Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2018 16:00:44 -0800
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: '88 Westy - moving starting battery rearward
In-Reply-To: <CAHTkEuL_WuxWW1ruydENUa39xuCQOa1zJKZ5bGZ=p2r_q86ung@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
I've got a gas inline mounted like yours. there's room for the standard
starter battery in the rear and it'd sure be more effective there... better
traction and a shorter cable run... I'd love mine back there, but I never
seem to get to doing it. My gas motor starts fine, but the weight would be
helpful.
The auxiliary battery:. I have a second identical battery under the
driver's seat. Its ok, but it isn't very good...a bigger deep cycle one is
what you want... with the things you say you use...Mine goes dead trying to
run a laptop in too short a time... Stereo lights bike computer. and I do
have a solar panel...it sucks to worry about it...a real deep cycle is the
right one...
My thinking was as one got old, i swap em around. That's ok now for
years, but I'd rather have a proper one, and I'll get to it one day.
I use a big mechanical relay with a small relay to override that...the
big relay gets primary current from the x relay...so starting, only the car
battery is on...once the motor fires, you hear and feel a clack as a charge
begins to the auxiliary battery..... unless I switch off the second
relay.... which I do if I feel the primary battery needs all the juice for
a bit.
I've seen storage drawers built under both seats.... I want that, too.
When I get inspired and stay home and work on the van...ha
On Jan 30, 2018 3:10 PM, "ddbjorkman@verizon.net" <ddbjorkman@verizon.net>
wrote:
Hi Shawn. I bought an 87 Westy that the previous owner put a battery under
the bench seat. It was removed by me shortly. Valuable, accessible,
storage space is lost. You have to vent it out somewhere. My griddle
didn't fit! If you are worried about current draw, put the biggest copper
cable you have from the battery in it's current location to the starter. I
know it's bulky, but it gets the current to the place you want it. If you
like, one can install (I have) a switch in the aux battery case under the
drivers seat so one can electrically connect the two batteries when not
running, bypassing the one way switch. I would use the aforementioned
heavy cable for this connection. As you point out, often the aux battery
has a good charge. Hence it can help turn that starter over.
Dave B.
-----Original Message-----
From: Shawn Wright <shawngwright@GMAIL.COM>
To: vanagon <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tue, Jan 30, 2018 3:11 pm
Subject: '88 Westy - moving starting battery rearward
As part of my plans to install various upgrades, I want to finally install
an Aux. battery in our '88 Westy, which has a 1.6TD using stock '83 parts,
but maintains the front passenger seat battery location. (which has always
seemed to be borderline for cranking the DV starter in cold weather)
I am wondering about instead of adding an aux battery under the driver's
seat, moving the starting battery either to the engine compartment as per
the stock Diesel location, or under the rear bench, then making the front
battery the Aux. one.
I have access to MIG and arc welders, so making a box in the engine
compartment is not an issue, or welding in a stock one. My engine intake is
in the stock diesel location on the left, so the right vent is available
for battery cooling.
I'm more interested in the logistics of wiring this all up - I have a
decent supply of marine grade cable in various sizes. Do I need to worry
about moving the loads off the front battery? I guess if I don't, and I run
the aux battery down too low running the heater, I could have an issue when
driving and needing more current, but the stock wiring already allows for
full charging current to the front battery, so, does it matter?
My preference would be to use standard Group 41 batteries for both, as I
don't anticipate running down the aux battery down too far, with the only
draw being an Espar D2, the stereo, house lights (mostly LED), and some
camera and laptop chargers. I do plan to add at least 100W of solar
charging also, mostly likely with a portable panel on the luggage rack.
Thanks
--
Shawn Wright
shawngwright@gmail.com
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