Just a reminder for those interested in adding a second battery, that I sell
a genuine Hella dual-battery relay kit designed specifically for this
purpose. The kit includes a fused relay, wiring, and instructions. When the
van is running, the two batteries are wired in parallel and the alternator
"trickle-charges" the camping battery; when the van is shut off the two
batteries are separated so you cannot kill your starting battery even if you
completely drain your camping battery. The use of a relay for this purpose,
as opposed to an isolator, eliminates the intrinsic voltage drop caused by
the diodes in an isolator. Also, in my experience it is more reliable than
an isolator, and less likely to leave you stuck with a dead starting battery
in the event of failure (which has happened to me several times with
isolators in VW vans)  The third advantage is cost - just $18.95 for the
kit.  Part # 1738.

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  (215) 234-VWVW
  www.busdepot.com

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