Date: Thu, 11 Nov 2004 18:21:30 -0800
Reply-To: Reinhard Vehring <rvehring@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Reinhard Vehring <rvehring@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: aux battery + jump starting
In-Reply-To: <B12640B7-3427-11D9-AFF0-000A95C8B9E2@earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Joe,
what gauge is the wire you used to connect the
batteries with? If this is too small, you won't be
able to "jumpstart" and you have a firehazard if you
try.
--- Joe Federici <joefederici@EARTHLINK.NET> wrote:
> I've run jumper cables from the house battery to the
> starter battery
> without any trouble.
>
> JFF
> On Nov 11, 2004, at 3:40 PM, Joel VanderKwaak wrote:
>
> Howdy,
>
> I have an aux battery, isolated from my main using a
> Hellroaring
> isolator. I run an amp, cd changer, and a 45L Engel
> fridge off the
> aux, and have everything else (lights, radio, etc)
> running off the
> main.
>
> Hellroaring has a nicely designed product (remote
> module) that allows
> one to connect the aux to the main with the flip of
> a switch, allowing
> you to jump-start the van off the aux. I installed
> this setup several
> years ago for my trips to Mexico so that I'd only
> drain the aux
> running the fridge, and, if the main was discharged,
> I'd get some help
> from a (hopefully charged) aux.
>
> Yesterday I left my lights on at work, and my main
> battery was dead at
> the end of day. No sweat, I thought, as I'm
> boyscout-prepared for just
> this scenario: I'll just 'jump' the van using the
> aux. I flipped the
> switch, the lights came on, the fuel pump started
> humming, but... not
> enough juice to turn the engine over. Dang, I was
> glad I wasn't on
> some remote beach.
>
> So, now I'm thinking this aux setup doesn't add the
> safety factor I'd
> envisioned, and was wondering if anyone else out
> there has a setup
> that actually works in this scenario. I'm
> considering adding an
> additional battery to the aux side of the circuit,
> for example.
>
> For the record, the Hellroaring isolator is setup in
> the 'basic'
> method, meaning I've run a wire from the main
> battery to the aux,
> routing power through isolator. The aux battery is
> an Optima
> Yellowtop, and the main is what came with the van
> when I bought it
> (std starting battery). I may replace the main in
> any case, as I don't
> know how old it is or how often it's been drained.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Joel
>
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