Date:         Sat, 1 Oct 2005 17:14:32 EDT
Reply-To:     Oxroad@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jeff Oxroad <Oxroad@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Battery acid in rollover/ was:Re: Bus Depot auxiliary battery
              hook up
Comments: To: drillock@EARTHLINK.NET
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 10/1/2005 12:55:50 PM Pacific Standard Time,
drillock@EARTHLINK.NET writes:

>>The regular battery compartments have a hinged access  door
>>>that is in no way sealed, as you  say.



This set up with the battery is in the passenger compartment confuses me  and
has always kind of bothered me from a safety standpoint. In the event of a
roll-over accident aren't the passengers in danger of getting doused with
battery acid?

I don't want to the say the Vanagon is prone to roll-over--or even likely  to
roll over because that might be too extreme a statement. But it is a  vehicle
with a higher center of gravity than say, a passenger sedan.  And obviously
some Vanagons have and will roll over.

In the event of a roll over in a non-camper Vanagon it seems likely to  me
spilling battery acid could become an issue to passenger safety. I'm  also
guessing even the "sealed" Westfalia battery compartment is not  completely "water
tight" so that the battery acid might be an issue in a  collision. And not
even necessarily a roll over. Scenarios could be contrived  where the vehicle is
hit on the passenger side launching the battery or at least  disturbing it.
And while batteries are in all (most) vehicles--the differance  I'm concerned
with here is the battery being in the passenger compartment.

And my guess in people with Westfalia probably sometimes get content with
just placing the battery compartment lid on the battery compartment rather that
screwing it down with four screws-it certainly stayed in place enough to
satisfy  the previous owner of my bus. I myself have velcro-ed the battery lid
down in my  Westfalia. It's a great trick, but probably not enough to hold in
liquid in the  unlikely event of a roll over. And the velcro comromises the
rubber gasket  sealing the compartment--although mine hasn't had any such gasket
since I got  it. I never knew one should even be there until just now.

AND I like the ability to get to battery in an emergency which is
facilitated by the velcro set up. Years ago I saved my trusted and true 74 Super  Beetle
by immediatly accessing the battery when the alternator sheared off and
cause an electrical fire. A quick snip of the positive battery cable saved
further fire damage--I mean I think it did.

And I'm not losing sleep over the battery acid issue. But I am semi-amazed
the non-sealed battery compartment and maybe even the sealed compartment inside
 the passenger compartment passed safety standards ever. Am I wrong about all
 this?

Best,
Jeff
83.5 Westy
LA,CA