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Adding a second auxiliary battery to a Westfalia Camper
Hi
I need to add a 2nd auxillary battery to my 83 Watercooled westfalia camper. I will be using it primarily to run my laptop and maybe a light. I understand that the battery will fit under the driver's seat. I ordered an aux. battery kit from gowesty but I have a few questions. If I have two batteries do I need an Isolator? Here's someone saying I do. "A dual-battery-relay is a simple switch, disconnecting the two batteries, when the engine is turned off. But the moment the relay reconnects the batteries, the drained battery robs power from the starting battery. This sudden transfer of current from one battery to another can damage batteries, and shorten their life. A solenoid will disconnect batteries form one another, but the second the solenoid reconnects the batteries there is a sudden discharge from the main battery to the aux. This shortens battery life and can leave you with two dead batteries or worse - a fire." I want to charge the auxiliary battery when the engine is runnig. I don't want the auxiliary battery to rob current from the main battery as described above. Do I have to have both batteries connected to each other? Why don't I just connect the auxiliary directly to wherever the main battery gets its source from.? I'm looking for the best, simplest and most inexpensive solution. Any ideas? How do I hook up some sort of voltage indicator so I can see what kind of charge the aux is holding? I have looked at the solution at vanagon.com but need more info. Thank |
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#2
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Adding a second auxiliary battery to a Westfalia Camper
Hey,
There are two schools of thought on this one...Yes, there is a Switch kit available (try www.BusDepot.com) that allows a second battery. it is isolated via a relay and charges when the ignition switch is on. Or you can go with the Isolater option. Both work well. Remember though if you install a second battery for auxillary items, you really should use a Deep Cycle RV battery...Sounds like you should use the Isolator Option for the application your wanting. Try ( http://www.geocities.com/harald_nancy/ ) for more second battery options and info..Good luck On 24 Oct 2005 12:24:06 -0700, "Colm" > wrote: >Hi >I need to add a 2nd auxillary battery to my 83 Watercooled westfalia >camper. I will be using it primarily to run my laptop and maybe a >light. > >I understand that the battery will fit under the driver's seat. I >ordered an aux. battery kit from gowesty but I have a few questions. > >If I have two batteries do I need an Isolator? > >Here's someone saying I do. >"A dual-battery-relay is a simple switch, >disconnecting the two batteries, when the engine is turned off. >But the moment the relay reconnects the batteries, the >drained battery robs power from the starting battery. >This sudden transfer of current from one battery to another >can damage batteries, and shorten their life. > >A solenoid will disconnect batteries form one another, but the second >the solenoid reconnects the batteries there is a sudden discharge from >the main battery to the aux. This shortens battery life and can leave >you with two dead batteries or worse - a fire." > >I want to charge the auxiliary battery when the engine is runnig. >I don't want the auxiliary battery to rob current from the main battery >as described above. > >Do I have to have both batteries connected to each other? >Why don't I just connect the auxiliary directly to wherever the main >battery gets its source from.? > >I'm looking for the best, simplest and most inexpensive solution. Any >ideas? > >How do I hook up some sort of voltage indicator so I can see what kind >of charge the aux is holding? > >I have looked at the solution at vanagon.com but need more info. > >Thank |
#3
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Adding a second auxiliary battery to a Westfalia Camper
Don't know if you have purchased the new batteries yet, but I would go
with Optima type sealed, gel batteries. Several brand names now, but they are all top notch. You will pay more for them, but they are smaller with more CCA than lead/acid. I just put dual batt's in my boat, with an isolator, and 2 blue top Optima's from COSTCO. the isolator was very inexpensive piece in the overall project. You could also look at Perko manual switches. I want to be able to start the boat and both charge, and run the stereo and lights without worrying if I can start up and leave. I could almost fit 2 Optima's in the space of the one L/A battery that was there before, and I don't have to worry about acid coming out in the hull of my boat. Rod 98 Jetta TDI 93 Jetta III 90 Malibu Skier SWP wrote: > Hey, > There are two schools of thought on this one...Yes, there is a Switch > kit available (try www.BusDepot.com) that allows a second battery. it > is isolated via a relay and charges when the ignition switch is on. Or > you can go with the Isolater option. Both work well. Remember though > if you install a second battery for auxillary items, you really should > use a Deep Cycle RV battery...Sounds like you should use the Isolator > Option for the application your wanting. Try ( > http://www.geocities.com/harald_nancy/ ) for more second battery > options and info..Good luck > > On 24 Oct 2005 12:24:06 -0700, "Colm" > wrote: > > >Hi > >I need to add a 2nd auxillary battery to my 83 Watercooled westfalia > >camper. I will be using it primarily to run my laptop and maybe a > >light. > > > >I understand that the battery will fit under the driver's seat. I > >ordered an aux. battery kit from gowesty but I have a few questions. > > > >If I have two batteries do I need an Isolator? > > > >Here's someone saying I do. > >"A dual-battery-relay is a simple switch, > >disconnecting the two batteries, when the engine is turned off. > >But the moment the relay reconnects the batteries, the > >drained battery robs power from the starting battery. > >This sudden transfer of current from one battery to another > >can damage batteries, and shorten their life. > > > >A solenoid will disconnect batteries form one another, but the second > >the solenoid reconnects the batteries there is a sudden discharge from > >the main battery to the aux. This shortens battery life and can leave > >you with two dead batteries or worse - a fire." > > > >I want to charge the auxiliary battery when the engine is runnig. > >I don't want the auxiliary battery to rob current from the main battery > >as described above. > > > >Do I have to have both batteries connected to each other? > >Why don't I just connect the auxiliary directly to wherever the main > >battery gets its source from.? > > > >I'm looking for the best, simplest and most inexpensive solution. Any > >ideas? > > > >How do I hook up some sort of voltage indicator so I can see what kind > >of charge the aux is holding? > > > >I have looked at the solution at vanagon.com but need more info. > > > >Thank |
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