Date: Thu, 9 Nov 2006 09:41:04 -0800
Reply-To: obeechi@RUNBOX.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mark C <obeechi@RUNBOX.COM>
Subject: Battery in Engine Compartment ... NOT
In-Reply-To: <s552ed92.074@gwia203.syr.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Well why not just put the 12 volt starting battery and two 6 volt trojan batteries both wired in series for 12 volts all under the rear seat... then ALL of your batteries would be in the same place... and you could have terry k's forklift plug behind a cubby in the kickpanel of the rear seat for jump starting (open the cubby and remove the length of forklift plug wire that you need for the occasion... sometimes using it to operate/fuel a secondary inverter [the secondary interter having an opposite sexed forklift plug permanently wired to it], or to power a 12 volt something or other, like a florescent light for examing what ills your vanagon leakwise late at night), and a remote controled main inverter of a pure sine wave could also be under the rear seat with plugs of 110 volt and 12 volt on the kickpanel... of course the length of wire from engine to batteries and between batteries and between main inverter and batteries as well as between kickpanel plugs and batteries would all be SHORT
Then the/a propex unit could be under one of the front seats with a vent facing the rear... would that work?... at least maybe then the hot air wouldn't be trapped under the bed... because of the external propane tank, I guess you'd want the propex on the driver side... so for under the driver seat... You could put a receptacle for receiving all the receipts that you pull out of your wallet... like ... the minute your wallet gets stuffed (and I fold mine ink facing ink, so the ink doesn't get erased rubbing against other receipts) you then remove the receipts and place in a plastic sandwich bag (a batch) and then toss it under the passenger seat, maybe through a mail slot on the back of the seat pedestal... or maybe in a safe that is under the passenger seat, welded to the vanagon.... then when you need to return something/anything the receipt would always be handy.... On the inside of the box the item came in, you woud write down the date of purchase and/or maybe the batch number so you could find the receipt quicker... it really sucks when you can't find a receipt for a 500 dollar item, the day before its return date expires... or to drive there to return, to realize, that it was left at home... or you lost it somewhere ... or it got wet.... and if you do have it you don't know, cause the ink is long since gone... I've had receipts for two sets of bilsteins in my lifetime that were lost or destoyed by brake fluid leaking in my trunk... and both sets of bilsteins were replaced after wearing out... I guess a batch number could assigned later, by using with a database.. and downloading your bank statements... or maybe not... my account said to just throw all my receipts in an envelope and separate them by year... thats seems kind a crude to me....
Oh yeah.. I guess I skipped over the topic of battery venting... and if you vent the battery under the rear seat, then there goes any sound proofing effort... unless you build a chamber for all of these batteries... not sure if subwoofers would have any available space under the rear seat...
From: Daniel Stevens <dosteven@SYR.EDU>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: battery in engine compartment
> How to start..
>
> well all of the Diesel vans put the battery on a shelf in the engine
> compartment for a shorter battery supply cable.
> so it's been done factory, just not for a air/wasserboxer..
> in our sunroof van we put the starting batter in the passanger side
> taillight compartment..
> so YES they do fit in there. have to slide it out for service.
> as for yadda yadda yadda weight distribution..
> 1 why would you assume that you would remove the batt from the front
> location.
> save the westy weight?? man I hear that all the time one would think
> that weight worry died with kids ripping the AC and power steering from
> their Neons..
> it's a freakin 3/4 ton rated VAN.. camper at that.. rated to carry up
> to 9 adults.. well maybe 1 child but .. say 9x175lbs thats 1575lbs..
> Oh wait add some gear/stuff/groceries OVER THE BACK DECK.. cause
> thats where thats designed to carry stuff..
> your wstfalia cabinets maybe account for the weight of 2~3 adults..
> nah.. not even that heavy.. try the Riviera cabinets.. 3/4" particle
> board
> and loaded down with building supplies (12 bags of 60# concrete,
> several 4x4x10 posts et al). along with 2 adults and tank of fuel.
>
> in hvy snow like we get here all winter, my van likes to have 2 bags
> or 'tube/traction sand' over the back deck..
> so either 40-80 lbs of sand with little additional use or1-2 extra
> batteries that allow me to not live by candle light if it's raining and
> i'm just kicking back reading/listening to music with the furnace on.
>
>
> sooo yeah add some freakin batteries.. fire up the illumination and
> dvd.. make it comfortable..
> I do laugh when I see campers @ westy events who ran their 1 battery
> down overnight.. *shrugs, I just pull out the jump pack..
> I guess thats heavy too. *shrugs..
>
> Oh and TAKE THAT DANG GAS CAN OFF THE OVERHEAD LUGGAGE RACK.. (thats
> my biggest PEEVE)
> if 2 gals of gas is gunna save yer butt. buy more gas at the last
> station you passed.
>
> 1980 ASI Riviera w/ Turbo Diesel conversion.
> and 4 batteries. 1 each front seat, 2 under the back seat.
>
>
>
> From: Mike Bucchino <mbucchino@CHARTER.NET>
> Subject: Re: Type 2s battery in engine compartment
>
> Same deal, only even worse in this spot on the Vanagon.
> I looked into mine by removing the right taillight today. I don't
> believe
> it's got enough headroom in that location (even considering that a
> european
> battery is a bit shorter than others).
> There would be plenty of cool air from the side vent grill above, but
> the
> air cleaner horn protrudes several inches into it for a cool air source
> for
> the engine. I'm sure there's a way to reroute this horn, if you
> really
> wanted to.
> This would take away ballast from the front (where it's needed) and
> move
> it to the rear (where it's definitely not needed).
> Battery access would be very difficult for jumpstarting, checking,
> cleaning,
> and replacing.
>
> Overall, your percieved benefit of shorter main wire length is greatly
> outweighed by all the negative factors.
>
> Request disapproved; resubmit in 30 days for further
> disapproval........
>
> Mike B.
>
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