Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2007 09:19:24 -0700
Reply-To: Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Michael Elliott <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: T3 Westy's; batteries; how to have your cake and eat it
In-Reply-To: <vanagon%2007080711244747@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
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I'm a belt and suspenders kinda guy myself,* and learned the hard way
that I don't like discovering that one's starter battery is too
discharged to start the engine. Wouldn't have been a big deal if the
campground hadn't been deserted (no jump starts) and if Mellow Yellow
had a manual transmission. So storage space takes a back seat to
protecting the starter battery in my way of thinking.
Warren, as you can see, living off a battery is not easy. There are no
cut-and-dried formulae for success, just a series of compromises.
Finding the middle ground that works for you is your challenge. Energy
storage vs energy usage vs how hard you want to hit the battery vs cost
vs convenience vs reliability vs weight vs volume vs do I want to steal
energy from the starter battery vs how worth is all this to me anyway?
are just the obvious factors.
Your personal preference for fresh produce that isn't swimming in fetid
water is like Mrs Squirrel's. Limited refrigeration is not such an issue
for folk that eat out of cans or camp in cold conditions or camp where
ice is easily obtained and watery foodstuffs are not a bother.
Next week we'll be camping in upper 80's (F) weather for a week. I'll be
testing a clusterf#ck of an idea using dry ice, Techni Ice, insulation,
evaporative cooling, and thermonuclear radiation shielding. Will report
back.
-------
* Except at certain time when I feel driven to hang up warning signs,
shed attire, and hang out big old white butt.
--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
KG6RCR
Warren Chapman typed:
> On Sun, 5 Aug 2007 21:12:01 -0700, Reinhard Vehring <rvehring@YAHOO.COM>
> wrote:
>
>> I am not sure though that I would be comfortable
>> emptying half of my starter battery.
>
> I like this discussion very much ...also being very protective of every
> square inch of storage spacy in my Westy.....I like the theory
>
> .....but will a battery at 12V even start the vehicle?? I've recently read
> that a normal cranking battery is 50% gone at 12.3V and dead at 12V....so
> does a deep cycle still have cranking power at only 12V.
>
> Another point,...if the batteries were of the type that could be safely
> discharged to 80%.... then could 30% more of the house battery capactiy be
> used after the cutout ....giving even more useful AHs.
>
> I also want to investigate cutting the floor out of the battery box and
> extending it downward to get a bigger/deeper (100AH) battery under the seat
> (s). Not sure yet if it can be done.
>
> Warren C
>
