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Date:         Thu, 22 May 2008 23:28:53 -0700
Reply-To:     Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Loren Busch <starwagen@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Battery Woes/Choice
In-Reply-To:  <000801c8bc81$07a0c940$0201a8c0@troykv7nw3q4te>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

On Thu, May 22, 2008 at 7:59 PM, Troy <colorworks@gci.net> wrote:

> #2 gauge--wow! I assume that you set things up so that you could use your > auxiliary battery for starting in the event the main one dies?. > Not yet but I will be doing that, that requires about a #4 wire between the starting battery and the Surepower, not the #12 that is stock. And I haven't gone to the effort to snake the larger wire between the battery boxes yet.

> I believe the sure power has a model that allows for that if I remember > correctly. #2 gauge seems way overkill otherwise. > And #2 probably is over kill but I was running ten feet and once it was wrestled into place no problem.

> Did you end up drilling through the battery box wall behind the driver seat > to route the wires? Number two gauge is heavy stuff and probably pretty > stiff as well. > I ran straight through the seat and cabinet wall, through the 'hidden compartment', then forward along the bottom of the back of the cabinets and then out the space at the end of the sink and down into the aux battery box through the notch at the corner of the cover, notch opened up a bit.

> > > What do you think about running some eight gauge wire or perhaps number six > wire directly from the alternator or starter to the sure power mounted under > the rear seat, and then to the auxiliary battery? I can then run a #8 or > even 10 gauge to the connections behind the driver seat? Easiler to route > the smaller gauge wire for sure. I would still need to route the blue > trigger wire for the relay, which I assume originates somewhere around the > alternator, although I don't know for sure--do you? The ground I would think > you could just attach to one of the bolts on the floor after removing the > paint. > If using the Surepower you will not need the infaamous 'blue wire'. Only three connections for the Surepower 1315, one from the starting battery, one from the aux battery, and one small ground.

> > There's no question that your setup will work (is working). I just question > whether or not you need such heavy gauge wire if you're not going to use the > aux. battery as a starting battery were it would carry huge amounts of > current. > > By the way, which 100 AH battery did you choose? So for the interstate, > group 29 was mentioned and one other person mentioned several golf cart > batteries, although they are extremely heavy and hard to get service were > I'm at. > I have a Group 31 AGM from Fullriver. I wanted a Trojan but couldn't locate one locally at the time.

> > Have you had any problems charging the 100AH battery fully with the stock > alternator? > Yes and no. It charges from the alternator but not all the way, is usually at about 12.85 volts even after a long run on the highway. But if plugged into 110v AC the Progressive Dynamics 30 amp charger (with Charge Wizard) kicks it right up to 14.4 v, then tapers off to about 13.8 and holds steady there. I have a digital volt meter permanently wired in with a switch so I can see the aux and starting battery any time I want to check. I'll probably add a 12v to 12v converter/charger like Mike Elliot did so that the aux is fully charged when driving.

If the auxiliary battery is undercharged routinely, that could certainly > lead to stratification (I think that's what they call it) which make your > 100AH battery act like a 10AH battery overtime. I installed a separate > voltage gauge on my current setup, so I know what's going on. I'm amazed how > many people have no clue about this, they just say that "it works fine". > Guess I'm a little more technical than that;) > > Troy > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > *From:* Loren Busch <starwagen@gmail.com> > *To:* Troy <colorworks@gci.net> > *Sent:* Thursday, May 22, 2008 5:57 PM > *Subject:* Re: [VANAGON] Battery Woes/Choice > > RE: Since all my wiring is now behind the rear driver's seat, I'd like to > do this as painless as possible. > > When I added a second 100AH AGM battery (to handle the Norcold) under the > rear seat I had the same thought and it worked out well. I ran two #2 > cables through and behind the cabinets up to the battery compartment under > the driver seat and initially hooked the positive to the actual cable that > had been hooked to the original Group 41 aux battery, the ground to the > ground point that that battery had used. This eliminated the need to re > route the existing accessory wiring that I had already installed. Since > then I've added the Surepower separator and an additional breakers and a > single terminal point where all aux devices get their power. So what you > propose will work just fine. > >


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