Date: Sun, 11 Apr 2010 12:01:51 -0600
Reply-To: miguel pacheco <mundopacheco@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: miguel pacheco <mundopacheco@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: 91 Camper - Factory Default Aux battery install help
In-Reply-To: <4BC20888.3030106@celineandsteve.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
Steve, if my brain is actually working, the intent of that stock
relay, beneath the seat, is to provide juice from your starter
battery, to the dometic fridge. In short, the fridge will only run if
the engine is running. When it is off, you run on propane.
The relay accomplishes this by receiving voltage from blue wire, at
terminal 85, which will close the switch and make terminals 30(from
starter battery) and 87(to fridge) common. What GoWesty does is run
terminal 87 to their isolator. This makes both sides of the isolator
common when the vehicle is running, so both batteries charge. When the
engine is off, juice to 85 is off, so it is thereby interrupted to
terminal 87, which results in the isolation of one battery from
another. The relay could accomplish this by itself (though I think it
would eventually melt,) but this enables you to use fatter wire.
The fuse panel changes you speak of is actually removing stereo, cig
lighter and interior lighting from the starter battery circuit and
putting it on the auxilliary battery circuit. The end result being
that you only use your starter to start your engine. Brilliant!
Miguel
I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
- Thomas A. Edison
On Sun, Apr 11, 2010 at 11:36 AM, Steve Williams
<steve@celineandsteve.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have scoured the archives for the last 3-4 years and while there is
> lots of information about the auxilary battery install, I still am not
> clear on what is required.
>
> I have a 1991 Westfalia camper that I would like to install a 2nd
> battery under the drivers seat. If I look in the battery compartment,
> there is a relay tucked in there up to the side.
>
> Looking at the Bentley, 97.34a, it implies that I just need to ground
> the battery and run a wire to one of the posts on the (existing) relay.
>
> If I do this, what functionality does this bring to the Auxilary
> battery? Ideally, I'd like to run the accessories/etc from it when
> parked without worrying about the starter battery running down. Is
> there more required than just hooking up the batter? There are
> references to having to make changes on the fuse panel if using the
> gowesty kit. Is that required for the factory relay?
>
> The other problem is that 97.34a says it's for the Camper, 1986-1989,
> and I have a 1991. There doesn't seem to be anything specific to a 1991
> camper in the Bentley. Are there any changes to this area between 1989
> and 1991?
>
> Do I need one of the list vendor's relay kits even for a 1991 camper
> with a factory default relay already installed?
>
> Is there any resource available for guidance on this? The wiki appears
> to be down, and bensplace doesn't seem to have any references to
> assist. I did several hours of researching on the archives, but nothing
> seemed to refer to the stock relay. Most references were about the
> gowesty kit, or how to hook up the Surepower systems.
>
> Thanks for any assistance.
>
> Cheers,
> Steve
>
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