Date:         Sun, 11 Apr 2010 11:22:11 -0700
Reply-To:     mark drillock <mdrillock@COX.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         mark drillock <mdrillock@COX.NET>
Subject:      Re: 91 Camper - Factory Default Aux battery install help
Comments: To: Steve Williams <steve@CELINEANDSTEVE.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <4BC20888.3030106@celineandsteve.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

What you suggest has been done that way but not to great success. Also
the Bentley does not show anything actually powered off the aux battery
so more is needed than is shown. The 91 wiring is not any different than
the 86-89 for what you are doing but you can see the 91 setup on Bentley
page 97.225.

The are lots of ways to do it and the debates can go on forever as to
which ways are "best". In my opinion you need a second small relay and a
10 gauge wire between the front battery boxes as a minimum system since
you have a Westy with fridge relay that has wires to the main fuse/relay
panel already. If you expect to draw the battery down a lot and need it
to charge quickly on shorter drives then an 8 gauge wire and a bigger
relay would be the next step up. Either of these would mean moving a
single wire on the main fuse/relay box to power the interior lights,
radio, and cig socket from only the aux battery.

Mark

Steve Williams wrote:

>
> 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?