Another response I received below.  Joel = states that his 88 non-camper does not have a vent.  I suspect = that might be because VW does not expect people to stay in the van as = long as they would the camper? I sent him your comments.

As for the extra vent I mentioned-I was = referring to the extra ventilation coming from the battery = compartment.  I don't think I can seal it from the inside (been = cut-up a bit on sides by PO and my battery pushes on the top).  = Rather than plugging-up the battery vent I think I will try putting a = extra piece of pipe on for the vent angled 90 degrees pointing to the = rear.  Hopefully that will create negative pressure and pull the = air out of the compartment instead of the current blowing in(?).  =

I also plan to put in an aux battery, which I = now know must be sealed to eliminate off-gassing effect.  Too bad = about the relay though-recently posted that the one in there is not the = right one for camper aux battery.  I wonder how many people are = actually using the one that is there though.  Thanks for the = advise! 

><><><><><><><&= gt;<><><><><><><><><&= gt;<><><><>J
Phillip = Bouton      (PLEASE NOTE NEW = ADDRESS)
National = Association of County and City Health Officials
1100 = 17th Street, NW, 2nd Floor
Washington, DC = 20036
Ph. (202) 783-5550, = Fx. 783-1583
PBouton@naccho.org
http://www.naccho.org


-----Original = Message-----
From:   Joel = Walker [mailto:jwalker@tusc.net]
Sent:   Thursday, January 28, 1999 10:55 PM
To:     Phillip Bouton
Subject:       = Re: vent for the batter-Q's-why not aux = too?

i've yet to figure = out why the battery on the 87 camper HAS a vent tube, but the = battery on my 88 non-camper does NOT. the only thing i can figure = is that the camper is expected to run off the battery while = sitting still: camping. and the 88 is not. so it must be that the = battery off-gases more when being used and NOT charged. does that = make sense? cause i'd always heard that the gasing was caused = by charging. ????

and, no, i don't know if the 88 = campers did or did not have the venting. maybe it = was discontinued??
joel