front and
rear).

Is this normal? Advice to keep charged up when idling?

Thanks,


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