Date:         Thu, 17 Nov 1994 13:59:29 -0800 (PST)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Jack Agnew <jagnew@svpal.org>
Subject:      Re: batteries ... and rummors of batteries



On Thu, 17 Nov 1994, Stuart Hutton wrote:

> Hello vw gang,
> I have heard rumors of a second battery in my vanagon.  I think this might
> come from the bible, actually.  "In the latter times, you'll hear rumors
> of batteries" or something like that.  I can only come to the conclusion
> after pulling out the seats and searching that my 1982 diesel vanagon
> does not have a second battery.  Has anyone actually installed the second
> battery in their camper?  What size did you use?  I know that I'll want
> a deep cycle battery, but I worry about how big of a battery I should
> get to fit under the passenger seat.  In fact, I'd really like to put it
> under the driver's seat but that seems pretty hard to do.  On the other
> hand, once done, it is done.
> Stuart Hutton
> 
I got trapped into the search for the second battery in my '86 since the 
current flow diagrams show that there is provisions for one. It took me a 
LOONG time to find out:
1. A special deep cycle batter IS made and shipped for Westfalias that 
are equiped with a DC/AC only refrigerator. 
2. The special relay shown to complete the installation is available by 
special order from Volkswagen. Something over $50 + installation.
3. The installation kit for the second battery is merely a connecting 
wire set which assumes the relay is present.

All this means NO HELP.

The area under the driver's seat will house a small gel cell deep cycle 
battery. I have a 24 amphour unit in there. Everything that I wanted to 
run on a second battery comes through fuze #3 in the fuze panel (radio, 
cigarette lighter power point and the interrior lights), but for the life 
of me I can't find an easy way to substitute the second battery as the 
power source for that fuze position. The entire fuze panel is one large 
Printed Circuit Board with lots of relays and stuff and the blade type of 
fuze insert. I would have to have to just use the blade fuze holder to 
insert a power blade into the accesory side leaving the main battery 
still attached to the power side.
If you install the second battery there, you need an isolator (about $12) 
to allow charging from the alternator, but keeps the load from draining 
the main battery.
Good luck - Jack