Date:         Wed, 29 Oct 1997 14:31:42 -0800
Reply-To:     "harald.nancy" <harald.nancy@MCI2000.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon mailing list <Vanagon@Gerry.SDSC.EDU>
From:         "harald.nancy" <harald.nancy@MCI2000.COM>
Subject:      Re: Charging Second Battery
Content-type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

>
> >Lawrence Johnson wrote:
> >
> >> Steven,
> >> If I understand your description correctly, you have used the relay
under
> >> the driver's seat as a switching relay for charging the auxiliary
battery.
> >> If I am correct then it is similar to my setup except that I added a
extra
> >> relay for the job.
> >> If my assumption is correct, then the relay will close only when the
voltage
> >> of the main (starting) battery equals the charging voltage from the
> >> alternator; in other words, only when the main battery is charged. In
this
> >> case, the main battery will charge first, regardless of the size of
the
> >> auxiliary (camper) battery and only when the main battery is charged
will
> >> the auxiliary battery start to charge.
> >> Larry
> >> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just wanted to clarify the reason I installed a multi-battery isolator and
did not use
the relay under the driver's seat to charge the auxillary battery. I think
the original volkswagen/westfalia refrigerator relay system is not designed
to be used for an auxillary battery. I think it is designed only for the
refrigerator heater element,
and is possibly not hefty enough to repeatedly charge a discharged battery.
I think the size of the wire from the alternator to the relay is too small.
That's why I installed the battery isolator with a much heavier 6 gauge
wire to the auxillary battery.
I completely left the original system for the refrigerator unchanged.
That's just my opinion.
Harald
'90 westy