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Date:         Fri, 3 Jun 2005 21:43:24 +0000
Reply-To:     Robert Rountree <syncro87@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robert Rountree <syncro87@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Adding a 2nd Battery; which relay terminal.. Now : ( long)
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

I just did this to my 87 westy... the simplest answer is..ya switch the wire on #30 to #87 on the relay... then make a harness for all aux. power together to the positive post on the battery and one heavy red wire from the positive post to #87 on the relay.

or the longer explanation.

disconnect the main battery 1st thing before doing any work (jot down your channels and any memories you'll lose before disconnection)

on the relay under the drivers seat on 86-91westy campers (not regular vanagons) On that relay there are 5 wires plugged into it. One blue, one red and black, and 3 are red. 2 are red wires that run from the fridge area in a black sheath coming from that small fuse panel behind the drivers seat. of those 2 red wires. One is of larger gauge (fatter). Unplug that larger red wire from the relay. Now there are 2 remaining red wires plugged into the relay. One is fatter than the other, unplug it and plug it in were you just removed the other red wire. There should now only be one pin left open on the relay. That is were you are going to be plugging in your Aux. Battery's +positive input. That other red wire from the fridge will go together with any other wires you want to have aux. power. You can make up a harness or use a small fuse panel, combining those wires. All sources now needing aux. power should be connected to the aux. battery's +positive side. You also need a #14 black or brown Ground wire connect from the battery's -neg side to the body. You can now partly unscrew the relay and swing it down and more out of your way and retighten. PLEASE make sure all positive connections are covered or heavily taped so as nothing will contact metal and short out your battery. Now your fridge will work on the isolated aux. battery. And the aux. battery will recharge when the motors running. And you will not run down your main battery with the aux. system.

Myself I added a red #14 wire under the seat, under the carpet edge, up to the main fuse panel..(#3 is the Aux. circuit on my 87westy check Bentley for your year RMMV). I pulled that 15 amp fuse in S3 and made a little thingy that goes in the bottom half, put in an in-line 15amp fuse. Now my CD player, cig lighter, and ALL inside lights, run on my aux. battery. Isolated from my topped up main battery. Now I plug my portable AC inverter into the cig lighter and run my laptop, charge video & camera, cell phone..etc.. blah blah blah....all that stuff... why buy an expensive 12vdc adapter for each of those toys when everyone of them comes with a 110vac cord already (I know not 110 down under and other fine places, where they drive on the wrong side of the road;^)

Now I want to talk about the battery. The reason most batteries fail is because regular car batteries are not made to be discharged (until dead) and then recharged very many times at all. So ya left your trunk or overhead light on and your car wouldn't start, you got a jump, ran into work, and repeated this behavior a few more times and crap... now it's real dead for good. Or as my PO use to do. He didn't disconnect the battery over the winter in storage, and the clock & radio memory wiped the battery clean out of watts. Every two years he had to replace the battery and he blamed the van... She deserves better, but she's a trooper. And as we all know... "they just look so cool I wish I had one so I could just go do about anything eh?"... brains are not a requirement to own a vanagon... the learn-in comes later... just like real life. Back to Batteries... RV.. Deep Discharge.. Trolling Motor.. Nautical... Wheelchair...call it what ever ya want.. somewhere on there it should say DEEP DISCHARGE or it's gonna calcify on you in short order if you wipe it out and recharge often. I don't use my fridge so I just got a 33ah wheelchair battery. It fits in behind the seat without having to remove the seat or cut up and rebuild the lid. Last year when I did my shocks and 4 people couldn't figure how to put the seat back together again. I got it back, but I've got better naps to take than that kinda major contortionist puzzle like hassle again.

caveat:... don't mess with electricity... batteries can melt or blow up if discharged to fast.. use a meter.. check everything 3 times... always leave the ground disconnected until you are sure it's all done. And a roll of electrical tape is cheap...like 99cents... so cover up and use it. Actually I crimped ALL my fitting.. that and soldering is better workmanship. Ah but I guess ya can be womanly on a your star ship too:^)

I'm I the only one who feels the person who did the electrical drawing in the Bentley... went to a tech school off planet?

RR


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