Date:         Wed, 17 Mar 2010 09:17:39 -0700
Reply-To:     Sheilah Rogers <sheilah@SHEILAH.ORG>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Sheilah Rogers <sheilah@SHEILAH.ORG>
Subject:      deep cycle: best place to put? best size?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

hey listizens,

so i'm moving my second battery around. anyone care to share the perfect solution for this? 


option one:  trying to decide whether i want to put it under the driver's side seat. 

pro: it's out of the way, easier to wire up. 
con: it's a smaller battery (that i don't have yet) and i'm not sure how much power that would really offer (eg: camping for 3 days with radio and possibly a midnite movie, lights, etc)


option two: take existing larger deep cycle and move it to underneath the backseats. 

con: takes up precious space. wiring will include going under van and is a bit more complicated.  
pro: i have that large battery already and it will power things longer than a smaller deep cycle will. 


questions: 

1/ has battery technology improved to the point that a smaller deep cycle is better now than it was...say... 10 years ago? 

2/ does anyone use their deep cycle for extended 3+ days powering lights (and some extras they've installed), a movie (or two), and stereo and felt that the smaller deep cycle was plenty adequate?

3/ other issues?

4/ i'll probably have installed a second car lighter in the back so that i'll have a closer place to hook things in for power. apparently the walls back there are thicker than the install packet provides for (to ... uhm, i think.. ground it or something.) so has anyone found the "perfect location" for their second lighter install?