Date:         Thu, 11 Nov 2004 23:54:03 -0800
Reply-To:     Joel VanderKwaak <joelvanderkwaak@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Joel VanderKwaak <joelvanderkwaak@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: aux battery + jump starting
In-Reply-To:  <d338c996041111124053f98111@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Hi again,

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I upgraded the wiring tonight to
4-guage as that was a common suggestion (and is fairly inexpensive).
I may also shift the lights to the aux battery to ensure I don't
repeat yesterday's adventure on a Baja beach. Interesting to note that
some alternator noise in my sound system disappeared, either due to
the higher gauge wire or to my shifting some other wiring around. This
list rocks, as does my van :)

Joel


On Thu, 11 Nov 2004 12:40:31 -0800, Joel VanderKwaak
<joelvanderkwaak@gmail.com> 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
>