> After a excellent camp out at West River Westies this weekend we were > just about the last foks to leave. When I went to start the van it was dead. > I have a house battery with the GW kit. > Why would my starter battery run down with the use of the house > battery? I don't think they are connected. Then again both do charge from > the alternator. The GW kit is described as using an isolator. If the diodes in an isolator fail, it will typically fail in the "closed" position, joining the two batteries even while the key is off, so unbeknownst to you your starting battery is draining as you camp. I learned this the hard way years ago in a similar situation to yours, except in my case we were camped remotely and both batteries were completely dead. By comparison, relay based systems (like ours - http://www.busdepot.com/1738 - and like the one Westfalia used themselves in dual battery equipped campers) will fail in the "open" position, so in the event of a failure your camping battery won't recharge but your starting battery will not be affected. Ron Salmon The Bus Depot, Inc. www.busdepot.com |
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